The Mobile Marketing Blog - TellMyCell

Mobile Marketing for Seniors

 

A common misconception among the elderly is that they have no idea how to work anything tech-related. Many brands skip catering to seniors because they wrongly believe there’s no point. However, those that do this are robbing themselves of a very worthwhile demographic. Seniors—or those 65 and older—are living longer and increasingly getting involved in the online/mobile world. In 2014, 74 percent of people 65 and older owned a mobile device, and over 39 million seniors had social media profiles. Indeed, older peeps are the fastest-growing group of social media users, and they rely on Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms for the same reasons as their younger counterparts.  

Want to appeal to the gray and white-haired members of your target audience? Check out the following tips to help you out: 

 

Keep It Simple 

‘Simple and straightforward’ goes a long way with regard to mobile marketing for seniors, both in text and visual formats. Forget trendy slang words and opt for relatable language that’s specific to your products or services. The point is to make it clear why your older audience needs and wants your products/services, so avoid any wording that feels vague.

 

Easy ‘User Onboarding Process’ 

If you’ve been successful in encouraging the seniors in your audience to download your app, the next step is to ensure the user onboarding process is easy to understand. It shouldn’t include a long list of steps or inundate your audience with too many personal questions. If your process is too complex, you can kiss the vast majority of your elderly audience buh-bye. For best results, aim to enlarge small buttons, provide thorough explanations each time you ask for personal information, and otherwise make certain people understand the benefits you’re offering. 

 

Don’t Forget the Visual 

Seniors, like most people, are very much about the visual. If your mobile marketing campaign isn’t eye-catching, you aren’t going to grab the attention of the seniors in your audience. Pair straightforward language with stunning visuals, and see if the number of seniors in your target audience doesn’t double or triple. 

 

Include a Sweet Deal

Many of today’s seniors grew up during periods of economic strife, and are all about scoring a great deal. If you really want to market to seniors, engage them with awesome deals they can’t resist. Whether you choose to send coupons through text or email or announce deals on your social media platforms, know that seniors always love a great discount. Make your loyalty rewards program irresistible to them and reap the benefits of a boomer-focused mobile marketing strategy.

 

Be Respectful

Seniors don’t like to be talked down to (Well, who does, really?), so remember to always be respectful. Pandering to them in ways that make them feel decrepit isn’t going to help you, so make sure your mobile marketing efforts are respectful in nature. If you have a brick-and-mortar business location, make certain employees treat all older patrons with the respect they deserve. Seniors will love it, and you’ll love the increase in revenue. 

Reaching Boomers: A Mobile Marketer’s Guide

 

As we settle into Fall, businesses across the country are preparing for the spending bonanza that twitches into life well before Halloween, gathers pace around Thanksgiving, and goes stratospheric in the weeks before Christmas. 

How successfully businesses harness this spending spree to their benefit depends largely on who they choose to target, and how they go about reaching them. At this time of year, brands typically focus on the spenders (parents) and the influencers (children). Less attention is given to grandparents - a fact you can turn to your advantage. 

After all, these are mostly Baby Boomers we’re talking about. They’ve got the money, time and inclination to spend. There’s 80 million of them in the United States, but despite accounting for only 30% of the population, they have 70% of the disposable income. From a marketing standpoint, Boomers are low-hanging fruit.

Increased life expectancy, coupled with greater wealth per capita than any other demographic, ensures that the current generation of over-60s isn’t planning to slow down their spending any time soon; analysts forecast Boomers’ financial clout to top $15 trillion by 2020.  

It’s not just how much they spend - it’s what they spend on. Air fares, restaurant meals, theater and concert tickets - Baby Boomers outspend other demographics on practically every non-essential item. They’re also far more tech savvy than many believe, with 71% spending time online on a daily basis, and an average monthly spend of $650 on technology alone. 

So why are only 5% of ad dollars aimed at what is clearly a lucrative market? There’s no good answer to this, but it’s possible that a largely youth-oriented marketing culture has no idea how to communicate with Boomers. This year presents a perfect opportunity for your business to tap into this market and reap the benefits before everybody else catches on. 

