Mobile Marketing

Ever wonder how mobile technology sips into our daily life so seamlessly, that marketers have to consider incorporating them for their businesses? Find out how mobile technology changes marketing!

In the olden days, marketers uses Traditional Marketing (Printing, Broadcasting, Direct Mail and Telephone) to promote their businesses and products. Even though Traditional Marketing has been in use for years with proven success rate, and are currently still in use, marketers now cannot ignore the fact that mobile technology has become part of everyone's life. (Marketing-schools.org, 2019)

In 2018, 84% of Singaporeans are internet-users, of which, 75% are active mobile users. On average, 7 hours and 9 minutes are spent on the internet everyday, with 2 hours and 6 minutes spent on social media. Hence, Mobile Marketing becomes increasingly important.

Very Shocking isn't it?

Mobile Marketing is a multi-channel, digital marketing strategy aimed at reaching businesses' target audience directly through their mobile devices, via websites, emails, SMS and MMS, social media and apps. Since mobile phones are personal, and we seldom shares them with others, mobile marketing becomes more personalized and interactive.

Below, we will be exploring on Andreas Kaplan's theory which classify Mobile Social Media Application into 4 categories based on Time and Location sensitivity.

Time-Sensitive? Location-Sensitive?

Classification of Mobile Social Media Applications - Andreas Kaplan (2012)

Andreas Kaplan 2012

Slow-Timers

Are mobile apps that are Not Time Sensitive & Location Sensitive. They are apps that allow consumers to use and access information regardless of the specific location the users are at and whether users receive messages or content instantaneously. With apps like Youtube and Netflix. We are able to watch videos or movies on the go, irregardless of when the content is uploaded.

Snapshot of Video Content on Youtube

Movies available to watch on Netflix

Quick-Timers

Are mobile apps that are Time Sensitive but Not Location Sensitive. Common Social Media Apps such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram falls under this category. Such applications allow us to post twitter messages, Facebook and Instagram's story anywhere we are. Giving an example, I am able to post pictures and stories in real time, on Instagram even though I am on a holiday with my families at Indonesia.

Companies can make use of such mobile apps to update consumers about their latest promotions or newly arrive products timely to everyone who were following them.

Instagram's story posted while at Batam

Space-Timers

Are mobile apps that are Time Sensitive and Location Sensitive. An example will the recent viral app that has attracted teenagers to download, Zenly. Zenly is a real time locator that uses GPS to allow users to see their family members or close friend's locations. The main purpose of this app initially was to track locations of family members who have dementia, to allow their family members to locate them if they lost their way home. However, teenagers now took on the bandwagon because they find it interacting and interesting to engage with each other.

Overview of Zenly's functions & how it works

Space-Locators

Are mobile apps that are Not Time Sensitive but Location Sensitive. An example will be Tripadvisor and Airbnb. Such apps need to allow users to know the place they are reading reviews about. However, the date and time the entries were posted are not important.

Marketers can now come out with apps that sends out notifications to their target audience who are near their retail stores. The notifications serve as a tool that lure consumers into their retail stores, increasing the number of consumers patronizing the store.

Snapshot of how Airbnb shows details about a building in Seoul Korea.

Advanced mobile technology have pushes marketers to use or come out with new mobile apps that falls under Space-Timers which are both time and location sensitive. By adopting or using such apps, marketers are able to reach out and capture consumers's attention regardless of location at real time.

Thank You for your time and do share with me if you too agree or disagree with me!

If you were a marketer, what kind of mobile app will you come out with?