The Mobile Idea File 24 Mobile Moments to Drive Your Customer Journey
The Mobile Idea File 24 Mobile Moments to Drive Your Customer Journey Nearly all content within a marketing program is consumed on a mobile device. Think about it from Facebook to Twitter, and from email to your website, customer-brand interactions are constantly shifting screens among a customer s many devices. But mobile attention is finite. Every time you try to light up a customer s screen, your brand s mobile messages are competing with heavily distracting forces, such as: Push notifications from favorite news sites and game apps A constant stream of entertaining SMS and MMS messages from friends and family Work emails Social media notifications, like @-replies and Instagram photo tags Alerts from banks and credit card companies Urgent messages about travel plans Invitations to talk on the phone or video chat And, of course, mobile marketing messages from other brands. 2 Mobile Idea File
Going mobile isn t a one-and-done process of securing a phone number and sending a few texts. Every channel is mobile, and every mobile interaction is a moment to drive engagement and increase your brand s status as a staple in your customers mobile inboxes. In The Mobile Idea File, we show you specific examples of what to say, how to say it, and examples of messages that say it well within each stage of a comprehensive mobile strategy: Acquire, Onboard, Engage, and Retain. Your brand will need to experiment with these mobile ideas to discover what best retains your mobile shelf space and increases it among those who might be considering an opt-in to your mobile program. Before beginning any mobile messaging campaign, make sure to check out TCPA, MMA, and CTIA guidelines to make sure all of your messages are in compliance. To see a mobile campaign unfold in real time, text IDEA (space) your email address to 38767 in the US or 38667 in Canada. Skip to the stage of where you need the most inspiration, and use these mobile messaging templates and examples to create mobile moments that stand out among other distractions taking up space on your subscribers mobile phones. A smart mobile strategy breaks down into four stages: 1 Acquire new mobile subscribers. 3 Engage them to increase conversions. 2 Onboard your new subscribers. 4 Retain your customers with your mobile strategy. Mobile Idea File 3
1 Acquire Mobile is all about the moment - that specific instance when a consumer researches, makes a purchase, or expresses themselves socially. Your success depends on ensuring that your brand is available and participating in that moment - and that requires a relationship. Making that first mobile connection with your brand needs to be easy, visible, and add value. How to Acquire New Mobile Subscribers Unlike email inboxes, where most people are accustomed to abundant marketing messages, customers still consider their phones a personal and highly valued space. You ll need to explain to customers why it s useful and valuable to enter into a mobile bond with your brand. Take every opportunity to connect with new customers via mobile, relating to them in the spaces where your brand already has visibility. In the inbox. In the mail. In the store. On your website. On social networks. On packaging. In your advertising. In your CRM. For exclusive For exclusive offers offers sent to sent your to phone, your phone text Text NTO NTO to 12345 to 12345 In the inbox. Create a targeted email campaign to customers viewing on a mobile device. Offer an incentive to download your app, visit your mcommerce site, or sign up for your SMS program. 4 Mobile Idea File
For exclusive offers sent to your phone, text NTO to 12345 For exclusive offers sent to your phone, text your email address to 12345 In the mail. Take advantage of traditional communication methods by including mobile calls-to-action on an invoice, statement, pa ckaging, or direct mail piece. In the store. Offer exclusive text-in deals via in-store opportunities with signage and point-of-sale receipts. As shown here, you can also use instore signage to promote both your email and SMS offerings. Mobile Idea File 5
REGISTER FOR MOBILE BANKING ALERTS First Name Last Name Receive alerts for: Low Account Balance Account Transfers Account Deposits Mobile phone: On your website. Add a pop-up to your website that promotes your mobile subscription (when your site is viewed on a mobile device). With a web-based, API-triggered SMS opt-in, you ll especially want to be sure you re in adherence with TCPA, MMA, and CTIA best practices as always. For exclusive offers sent to your phone, register for NTO text alerts. First Name Email Mobile Phone Last Name REGISTER On social networks. 6 Mobile Idea File
New CRM Profile Edit Contact Name Contact Owner Name Account Title Department Birthdate Reports To Facebook ID Phone Home Phone Mobile Other Phone Fax Email Assistant Asst. Phone In your CRM. No matter how they re opted in, make sure subscribers are also added to your CRM record. Mobile Idea File 7