Unlike parents, who are usually directly influenced by their children to buy the latest toy, grandparents often take the time to conjure up their own ideas for gifts. According to grandparents.com, Boomers spend $52 billion on their grandchildren. Helping them find the right gift for the right child is your way in. Nearly two-thirds of Boomers use Facebook, so focus your initial audience-building efforts on social media. Encourage them to look towards apps and other software, as opposed to traditional toys. If you educate them on what “the kids” are into these days, you can help them delight their grandchildren by getting the right gift without having to ask. Major brownie points from kids and parents.

 

How to Merge Text and Instant Messaging in Hangouts

 

To merge or not to merge text and instant message in Hangouts: that’s the question. On August 18, Google revealed a standalone website for its messaging and chat service, Hangouts. Now, users don’t have to go digging around through Google+ or Gmail and can instead use the new, dedicated URL to access IM, voice calls, video chats, and SMS.  

In addition to the new URL, Hangouts received a much-needed “interfacelift.” Users are now greeted by the same sleek design we’ve come to expect from Google, including fewer buttons on the screen and large landscape photography covering most of the background.

But back to the question: should users combine text and instant messaging? The verdict is still out on this question, and the move is likely going to be received with mixed reviews depending on how people interact with these individual features.  

On the one hand, it’s nice to jump around from SMS and chat, especially if you’ve got contacts that use the same technology for the same purpose. There’s also an advantage for users who may not check their Gmail inboxes often or rarely leave them open to check messages. 

However, things can start to feel clunky and disjointed if your contacts don’t use Hangouts frequently via mobile. 

 

Understanding the Switch

All of the fuss started months ago, when Google felt pressure to create a standalone page for its service, similar to Facebook’s messaging app Messenger, which already has a standalone page.  

The overhaul in version 4.0 includes updates for both Android and iOS, but appeals mostly to the already-loyal Gmail user who is most likely to use this free service.  

And if that’s a good fit for you, then you’ll surely want to make the mobile connection to various messaging tools within this service. To do that, simply download the latest Hangouts version 4.0 and get into your settings on the left side of the slide-out menu. 

From here, you can make Hangouts your default texting app by touching SMS disabled and selecting Hangouts in the list of texting apps. 

Next, you need to enable merges conversations, which will merge SMS and Hangouts conversation into one strand. Then you can select SMS, Hangouts, or Google Voice from the touch icon on the left side of the screen while texting. 

To enable Google Voice, you need to complete one further step by selecting your Google account instead if SMS under account settings. Then, you should be good to go.

How to Make Road Trips Easier With a Smartphone

 

Driving is stressful at the best of times - but remember how much harder it was before the vast array of apps, satnavs, online traffic data and other tools now at our disposal became available?

These days, mobile devices help us overcome - or at least mitigate the worst effects of - everything from inconsiderate fellow road users to traffic jams. Let’s take a look at a few key ways in which smartphones have made planning and executing road trips easier:

 

Crowdsourcing Information

Of all the sat nav apps on the market, Waze has proven the most popular with the general public. Why? Because it rightly uses the general public - you know, the folks actually sharing the road - to generate more accurate data on current conditions. Designed around its community of users, who can report traffic jams, construction, accidents and other hazards, Waze is constantly updated with new information to help you find the quickest route home.

 

Google is Still Your Most Loyal Friend

Among the plethora of independent apps, Google’s own offerings remains incredibly useful tools for getting from A to B. There’s Maps, of course - still the standard bearer for satellite mapping, and a perfectly serviceable sat nav to boot - but there’s also the Google Now app (on both Android and iOS) which allows you to input all the locations you need to drive between during the day. The app will warn you ahead of time when you need to set off, and let you know if there’s any traffic up ahead. 

 

Traffic Apps

There are countless tools to warn you about impending delays. One of the best is Beat the Traffic, which includes weather updates as well as the usual traffic and construction data. The self-explanatory USA Traffic Cameras lets you view hundreds of live traffic cameras. Using geo-location technology, the apps shows you live images of traffic conditions in 58 American cities. 

 

Video

Dashcams are increasingly built into new cars as standard, but if you don’t have one, CamOnRoad is here to help. The app silently records everything that happens while you drive, potentially invaluable if you have an accident and need evidence for insurance purposes. Also comes with video navigation.

 

Speed Trap Alerts

Cameras are often placed in areas where drivers, for whatever reason, tend to go over the speed limit. Apps like TomTom come with a speed camera warning function that gives road users a fair warning so they can double check they’re driving within the law.

