Tips For Mobile Lead Generation

It's no secret -- smartphone adoption won't be slowing down anytime soon. Boston-based research firm IDC pegs domestic smartphone shipments at nearly 100 million for the first quarter. As more consumers find themselves upgrading their handset and joining the current generation of mobile devices, marketers will find themselves with even more opportunities than ever to connect with consumers. The next battle in the war for the hard earned income of consumers won't be fought on television or on the browser -- it will be (and already is, in burgeoning metropolitan areas) waged on mobile devices.

And as advances in mobile technology bring these devices closer to the experience provided by the standard computer, there will be an opportunity for marketers to bring consumers richer advertising experiences.  Through the power of mobile applications or clever use of the mobile web, marketers will have several channels to try and generate solid leads. But before you launch that next campaign, perhaps take the tips below into account.

Interactivity

One of the keys to any mobile campaign is interactivity. Provide your users with an experience that they'll remember. More important, give them an experience that they won't be able to replicate on a web browser or via their TV screens.

One company providing consumers with immersive, interactive experiences is Shazam, known for its song recognition app, which has begun leveraging the application to connect marketers with their audience, offering users deals or other incentives for using the application during certain commercials or even YouTube videos

Don't Be Afraid to Leverage New Technology

This goes hand-in-hand with the example I mentioned above. Marketers may not have initially expected Shazam to be used as a marketing tool, but more companies already seem poised to at least experiment with the app to see what potential benefits will result. It's most certainly a good thing -- we need more marketers willing to take risks for the benefit of the entire industry. 

For instance, QR codes were once looked upon as a quirky marketing stunt that was being utilized by some of the earliest of early adopters. Today, I see them leveraged more frequently in lead-gen campaigns and traditional campaigns than ever. When you see a QR code on advertising in a train car, you know that a marketing technique may very well have arrived.

Concise Messaging

If you choose to launch a campaign exclusively on mobile devices, recognize that you will only have the attention of a user for a short period of time. The key is to deliver your message in a clear and concise fashion that catches the attention of your target user. Otherwise, you'll lose their attention back to their game of "Angry Birds."

Adam Boyden , Thursday, June 30, 2011