Mobile Marketing Trends

Mobile Marketing is growing quickly; Mobile Marketer just released a story on five trends feeding this growth. I like the article and wanted to share some highlights with all of you.

Trend #1: Apple. Period.
They are not necessarily the leader in actual process innovation, but they are indeed the leader in creating a frenzied demand for mobile products and hugely increased data consumption. Apple makes people desire wireless, fast, engaged devices. This allows brands to create marketing campaigns that strongly deepen brand equity.

Trend #2: The rapid transition to smartphones.
Partly fed by Trend #1, the world has an increasingly rich appetite for smartphones. More apps and mobile websites are being produced everyday because of this trend...and rightfully so. The numbers on mobile web growth are staggering! This smartphone revolution may be the most influential trend of all relative to the effects on the rise of mobile marketing.

Trend #3: Brands are including mobile in multichannel marketing.
As with anything, once big brands start playing ball, all the small- and medium-sized markets want to join. We are seeing this first hand this year through an influx of interest in mobile marketing (namely SMS marketing and building iPhone applications). Business owners are steadily recognizing their audience is mobile and they need to be there. If they aren't, then they are not speaking to their customers...a recipe for failure.

Trend #4: Mobile commerce is primed to take off and make a major impact.
M-commerce is exciting since almost every test being done (Ebay, Starbucks, etc.) is seeing excellent results. Consumers are much more willing to enter their billing information into their phones and make a purchase than many retailers anticipated.

Trend #5: Location-based services will spur concern from privacy advocacy groups.
The good thing about this is, as privacy concerns are ironed out, more mobile marketing strategies will come to light. Better mobile marketing strategies will be understood by both brands and consumers and that is always a positive.