2 Onboard Once a subscriber has opted in to receive your text and push messages, you don t want to wear out the welcome mat or go radio silent. Just as you would welcome email subscribers with a series of welcome emails, your mobile messaging strategy should help your new subscribers get to know you, and it can take anywhere from 10 days to two months, depending on the journey you have mapped for them. Short Message Service (SMS): A short text exchange between fixed line or mobile phone devices. Multimedia Message Service (MMS): Similar to SMS, but the message can include sound, images and video Push notification: A message appearing on a user s mobile device that is sent from an app downloaded on the device. Your welcome series can also include the option for subscribers to tell you what they want to receive through your new mobile relationship. For example, ask them to text in the three products of yours for which they d most appreciate special offers, or ask them for their state or city so you can specially target the messages they will receive. While onboarding new subscribers, remember that SMS and push notifications are typically accompanied by a sound, so make sure to avoid interrupting a customer s sleep with that sound, particularly in the early stages of your relationship. Consider allowing customers to set quiet times, or simply avoid sending after 9:00 p.m. or before 11:00 a.m., adjusting for time zones. You may not be onboarding thousands of new mobile subscribers during the first few months of your program, but a big list shouldn t be the measure of your success. Those who choose to hear from you via SMS or push will be a smaller, more engaged group your superfans. So make it your goal to show them a relevant, rewarding mobile experience from the start. With that in mind, check out this sample onboarding plan. How to Onboard Your New Subscribers Remember that subscribers expect communications that speak directly to their behaviors, preferences, and history with your brand. As you welcome your new subscribers, keep in mind your targeting criteria (like previous shopping experiences) to make your welcome messages valuable from the start. 8 Mobile Idea File
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Sample welcome series of three messages. This welcome series of three outbound SMS messages has a special offer and an app download request. Mobile Idea File 9
Welcome Series Gather data. Also as part of your welcome series, send an info capture template including up to five text responses to gather profile data. 10 Mobile Idea File
3 Engage Customers who interact with your brand through mobile-specific channels are among your most engaged. Consider, for example, that mobile coupons have a 10% redemption rate, compared to 1% for traditional print and PC-based coupons. Through a combination of consistency and testing, you can maintain the excitement of subscribing to your brand s SMS, MMS and push notifications even after the newness has worn off. How to Engage Your Mobile Subscribers Remember that your customers are on a journey with your brand that involves messaguing based on thier preferences. Send messages at times that make sense with your current customers and current sales volume. For instance, send a Friday evening code for a free appetizer at your restaurant, or a family discount at your museum on Sunday afternoons. Push notifications are an effective way to reengage customers and combine channels to best serve each customer. Can customers make purchases via your app? Try sending a push message such as, You have three items in your cart. Do you want to check out? to draw your customers back into the app. Start with these creative tactics for engaging your mobile subscribers, and check out the examples to follow. Send dynamic coupon codes. Promote your app. Ask mobile subscribers to join your email database. Promote your brand s social media accounts. Tie in current events. Set up a keyword response program. Send a countdown. Take a vote. Send a data-triggered message. Enhance SMS with APIs. Or, if you send an email about account renewal and it goes unopened, follow up via SMS a week later. This multichannel approach enhances your customers journey and moves them forward within it. Mobile Idea File 11
Database Coupon code authenticated 010101 Coupon code can be authenticated and tracked in order to limit overuse or sharing between customers Send dynamic coupon codes. Advance your marketing messages with a dynamic, profile-driven offer or deal. These can be individualized to limit sharing and overuse. Link clicked and customer directed to App Store Promote your app. Send a direct link to the store or page where subscribers can download your app. 12 Mobile Idea File
New contact Results in new contact in Marketing Cloud App Ask them to join your email database. Reengage with a mobile subscriber by promoting your email program, resulting in a new contact. Takes subscriber to your Facebook page Promote your brand s social media accounts. Link to your social accounts, especially when there s a contest or special event going on. Mobile Idea File 13
Text ATM (space) your zipcode to 12345 for the nearest ATM location. Standard message and data rates may apply. Tie in current events. Promote holiday- or event-based campaigns to break up the monotony of your usual messaging. Set up a keyword response program. Empower your on-the-go customers with the ability to request on-demand information right from their mobile devices. 14 Mobile Idea File
