Some interesting stats about how companies are plunging into new worlds of marketing (a bit schizophrenically, it seems) come from a new survey about mobile marketing.
In an April joint project, King Fish Media, Maxymiser, Hubspot and Junta42 surveyed 560 corporate management and marketing/sales management professionals. Of the respondents whose companies either have or are planning a mobile strategy, 64% listed “Establishment of a closer relationship with your customers/prospects” as among the most important benefits of mobile marketing, followed closely by the 62% who listed increasing customer retention (tied with “Branding and awareness”). Acquisition—identifying new customers and prospects—followed at 56%.
All well and good, to this loyalty observer’s eyes. But the schizophrenia shows up when respondents were asked what they were measuring from their mobile marketing, more listed customer acquisition (78%) over strengthened existing relationships with customers (64%). Only 34% were measuring the “ratio of negative/positive relationships with prospects/customers.” As COLLOQUY Contributing Editor Jim Sullivan will tell you (see his “Fast and Furious” story about brand “Madvocates” in our latest issue), knowing and responding to the negative is critical in this technically-connected world. To the positive, however, 56% are measuring the increase in direct company-customer dialogue.
But here’s the capper. More than a third of respondents (34%) have not measured the ROI of their mobile marketing. Another 29% (who presumably have measured it), responded that they don’t know how they rate the ROI—in other words (my words)—data but no insights.
And another note: 57% listed “Perception of your company’s ability to keep up with current technology” as one of the most important benefits of engaging in mobile market. Having a presence that consumers presumably expect is an understandable motivation for mobile marketing, but not if it’s the only motivation. Leveraging the medium to build engagement and dialogue—making your brand a more immediate, more responsive and more intimate part of your customers’ lives—should be a primary goal, one that is measured, analyzed and converted to action.
You can see the full survey results in “Mobile Marketing: Plans, Trends and Measurability: What Do Marketers Think?” And to continue the conversation, what do you think?
