How many people do you know without a cell phone? Within our technologically savvy environment, for most people that number is probably close to zero. Given the changing trends of society, where people are reminded to turn their mobile devices off in a movie theatre, the concept and implementation of mobile marketing becomes more and more relevant everyday. What better way to get a message out to a niche audience than through a device that people carry with them twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week? Just as cell phones, BlackBerrys, and iPhones keep us connected to people across the globe, they also provide a new avenue for businesses to garner customers and attract a targeted group of consumers. Therefore, businesses should and inevitably will embrace this innovative concept of mobile marketing, realizing that the possibilities are endless as it will certainly play a pivotal role in the future of marketing and advertising.



In today's media saturated world, businesses are constantly looking for a viable outlet to attract their target consumers. Over the last decade, traditional media forms such as newspapers and magazines have become less popular among the masses, and by extension, a less formidable way to advertise. According to a recent M:Metrics report, the average person sees more advertisements in one day than people of 50 years ago saw in a lifetime, severely desensitizing consumers and destroying the marketing effect. Additionally, the widespread use of DVR devices such as TiVo has weakened the impact of television ads, while pop-up and banner blockers have diluted web ads. So how are businesses supposed to promote their product or service? The simple answer: mobile marketing. Unlike the more traditional forms of advertising, mobile marketing is able to bypass common hold-ups and reach an attentive audience, anywhere at anytime.

Given the current situation, mobile marketing offers a solution to many of the marketing woes mentioned above. According to the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA), ?three in four mobile phone users text message at least occasionally.? Over 525 million text messages are sent each day. Therefore, mobile marketing opens the door to an extremely large group of consumers that can be targeted by specific demographics. A further advantage mobile marketing presents compared to more traditional forms of advertising is its ability to generate interaction with the consumer, which ultimately increases brand recognition. Instead of simply reading or watching an ad, users can actively participate by playing games, voting via text message, and interacting in a number of other ways. This idea of interaction also makes it possible to measure an ad's impact more effectively.

Although still a new technology, many are finding that the benefits of mobile marketing far outweigh any risks. Those that adopt mobile marketing solutions can build a vast database of interested consumers that can be contacted instantly. Imagine spending advertising dollars on a campaign that immediately reaches your targeted audience and bypasses the disinterested, saving time, money, and headaches. With mobile marketing, all this is possible. Businesses are not forced to waste valuable money and resources on an audience that will never have any interest in the brand's product or service. Say a local restaurant was having a slow night and decided to text all those registered in their database with a coupon to come in that evening. Instead of spending valuable time and money to print a coupon amd put the ad in a newspaper (where the majority of people will simply ignore it), that restaurant could immediately have direct access to thousands customers. Mobile marketing with a company such as EnMobile offers direct and instant access to a business's prime audience.

Overall, mobile marketing represents the new age of marketing and advertising. As people adopt new technologies such as text messaging into their daily routines, businesses should look at how they can capitalize on this current craze, which shows no signs of slowing down. Incorporating a mobile marketing campaign into one's business strategy has numerous positive benefits that traditional platforms do not offer. If a business is looking to expand to the next level, they should seriously consider a mobile marketing campaign.