Day 1 Day 5 Day 7 Send a countdown. Set up a countdown campaign including up to three SMS messages to count down to a special event and remind subscribers to participate. Mobile Idea File 15
Data added to database A B C A B C Take a vote. Set up an inbound vote SMS template to capture votes for a true/false or multi-answer vote program. Subscriber data imported Purchase record > 100 Data triggers text message Send a data-triggered message. Import subscriber data such as location or date of last purchase to deliver relevant, 1:1 SMS messages. For example, consider sending a message like this one if someone hasn t purchased in 30+ days. 16 Mobile Idea File
Northern Trails Welcome! Receive 10% off your first purchase! Enhance Push with Location. Trigger Push messages by incorporating your customers location data. Whether you target them when they are near you, in common spaces where you want to drive app interaction, or even your competitors areas - using your customers location can drive more relevant, targeted messaging. Mobile Idea File 17
4 Retain Are you beginning to see mobile subscribers engage with your campaigns either via responding to your questions, redeeming coupons, or following another type of call to action? Excellent work. If not, we suggest delving deeper into the tactics recommended in the Engage section. Once you do start to engage customers, however, the work isn t done. It s time to push farther to build brand loyalty and continue to nurture the customer lifecycle through mobile messaging. How to Retain Your Mobile Subscribers The more data you collect about your mobile subscribers, the more your mobile strategy will become increasingly personalized and less batch and blast. You don t want to scare off new subscribers by asking for too much information too soon, but if you give customers easy access to manage their message preferences, you ll gain valuable data about them without making the process too invasive. A unified profile center (like Salesforce Marketing Cloud) can keep track of each subscriber s data across all channels, so you always have a common view of the person, no matter the channel. Try these advanced strategies to improve customer service, loyalty, and overall subscriber experience while retaining your mobile messaging permissions. Offer important content through mobile. Incentivize subscribers to reengage. Incentivize them immediately post-transaction. Use mobile messaging to follow up after in-person meetings or store visits. For the details of our return policy, text RETURNS to 12345 Offer important content through mobile. For example, try instore signage that leads customers directly to their phones for the high points of your return policy. 18 Mobile Idea File
Edit Contact Name CRM Profile Updated Contact Owner Name Account Title Department Birthdate Reports To Facebook ID 36 days Date of most recent communication added to CRM data base Incentivize them to reengage. With a contact record in your CRM (like Salesforce), send a message when their most recent interaction with your brand has been longer than you d like. Database Purchase data imported Data triggers text message Incentivize them immediately post-transaction. For subscribers who have just made a purchase, thank them and invite them back right away, as in this example, which includes a data import and automated SMS send. Mobile Idea File 19
Voting results collected In-person meeting with Use mobile messaging to check in after in-person meetings or store visits. Collect results as part of a vote, and gauge how your in-store customer service team performed, the quality of your selection, ease of shopping on your website, and so on. 20 Mobile Idea File
Conclusion Your mobile messaging program is the perfect place for brand fans to receive on-the-go information about your services, along with appropriately timed offers that coincide with their behaviors and preferences. Your mobile messaging strategy must start and end with the customer s wishes, and provide content that brings real value. If you accomplish that, you ll maintain a long and powerful relationship with your mobile subscribers. A well-rounded mobile strategy links your messaging with as many of these customer attributes as possible: Mobile number Customer ID Email address Website cookie App download Facebook fan Twitter follower Loyalty program member Store purchaser Reviewer The goal is to understand each customer in order to provide relevant digital messages. Whether that s via SMS, push notification, email, or Facebook update, always consider the channel that s most appropriate for the current message. Receiving a spot within a customer s coveted mobile shelf space isn t guaranteed forever, so take every opportunity to justify your presence. Continue to test approaches, timing, offers, landing pages, and copy to learn what works best with your mobile audience. Mobile Idea File 21
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Build and Manage Your 1:1 Customer Journeys. Your customers expect 1:1 experiences communications that provide the information they need the moment they need it. To stay relevant, marketers need to become customer companies, manage the customer journey, and build customer relationships at scale. With the trusted infrastructure of our 100% cloud-based, secure, and highly available platform, you have the flexibility and reliability you need to go further.