Is it ROI time for mobile marketers?
InternetWeek writes about mobile marketing in the United States.
The article quotes the opinion of Nihal Mehta, founder and CEO of Ipsh:
We’re finally seeing a significant tipping point. People aren’t just testing it anymore, they’re starting to see return on investment.”
However Jupiter Research analyst Julie Ask has an opposite view:
“The majority of online adults is not interested in receiving promotions via SMS, even if they receive free or discounted goods and services, are assured that their privacy will be protected and don’t have to pay for the messages.”
Who’s right? Who’s wrong? Probably the truth, as usual, stands in the middle.
To answer we need to change the point of view: the true advantage of mobile marketing is not sending SMS to the customers (traditional direct marketing), but allowing customers to send SMS to you!
This easy, instant medium of communicating lets the customer participate in the promotions you offer, ask for more information about the product, etc. So there isn’t any problem with personal information or databases, since it is the customer who initiates the conversation with you.