Mobile Marketing Minute with Rob Woodbridge and Greg Hickman

It may seem odd that we think that mobile broke marketing but it did. Honestly. The reasons are plentiful but this is a natural occurrence in the evolution of the craft of marketing. Each new shift brings with it this type of creative destruction - think about the shifts that have occurred as we moved from print to radio to television to the web to mobile. Each step along this path has been met with a total change in the way we market - mobile is no different yet it is the most disruptive because it is mobile. Good and confused? Watch on.

The privacy issue has been slowly bludgeoned to death since we first set foot on digital soil yet slowly but surely we have all given up parts of it for different reasons. The fact is that we all have a price in mind when someone asks us for our personal information - it could be a latte or a discount or a new car - there is a threshold where "no" becomes "yes" and the price is our privacy. Perhaps we have come to accept the truth that privacy as we knew it is dead but why should we accept the current value affixed to it by others? Why should someone else determine that on our behalf? Instead of accepting that our privacy is dead or to wrestle for control of it in an ever-connected world, why not change the rules of how information is shared and what the value IS of that information? In our 3rd prediction we contemplate the future of privacy and how we may be able to arm ourselves for what is to come while, perhaps, earning revenue from sharing what is rightfully ours.

Don't get confused by the title here. We still love mobile. We still think it has changed the world we live in more than many of us realize yet. We still think we are in the soft foam of the real mobile wave that is yet to come. BUT what has happened in the last 18 months is that mobile has gotten more complex as more and more people make it a central part of their business. The reality is that doing mobile properly today is very difficult. We have systems that have been in place inside of companies for years - things like CRM - and systems that are new to this world because of mobile that are trying to somehow talk with those older legacy systems. This causes friction, tension and a whole lot of duplicate data. So what do we do? That's what we talk about in this episode. Don't give up, just adjust what you are trying to do. Don't stop, just start at the right place that will have the most impact on your business with the least complexity. The one thing that is true, the longer you wait, the longer you analyze, the longer you spend deciding your strategy, the more fuel you are adding to your competitor's fire. Stoke your own. It's damn hard but so is the regret you'll have if you don't start now.

Do you think the people talked about bank notes when they emerged in 1861 the way that we talk about mobile payments today? Were they proclaiming that 1862 would be the "year of cash"? That's how I feel about the way we bring mobile payments into the conversation - like it needs to have higher status than the way we've paid for things forever. It doesn't, it is just another form of paying. 3 years from now it will just be another option at the pump. What makes mobile payments interesting are the companies that are changing their business models - or forcing others to do just that. Companies like Starbucks who own the #1 mobile payments app in North America or Venmo and Twitter who are making the things we buy social currency. Greg and I feel 2015 will not only bring with it new advances in the way we pay but also in what we consider currency. The dollar bill has rivals and, for the first time in centuries, they aren't coins.

This is our first (of seven) dives into our 2015 predictions (watch the overview here) and we start with beacons. Those little peel-and-stick bluetooth transmitters that emerged in the second half of 2014 in retail will go far beyond their origins in 2015. We both weigh in on where we think they will be by the end of the year and what the industry will look to them to do - beyond pushing deals and annoying customers.

We are now a full week into 2015 - how are those resolutions going? Every new year brings an onslaught of predictions and, well, we are no different. This is the first of 8 (yes 8!) shows on what to expect in 2015. We start off here with an overview of our 7 predictions and will follow up each of the next 7 weeks with a deeper dive into each one of them. For now, here (along with everyone else) are our things to watch out for in 2015 if you are a part of the mobile marketing world (incidentally, that is everyone...)

This is one of the greatest questions any entrepreneur and business person can ponder: Will the smartphone still be the form factor of choice in 5 years? Or, if you are an opportunist, the question would be what is the NEXT opportunity after smartphones? This is the question that Greg asked me as he took over the show. We'd like to know your answer. What will you be staring into in 5 years?