 

The Emmys Have Gone Mobile

In anticipation of the 63^rd Annual Emmy Awards, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has developed an app. The app features several wonderful ways to have a fully integrated experience while watching the primetime awards show. Further, the Emmy Awards Official App contains premium user value with real-time content as well as ongoing mobile archival content for the end user. Historically speaking, this marks the first time the Emmys has attempted to create an app for the show. Below is a list of some of the features of the app that will enhance a viewer’s experience:

Search Award Nominees by Category

The application doesn’t just list the categories that are televised; it includes an exhaustive list of all the awards. Once a category is chosen, a sub-menu pops up to reveal actor bios, synopses of shows, clips, photos, and fashion choices of the nominees. As the Emmys unfold, data in each category are updated in real time.

Archival Media

Using the navigational bar at the bottom of the screen, an app user can access the Emmy Awards’ archival media. This includes recordings of past awards shows, salient footage of actors, interviews, and the like. Incorporating the history of television and the Emmys into the app is innovative and dynamic, and presents a whole new aspect of the awards show to app users (particularly those users who’ve missed the Emmys in the past).

Backstage Live

“Backstage Live” offers the behind-the-scenes premium content that Emmy lovers are looking for. Using ten cameras to record the action, and Jane Lynch as your host, Backstage Live promises to give exclusive coverage and access. The app feature shows actors’ entrances and exits, greenroom moments, interviews in the pressroom, and conversations with honored artists in the Winners’ Lounge. Finally, the Thank You Cam follows winners, allowing them to dovetail their acceptance speeches with their more off-the-cuff elations.

The Emmy Awards Phone App is a testament to the variety of ways consumers can enjoy integrated media in this day and age. It has plenty of high-value media, both past and present, and incorporates media from all of the Television Academy’s myriad events. With a robust social media presence as well, the Emmys is hoping to draw in a record-breaking number of viewers on the night of the show. In the end, it appears that the directors, creators, and actors won’t be the only individuals to win this September— we present the Emmy App for your consideration. 

Has the Tablet Had Its Day?

 

One could easily spend a small fortune buying a variety of electronic devices designed to make life easier, more portable, and more efficient. From the omnipresent smartphone and highly productive desktop computer, to the portable e-reader or lightweight tablet, every device offers a unique experience. As to whether each device is necessary is still up for debate—what isn’t, however, are the declining sales of tablets reported by International Data Corporation.

During the last quarter of 2014, Apple’s iPad reported a 17.7% decrease in sales. In the same quarter, Samsung was down almost 20%. In general, total unit sales dropped 3.2% across all tablet manufacturers in 2014, a fact which leads some critics to believe tablets may be headed toward extinction—or, are they?

 

Size Problems 

Some experts fail that Apple and Samsung shot themselves in the foot by building larger smartphones. Despite its past aversion to increasing the screen size of the iPhone, Apple created a new model that is almost 5 inches, and Samsung’s Galaxy 6 is slightly larger. Today, most consumers are happy to do several tasks or enjoy recreational activities on their smartphones instead of on tablets.

When tablets first came to market circa 2010, they offered a basic solution to the limitations of small-screened smartphones with the versatility of desktop computers. It was a niche product for people with specific needs—well received by nearly everyone who enjoyed playing games or preferred reading electronic books. 

Most research suggests that the tablet’s once carefully etched market is now at odds with the technology—unsure of its use or relevancy. According to Gartner, the MacBook Air is expected to grow 60% in 2015, suggesting that productivity is not ideally managed on a tablet. Popular E-readers like the Kindle are still favored for their specific use over tablets, and most people can comfortably watch television on a 5-inch smartphone screen. 

Another issue that may account for the slowdown in sales is the longer lifespan essential to the tablet itself. While many consumers upgrade their phones every 12-15 months, tablets don’t implore the same urgency to upgrade. Where smartphones seem to revel in annual upgrades, the tablet maintains a more limited evolution. 

While it’s sad to see an expensive investment like the iPad become obsolete, it’s a relief to know that technology is headed toward a more inclusive user experience. Instead of having multiple devices for specific tasks or activities, wouldn’t it be nice to have just one or two? It would certainly be more cost effective for consumers.  

The future of the tablet isn’t over just yet. Apple and Android are already carving out new niches in education to make the technology relevant in the classroom. What’s more, limitations on smartphones and desktop computers work both ways: the screen on a mobile device can only get so big, and the productivity of desktop computers can only get so small. Tablets will likely remain somewhere in the middle. 

