Memorial Day: Mobile Marketing Ideas for SMBs

 

Memorial Day weekend is upon us. As with all holiday weekends, it’s a good opportunity for businesses to capitalize on free time spent shopping and browsing, online or in the real world. If you’re running a small business on a tight budget, try some of these marketing techniques to help you get the most out of the weekend spending:

 

Social Media
Offering free products or services is only worth the short-term loss to your business if it results in long-term gains. Social media is the best place to quickly spread the word about a big giveaway and engage new potential customers in the process. Contests, quizzes and other forms of interactive competition are another good way to leverage the power of social media. Use a tool such as Binkd to create cost-effective sweepstakes and photo contests.

 

Mobile Coupons
Mobile coupons come in a variety of forms, ranging from a simple text message with a code to dedicated coupons that reward social media followers and customers with percentage discounts if they share or re-tweet your messages. 

 

Content
Some brands have a tendency to use one site for engaging, rich content and another to host the product catalog. But the trouble with splitting marketing content from the commercial interface is the resultant disjointed user experience. In the long run, an integrated, one-site solution will have a much bigger impact.

 

Geo-targeting
Retailers looking to connect their online presence and physical location can use location-targeting technology, combined with time-limited discount deals to entice nearby shoppers to their store. A group SMS to all opted-in consumers within a certain radius is one of the most powerful tools at the modern marketer’s disposal.

 

Call-to-Action

Many good marketing campaigns have been letdown by a weak call-to-action. Don’t let your Memorial Day weekend plans fall afoul of this common mistake. Avoid phrases like ‘click here’ or ‘follow the link’ and opt instead for an engaging, personalized call-to-action like ‘Join Us Over the Holidays.’ Whatever you do, keep it concise and creative. 

These ideas should demonstrate just how affordable and simple mobile marketing tactics are. A judiciously timed, well-executed campaign will engage customers, strengthen brand awareness and build new relationships.