There isn't a business on earth that isn't trying to increase the amount of money their customers spend with them. Well, maybe there are but they won't be in business for long. The thing is, there are so many tools that can be used to do this that give value to the business AND their customers and leave both feeling great at the end. SMS is one of those tools and Greg walks us through something he calls the "Cash Back Formula" that works to help increase the average spend while giving a discount. Confused? Watch and learn.

Greg is back and bringing with him his top 5 essential mobile marketing stats. The numbers for this episode: 99%, 66%, 43% and 10X.

SMS is a misunderstood piece of the mobile marketing mix. Some say it is dead, some say its impact has yet to be felt. Still others look at its simplicity and dismiss it altogether. We are here to let you in on a secret: SMS, when done properly, is one of the most effective tools mobile has to offer. In this episode, Greg walks us through his top 5 tips to use an SMS call to action. If you are a podcaster, broadcaster or anyone who pushes anything through media, this episode will set you up for success with SMS.

We are tired of mobile idiocy so we've put together 5 things that you should do right now to make sure your customer doesn't quit on your mobile initiatives. They are simple but it is quite often the simple things that make the most impact. Don't ignore these things, please.

The great thing about understanding mobile is knowing that it is not now - nor may it ever be - the end game we thought it was meant to be.   Huh?   Mobile is an incredibly important part of an overall strategy and that strategy needs to be baked before getting into mobile anything. We've seen so many companies dive head-first into mobile and then, once they are hip deep into a project, try to figure out where it fits in their business. This won't work now and it won't work tomorrow. This will never ever work.   Instead of thinking that mobile is the end game, you should be thinking about how mobile intertwines within your current strategy and how it can enhance that strategy. Think of mobile as an onramp if need be or somewhere else during the consumer journey but mobile, by itself, is not the answer.   Watch this quick episode to understand how mobile can wrap itself around and support business strategy and why it should never be alone and unsupported.

Greg has been on a mission to teach effective SMS marketing to, well, the world. Here he details the top 5 SMS platforms for agencies looking to sink their teeth into SMS marketing properly. Greg also dives into his top choice and why he made that choice as well as the success metrics he expected to see as a result of using SMS to connect with customers while he was at Cabela's.

Greg brings a great overview of the tools he used at Cabela's in order to understand their customer flow - from interest to purchase - and what influenced their buy decisions. Knowing how far people travel to get to a store or the influence of discounts on certain products or having the right offer that brings them from the food court to your store are essential today. The tools and tactics we talk about in this episode helps to demystify this process.   It isn't rocket science but it may feel like it sometimes. Our goal is to set you on a path that will help you more effectively convert the customers and potential customers you are already paying to reach. Close the loop with some of these suggestions.

There is a terrible stigma to the mobile coupon. As Greg details in this episode, coupons have a bad rap because businesses almost always think of dollar off or discounts - but that need not be the case. The challenge is to be creative with the use of mobile coupons and start thinking of things away from the clip and save models that are dominating the mobile landscape. That said, if you are going to jump into the mobile coupon fray, build your strategy, know your outcomes and plan accordingly. The wayward coupon is a terrible thing.   As an added bonus, Greg reveals the single greatest coupon strategy on the planet. Seriously.

Greg and I jump into the iOS 8 discussion by highlighting the top 5 enhancements that marketers should know about. We talk ApplePay, Spotlight, Widgets, MAC addresses and action notifications (with a few detours around Apple Watch, iBeacons and Twitter?).   The goal here is to demonstrate the possibilities that the new OS brings to the mobile marketing world. Will you use all/any of these? Perhaps not right away but to be aware of them is a requirement and we do our best to bring them to the forefront.

We both receive a lot of requests about the resources we use to stay on top of the mobile marketing world. Here, in a single episode, are the books, podcasts and websites that Greg and I use to keep up to date.

Often the hardest part of achieving success in anything is starting - mobile marketing is no different. This craft can be very daunting because it is so new and there are so many moving parts but it doesn't have to be hard. There is a logical progression that makes it quite simple to get moving and gain momentum. Greg highlights his experience on how he did this while he was with Cabelas. Watch this episode and you'll gain insight into the place you need to start when bringing mobile marketing into your organization.   We also discuss something that many organizations skip while determining their mobile marketing strategy that ultimately sends them in the wrong direction. Watch and learn!