Is Your Mobile App Up to Scratch?

 

Wondering why your app isn’t capturing consumer attention like it should?  

It doesn’t take much effort to delete an app, which any consumer will do should said app not function properly or prove difficult to use. Rather than annoying the majority of your audience with an ill-fated app, take the necessary steps to put it in working order. 

Here’s a look at what goes into creating a successful app, as well as a tip or two for getting yours off the proverbial ground: 

 

Affordability 

Is your app free? Or at least extremely affordable? There are plenty of ways to make money off free apps (Instagram, anyone?), with those costing $2 or less also proving attractive to potential users.

 

Usefulness

Does the app enhance the lives of its users in some essential way? Does it provide a practical purpose? If your app doesn’t fulfill a key role in users’ lives, then it better be very, very entertaining, such as the now-classic Angry Birds. 

 

Usability

How easy is your app to use? Is it simple to navigate and understand? An App’s Usability is key to growing downloads and maintaining engagement.

 

Advertising

What kind of reach does your app boast? Showcasing your product across social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Pinterest, as well as the company blog, is a good start, especially since these sites allow you to discuss matters related to the app and otherwise engage your audience. The more you engage and appear truly interested in users’ opinions, the more buzz your app will generate. 

 

Multi-Channel Capacity

Think about your app’s channel capacity as well. Evernote is a fantastic example of a multi-channel app, as it’s available no matter where you are or what the online situation.

 

Defining the Market 

Defining your exact market also helps your app get the recognition it needs for success. Is your target audience kids? Young professionals? Teenagers? Seniors?

 

Incentives and Rewards

What’s your app like in terms of incentives and rewards? Dropbox, for example, gives additional free space to consumers when they encourage their friends to join; the friends enjoy extra space as well. Rewards such as coupons, points, and virtual goals also help considerably when trying to pique consumer interest in your app. 

 

Tips and Tricks

Additional options for monetization include thinking about what upgrades you can implement, as well as how your app performs in terms of scalability. SMS marketing is another great way to generate interest in your app, as it’s easy to use and capable of reaching a mass audience in mere minutes. SMS offers a way to introduce your app with a free trial period. Additionally, you can ask customers to share a short referral code with friends in exchange for discounts on future purchases. 

Give your app the attention it deserves, and see if customers don’t give it the attention you want in turn. 

 

Bill-Splitting App Aims to Take Stress Out of Shared Costs

Leave it to millennials to popularize a new way to split a bar tab. Person-to-person mobile payment services like Venmo, Snapcash and Cashtags are bypassing ATMs and those awkward moments when the check is delivered after dessert. Instead of splitting costs on multiple cards, these mobile payment services allow users to instantly send money from one personal bank account to another.  

And that’s not all their splitting. Alexander Culberson spent $1,300 on gas, hotels rooms, food and drinks with four friends on a tip to Maine. Instead of slitting up individual items throughout the trip, the group of friends decided to split the final bill with PayPal-owned Venmo, an app the works similarly to a text message.

“If you say ‘I’ll grab beer and you grab the groceries,’” said Culbertson, “things usually don’t come out as planned.” 

Twentysomethings are finding ways to make everything simpler with mobile. Dan Callahan, a 22 year-old marketing manager says he uses the service to collect rent money from his roommate. 

“I write the checks or pay online for our rent, utilities, and anything else, and at the end of each month, I total it all up and he sends me half,” Callahan said.

Peer-to-peer mobile payment services are on the rise: Venmo, for example, experienced four times the growth this quarter compared to last year. What’s more, of $2.4 billion in processed transaction last year, $1.3 billion where in the last four months.  

This is a drop in the bucket compared to total online spending predicted to reach $334 billion in 2015. Companies like Apple, Facebook and Samsung have already caught on to these trends and quickly launched digital wallets that function similar to popular mobile payment apps.  

But is it safe to transfer money through a mobile app? Security doesn’t seem to be an issue—yet. Most of these payment services work similar to other apps that link to a user’s bank account. This means card information might be accessible if a phone is lost or stolen, but most new-age users (who are often never without their phones) find that convenience outweighs any apparent risks.  

Sierra Davis from Los Angeles said, “For my generation, money transfers like this are so familiar that it feels safe.”

