In the present world, mobile phones are easily accessible by every class and agegroup of people; therefore, a mobile advertisement offers following advantages:
- Reach – Mobile phone is reaching people by 15% more than Mobile marketing is drawing more clicks than internet marketing. Advertisers have high expectations with mobile advertising.
- Accessibility - Mobile comes handy to Mobile advertising follows people everywhere.
- Time factor - People are available on mobile round the clock, which may not be possible with Cost – Mobile advertising cost much lesser than other types of advertising.
It is lighter on your pocket, thus allowing you to advertise more on the same expense. Personalized – You can tailor your ad in a message.
People find messages more intimate than other internet marketing methods.
Benefits or Advantages of Mobile Marketing
1. Mobile Marketing Reaches a Broader Market
Smartphones and tablets are cheaper, smaller, and more portable than traditional PC’s and laptops. This means that people who previously were not able to be online are no longer restricted by financial, geographical, or technological barriers.
2. Instantaneous results
We always carry our mobile phones. Like our wallet or keys, we never leave home without them. And, most of the time, our mobile phone is ON, which means, we receive the message at the very moment it is sent. You can use mobile tactics to get your marketing message out immediately.
3. Easy to work with
The creation of elements for mobile devices is simpler and less costly compared to desktops or laptops. This medium also makes it easier to issue promotions and marketing incentive services to us, the users. We can keep this information handy until the time we need to use it. For example, we can download a coupon to our phone and then show that coupon at checkout - without an internet connection - to receive the discount.
4. Convenient to use
Since the screen size of a mobile phone is small, it limits the scope of content that can be displayed. This makes it convenient for the creators of the content, who can keep it basic and simple. Also, simpler content will adapt itself better to the various mobile platforms.
5. Tracking response
User response can be tracked almost instantaneously. Mobile marketing is an effective way to collect user data. Databases that use phone numbers, as unique IDs are more effective, since many people generally keep their phone numbers for a longer period of time, unlike their email addresses. This helps the mobile advertiser better understand and analyze user behavior and create buyer personas.
6. Huge viral potential
Here you have the domino effect. Since mobile content can be easily shared among users, mobile marketing enhances the potential for virality, or a piece of content - usually a video - “going viral.” Users more than likely will share good information and offers with their friends and family, so companies get a lot more exposure with no extra effort.
7. Mass communication made easy
Since a lot more people own mobile phones than desktops or laptops, mobile marketing helps the marketer reach a far wider and more diverse audience, either by SMS or push notifications. Mobile marketing also gives the advantage of targeting capabilities. You can geo-target by sending location-specific messages to those using GPS and Bluetooth technology, or demographic targeting, so you can reach the right audience via age and gender information.
8. Micro blogging benefits
Social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter, have literally put the power of influence in the hands of everyday people. From moms to fashion bloggers to people who really just like pictures of dogs with food, anyone can be an influencer. In fact, you are an influencer to your friends and family on social media, whether you realize it or not.
9. Mobile payment
The latest mobile payment facility is very convenient for the users today. Here, users are offered a secure online payment environment, which works via advanced mobile Web systems. This means that the user does not need to cough up physical currency each time he wants to make a mobile purchase or pay a bill online.
Disadvantages of Mobile Marketing
1. Platforms too diverse
Mobile devices do not have any particular standard, as compared to PCs and laptops. Mobile phones come in many shapes and sizes, so screen size is never constant. Also, mobile platforms use different operating systems and browsers. Hence, creating one campaign for all of them can get difficult.
2. Privacy issues
This is always in question on any network or device. Savvy mobile marketers need to understand and respect the fact that users would like their privacy. So they should offer clear instructions for opting out of marketing communications should the user want to do that.
3. Navigation on a mobile phone
The mobile phone usually comes with a small screen and no mouse. This means that navigation on a mobile phone may get difficult for the user, even if it has a touch screen. In such a case, most ads may go untouched, as the user may find it too tedious to look in detail through each one of them.