Mobile phone marketing, otherwise known as SMS marketing, is the present evolution of direct marketing. Direct marketing has always been chosen by companies as a specialized and focused method of reaching potential consumers and, with the rise of mobile phones, mobile marketing has increased in support. Digital marketing is perhaps best defined as the practice of marketing products and services using digital distribution channels to reach consumers in a quick, appropriate, personalized and cost-effective manner.



The most prevalent form of digital marketing is SMS marketing, which has expanded rapidly in Europe and Asia. It is predicted that several hundred million marketing messages are sent via SMS every month in Europe alone. SMS stands for 'short message service' and is a communication form unique to mobiles where a short message can be quickly sent to any mobile user. As well as sending material to consumers, advertisers can often encourage consumers to join in marketing and brand exposure campaigns by encouraging consumers to SMS a selected number at an event in order to enter a competition, to receive a prize or to have their text displayed on a multimedia wall at an event. All of these techniques engages the consumer through the medium of SMS and creates brand exposure.

There are many other types of digital marketing. One variation is sending messages via MMS, which is a multimedia version of SMS, allowing consumers to receive texts with color, pictures and video. There is also mobile web marketing, where brands publicize marketing aims through websites accessed by mobile phones. Publicists often make innovative use of mobile marketing such as location-based services where consumers are offered tailored marketing and other network-related information and promotional material based on their location. With the range of methods and options available to promoters, it is no wonder that a recent marketing survey found that 89% of major brands planned to advertise their products through digital marketing by the end of 2008.

Digital marketing is an example of what is known within the industry as "push" marketing. The idea behind push marketing is that that the marketer has to send (push) the information to the user in order for the material to be received. This is opposite to "pull" marketing, a passive form of marketing, where it is consumers who seek out the material from sources such as websites or blogs.

There are numerous advantages to digital marketing. Primarily, the attraction is that this mode of promotion can be personalized to the user. This is the gold standard in marketing as it means getting the campaign specifically to the audience it's focused on, instead of squandering dollars on an unfocussed campaign. The specialization allowed by this mode of promotions, which results in a more economical campaign, is one reason why a high return on investment is possible with digital marketing. Another advantage of digital marketing is the detailed tracking and reporting of recipients it allows. Through this medium, promoters can track how many subscribers received their message and also access detailed data about each subscriber such as their name, their age, their demographic and where they're located. This allows a marketer to build up profiles of their users; data which then guides future advertising campaigns and, ideally, their success.

It is noted in the industry that push marketing, of which mobile marketing is a type, can help drive new revenue and brand reinforcement if it is used correctly and appropriately. This is because it makes subscribers aware of new changes that they may not know to inquire about already and the way the material is written, and even the fact that the material is being sent by a contemporary, hip medium such as text, can say a lot about a brand and a business.

There are, however, some drawbacks to digital marketing. Inherently, it requires a mechanism - the mobile - to be able to send information. The company, as well, has to make use of specific hardware and applications in order to deliver the information to consumers, which can involve substantial outgoings. Another negative is the fact that digital marketing is heavily regulated by the telecommunications industry in response to customer concerns about what data and marketing they get shown. Most Western nations have laws in place that compel businesses to gain the consent of consumers before promotional content is received by them and must clearly give them with an 'opt out' option if they request to stop receiving content. If companies are found to be in breach of these laws, network providers can block marketing material by businesses.

As mobile technology improves, digital marketing will certainly continue to rise in importance.