For now the systems work best for people on the same platform. Most are free or have low associated fees. Eventually there may be opportunities to pay for everyday items with friends including pizza and pay-per-view.  

China Clarifies SMS Marketing Rules

 

New regulations governing how SMS marketing can and can’t be conducted will take effect in China next week. 

The move - which reinforces several pre-existing laws surrounding commercial communications - was announced last month by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). These laws require companies engaging in SMS marketing to:

 

1. Comply with express requests from consumers not to send communications
2. Disclose the identity of the advertiser in electronic advertising
3. Provide a way for consumers to refuse future electronic advertising

 

Banded together, these measures have been dubbed ‘the Administrative Rules for Short Message Service’; they will take effect on June 30. 

The rules define SMS messages as ‘communications used for introducing or promoting goods, services, or business investment opportunities.’ They state that, in the event of consent to receive commercial text messages being given, the company must specify what kind of information will be sent and how often it will be sent, and provide a time limit on the duration of future contact. In an interesting diversion from most international legislation, a ‘no reply’ to this follow up message must be considered the same as an explicit rejection. 

Further, SMS service providers are compelled by law to keep records of commercial text messages, including time sent, time received, codes for the sending and receiving terminals, and information regarding subscriptions and un-subscriptions for at least five months (even if the service relationship is terminated).

Failure to comply with the requirements could result in a fine ranging from RMB 5,000 to RMB 30,000 (between $800 and $4800 USD). 

China’s new rules are thought to be a government response to the public outcry regarding SMS spam - a major problem in the world’s fastest growing economy.

 

Common Misconceptions About App Marketing

 

Despite overwhelming evidence to support the growing use and success of mobile marketing, there are still skeptics spreading common misconceptions. Overcoming these mobile marketing misconceptions will take time and data-driven resources; however, the result of lifting the veil will drive better marketing strategies, improve user bases, and incite further innovation. 

Here’s a list of common mobile marketing misconceptions—debunked. 

 

Cheap users are good users

The cost-per-install (CPI) metric is a common resource used by app marketers to measure how many marketing dollars it costs per user download. While many marketers will argue this number should be low, are inexpensive users really better for the app? Not necessarily. 

In mobile gaming for instance, the top 1 percent of users spend the most money. Further, these users spend an amazing 90 percent of the total app revenue. In short, more users don’t equal more revenue. Instead, measuring the quality of a user over a longer period of time based on interaction, as well as retention might prove more useful when calculating CPI. 

Depending on the revenue model, each app should look subjectively at CPI, allowing the most effective marketing channels to drive effort. Looking at user behavior is a huge part of this.

 

User behavior data can’t improve marketing tactics 

Whether a business decides to use third-party mobile analytics solutions or develops their own internal system, gathering user information isn’t just for product people—it’s a marketing tool.  

Understanding the details of user activity provides a huge advantage to marketers, enabling them to seek out users who possess similar demographic, geographic and psychological characteristics. With channels like Facebook and Twitter, marketers can spend more time looking for quality users instead of inexpensive users. 

Additionally, mobile analytics allows marketers to retarget specific segments of a user base, pushing some users to take action within the app through a variety of initiatives. 

 

Not every industry can benefit from mobile 

Instead of pondering whether mobile is right for your industry or not, consider how it could help. At some point, every consumer will be a mobile user, and even if your business lags in technology, it’s likely your customer base won’t. According to Nielsen, more than 50 percent of mobile users are age 35 years and above.

Millennials are quickly becoming the strongest and most easily reachable marketing demographic—they simply can’t be away from their mobile device. Ignoring this fact is bad for business, so while mobile might not have fit your business needs in the past, it more than likely will be part of your company’s future. 

 

Creative ads are a one-time investment  

This has absolutely proven not true. Using an online banner ad multiple times across various websites is great for visibility, but its longevity is not favorable when left unchanged. 

Instead of one creative campaign, try multiple adds with image and copy variations. Split testing the success of different ads will provide valuable insight. Focus on what’s working and change what isn’t. 

Also, refreshing your creative will drive conversions. Different channels like Facebook and Twitter prefer fresh and current content to recycled use. On Facebook, for example, they’ll post your ads on user’s news feed more frequently if it’s changed regularly.  

By avoiding these common misconceptions, incorporating a mobile marketing strategy doesn’t have to be a nightmarish ordeal. Overcoming skepticism is the first step.