The majority of your customers access their social media accounts from their mobile devices. The majority of marketers aren't using this to their advantage. The minority of marketers that do are thriving - and probably stealing business from those that don't. The difference between social media on a big screen and it's counterpart on a portable screen is as different as driving a car versus piloting a plane. On the surface they have similarities: They both take you from point A to point B, they both turn right and left - but planes go up and down, pitch and roll and get you there faster. Social on mobile has the power of the plane which makes both Greg and I wonder why most marketers choose to take public transportation.   Start marketing with social properly through mobile and STOP BEING SO LAZY.

Mobile advertising is big business. Companies like Google and Facebook are betting their immediate future on the revenue they receive from mobile advertisers. Why? Well, they are more "effective" and can certainly be more targeted than web advertising for one. While the majority of spend today is on banner ads - which are unfortunately not the right medium for mobile - there are other options and certainly more strategic ways of using mobile to get your message out.    In this episode Greg highlights key tactics when trying to use mobile advertising to grow your business as well as a caveat about the sequence in which you should do it. Remember, get your fundamentals down first before attempting to use this tool or even heeding the advice in this episode will be a waste of money.

Mobile search is SO different than the search we've come to know on our desktops for two reasons: The first is that your customer is closer to intent (by that I mean they have money in hand and are looking to spend it). The second is they arrive on your site via their mobile and give you valuable notice as to what they are interested in.    Greg gives tactics on how to begin using the power of mobile search to achieve great results with a little bit of effort. Oh, and if you are thinking  about skipping this "whole mobile thing" or think "pinch and zoom" is a strategy, the last 2 minutes are for you.

When you think of mobile, email doesn't really jump out as part of a grand strategy. The thing is that for most of us - close to 60% in fact - email is consumed primarily on our mobile devices. This makes email part of your mobile strategy and it is not business as usual. There are things that email should and shouldn't do in the mobile environment and Greg brings some important suggestions that you can get up and running right away.   Mobile isn't just about apps or mobile web or shopping or games.  As you'll see in this short episode it alters every aspect of your business - including the simple email message.

Being "the mobile gal/guy" is sometimes lonely. There are few that really grasp the reach and impact mobile is having on every single business. If they did understand, you - the mobile soothsayer - would actually run the company. That's how important it is from this point and going forward. Am I right?   Marketing mobile INSIDE the organization is as important - if not more - in the early stages of a mobile marketing strategy.   The problem is that there is a gap between identifying a need for mobile and being able to convince others in your organization of its importance. Have no fear, you aren't alone and this episode helps identify the key things that must be done internally to bring mobile into a business properly.

Where do you begin? That is the hardest question to answer when you are facing an obstacle like mobile marketing. Where do you begin marketing your business through mobile. What are the first things you should be working on when there are infinite ways and places to start? You must start with intention and from a place of strength as mobile can overwhelm its victims very quickly - so start well, start focused but please please please start quickly.   If you are lost, confused or knee deep and sinking, here, in a short video, are the "first 4" pieces to setting things right between your company and mobile marketing.

Mobile marketing used to be much simpler if you can believe it - back when the only thing marketers had to worry about was the phone. Now, because of the phone, the way we define mobile marketing has changed (and continues to change) drastically. In episode #2 of the Mobile Marketing Minute, we discuss the pieces that fall under mobile marketing and the concept that the message needs to change depending on the screen your customer is looking at. 

Welcome to the inaugural episode of the Mobile Marketing Minute - a weekly look at the strategy required to make mobile an essential part of your marketing mix. During these episodes you will learn how to augment your current marketing efforts with mobile to help reach your target customer, increase your reach and visibility and drive more quality leads and revenue all because of concepts we will share.   This first episode, my co-host and mobile marketing force Greg Hickman (of the Mobile Mixed podcast) answers the question of why: Why should every single one of you be thinking about mobile in every single one of your marketing efforts, now and in the future.   To ask a question, visit here: http://untether.tv/2014/mmm-001-why-do-you-need-mobile-marketing/