With 250 million wireless subscribers in the U.S. and more than 3 million in Houston, the short answer is "Yes." The potential is there to draw big numbers. And a cell phone is, by nature, the most personal communication device a person owns, so it also has great potential to elicit a response. But because it's so personal, marketing on a cell phone needs to be done with great care and consideration.
The cell phone is probably the last spam free place on earth. Effective mobile marketing isn't spam, but relies on a simple opt-in technique. Consumers reach out, using text messaging, to indicate they want what is being offered. The key is that they can do this the moment they see or hear an advertisement. It's an instantaneous direct response vehicle that lets them download information, offers, incentives or digital products in real time right to their cell phones, and every communication after that must include an opt-out function.
The mobile marketer always has a living, breathing database of people who are interested in what he's offering.
Published in the Houston Business Journal during the Week of January 11-17, 2008.
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