As ‘mobile marketing’ continues to define itself, our brains are often in overdrive as we try to keep up with all of the latest trends. New technologies, theories, apps, devices, experts– so much to take in, so much to consider when evaluating how to achieve mobile marketing success.
With that in mind, I’ve decided to do a series on ‘debunking the myths of mobile marketing’ over the next few months. My goal is to go back to the basics and focus on what really matters when it comes to engaging with your mobile customers.
So without further ado, it’s time to debunk…
THE MYTH: It’s all about who you are.
Think about your current mobile campaign.
How did you determine the ‘right’ customers for your message? Was it based on who they are? For example, their age? Their gender? Where they live?
How much time lapsed from when you defined the target list to when you began the outreach? A few hours? A few days? A few weeks?
How many times did you revisit your target list once the outreach began? Half way through? Never?
Am I bombarding you with questions? Yes, but I want you to understand how this myth is impacting your success at reaching... Read more
Archive for January, 2013
Debunking the Myths of Mobile Marketing: Targeting the Right Customers
How to overcome tunnel vision in email design
How long do you have to snag your reader’s attention before you lose them? Say it with me: ten seconds or less. We’ve had this drilled into our heads, and great designers know what keeps people reading and what doesn’t. But what hasn’t been learned nearly so well is that your customer’s online attention is not only short, but also very narrow.
Usability guru, Jack Nielson, explains in a recent Alertbox Column that most users focus only on what interests them or what they expect will give them the answers that they need while ignoring the other content. Known as “Tunnel Vision,” this phenomenon can make the difference between click-throughs and deleted messages.
Let’s consider an example. You design a newsletter advertising your website’s 20 percent off sale. You include a headline, an image, a block of text that includes a coupon code, and a call to action that says “Shop Now.” Nielson’s usability research suggests that if you haven’t stated the coupon code in the headline or included it as part of the call to action, many subscribers won’t see it. It’s a phenomenon similar to banner blindness, where readers ignore portions of the screen that they think aren’t essential to the overall... Read more
Don’t cold call me, Bro
Here’s the top line take home: cold calling is lazy; if you’re still doing it then please stop.
I receive dozens of cold calls each week and a truly staggering number of cold emails. They leave me cold. I don’t respond to them. Nor do most of the folks like me who have found themselves gate keepers between you and the audiences you want: conferences, media properties and the like.
The second-to-worst ones are the folks who cold call me and then email to make sure that I received the cold call. Absolute worst are the people who use robots to call me.
Are you, the cold caller, hosed?
No. Just stop being lazy. Don’t know how? Keep reading.
Is your product a commodity?
A few months back I had the pleasure of leading an advanced networking class for a group of talented young entrepreneurs at PIE (the Portland Incubator Experiment). During this class I formulated an easy, one-question test to determine whether or not your offering has been in any way commoditized. It’s not a final test but it sure does give you an early indication:
Is your head of sales good looking?
If the answer to this question is “yes” -- or more dishearteningly “Dear Lord,... Read more
