The Mobile Idea File

24 Mobile Messaging Examples to Inspire Your Campaigns

Mobile Idea File 2 ExactTarget
Nearly all content within a marketing programme is consumed on a mobile
device. Think about itfrom Facebook to Twitter, and from email to your
website, customer-brand interactions are constantly shifting screens among
a customers many devices.
But mobile attention is fnite. Every time you try to light up a customers
screen, your brands mobile messages are competing with heavily
distracting forces, such as:
Push notifcations from favourite news sites and game apps
A constant stream of entertaining SMS and MMS messages from
friends and family
Work emails
Social media notifcations, 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.
The Mobile Idea File
24 Mobile Messaging Examples to Inspire Your Campaigns
3 Mobile Idea File ExactTarget
Going mobile isnt a one-and-done process
of securing a phone number and sending a few
texts. Every channel is mobile, and every mobile
interaction is an opportunity to drive engagement
and increase your brands status as a staple in
your customers mobile inboxes.
In The Mobile Idea File, we show you specifc 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
spaceand increases it among those who might be
considering an opt-in to your mobile programme.
Skip to the stage of The Mobile Idea File where you
need the most inspiration, and use these mobile
messaging templates and examples to stand out
among other distractions taking up space on your
subscribers mobile phones.
Before beginning any mobile messaging campaign,
A smart mobile strategy breaks down into four stages:
1
2
Acquire new mobile subscribers.
Onboard your new subscribers.
Engage them to increase conversions.
Retain your customers with your
mobile strategy.
3
4
Mobile Idea File 4 ExactTarget
Mobile is still a young marketing channel. How can your brand land
a spot among a customers favourite apps, streaming content, and
contacts?
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. Youll need to explain
to customers why its 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.
In your CRM.
Acquire 1
In the inbox. Create a targeted email campaign to customers viewing
on a mobile device. Ofer an incentive to download your app, visit your
mCommerce site, or sign up for your SMS programme.
For exclusive ofers
sent to your phone
Text NTO to 12345
For exclusive ofers
sent to your phone,
text NTO to 12345
5 Mobile Idea File ExactTarget
In the mail. Take advantage of traditional communication methods by
including mobile calls-to-action on an invoice, statement, packaging,
or direct mail piece.
In the store. Ofer exclusive text-in deals via in-store opportunities
with signage and point-of-sale receipts. As shown here, you can also
use in-store signage to promote both your email and SMS oferings.
For exclusive ofers
sent to your phone,
text NTO to 12345
For exclusive ofers
sent to your phone,
text your email
address to 12345
Mobile Idea File 6 ExactTarget
REGISTER FOR MOBILE BANKING ALERTS
First Name Last Name
Receive alerts for:
Mobile phone:
Low Account Balance
Account Transfers
Account Deposits
On social networks. Do your fans and followers even know you have an app or SMS ofers? Use social channels to promote mobile. Make sure your Facebook
pages are mobile optimised for easy viewing, especially since Facebook is the worlds most downloaded app.
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, youll especially want to be sure youre in adherence with best practices and guidelinesas always.
For exclusive ofers sent
to your phone, register for
NTO text alerts.
First Name Last Name
Email
Mobile Phone
REGISTER
7 Mobile Idea File ExactTarget
Contact Owner
Name
Account
Title
Department
Birthdate
Reports To
Facebook ID
Phone
Home Phone
Mobile
Other Phone
Fax
Email
Assistant
Asst. Phone
Edit Contact
Name
In your CRM. No matter how theyre opted in, make sure subscribers are also added to your CRM record.
New CRM
Profle
Mobile Idea File 8 ExactTarget
Onboard 2
Once a subscriber has opted in to receive your text and push
messages, you dont want to wear out the welcome mator 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 your goals.
How to Onboard Your New Subscribers
Remember that subscribers expect communications that speak directly
to their behaviours, 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.
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 theyd most appreciate special ofers, 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 notifcations are typically accompanied by a sound, so make
sure to avoid interrupting a customers 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 frst few months of your programme, but a big list
shouldnt be the measure of your success. Those who choose to hear
from you via SMS or push will be a smaller, more engaged groupyour
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.
Short Message Service (SMS): A short
text exchange between fxed line or mobile
phone devices.
Push notifcation: A message appearing on
a users mobile device that is sent from an app
downloaded on the device.
9 Mobile Idea File ExactTarget
Sample welcome series of three messages. This welcome series of three outbound SMS messages has a special ofer and an app
download request.
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3
Mobile Idea File 10 ExactTarget
Gather data. Also as part of your welcome series, send an info capture template including up to fve text responses to gather
profle data.
Welcome Series
11 Mobile Idea File ExactTarget
Customers who interact with your brand through mobile-specifc
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 brands SMS and push
notifcations even after the newness has worn of.
How to Engage Your Mobile Subscribers
Consistent SMS, push, and email ofers mean that customers will begin
to anticipate your messages. Send messages at times that make sense
with your current customers preferences and current sales volume. For
instance, send a Friday evening code for a free entree at your restaurant,
or a family discount at your museum on Sunday afternoons.
Push notifcations are an efective 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.
Or, if you send an email about account renewal and it goes unopened,
follow up via SMS a week later. Using two channels to communicate
gives you a useful second touchpoint.
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 brands social media accounts.
Tie in current events.
Set up a keyword response programme.
Send a countdown.
Take a vote.
Send a data-triggered message.
Enhance SMS with APIs.
Engage 3
Mobile Idea File 12 ExactTarget
Database
010101
Coupon code
authenticated
Send dynamic coupon codes. Advance your marketing messages with a dynamic, profle-driven ofer or deal. These can be individualized
to limit sharing and overuse.
Coupon code can be
authenticated and
tracked in order to
limit overuse or sharing
between customers
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.
13 Mobile Idea File ExactTarget
New
contact
Ask them to join your email database. Reengage with a mobile subscriber by promoting your email programme, resulting in a new contact.
Results in
new contact in
ExactTarget App
Promote your brands social media accounts. Link to your social accounts, especially when theres a contest or special event going on.
Takes subscriber to
your Facebook page
Mobile Idea File 14 ExactTarget
Tie in current events. Promote holiday- or event-based campaigns
to break up the monotony of your usual messaging.
Set up a keyword response programme. Empower your on-the-go
customers with the ability to request on-demand information right
from their mobile devices.
Text ATM (space)
your zipcode to 12345
for the nearest ATM location.
Standard message and
data rates may apply.
15 Mobile Idea File ExactTarget
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.
Day 1 Day 5 Day 7
Mobile Idea File 16 ExactTarget
Take a vote. Set up an inbound voteSMS template to capture votes for a true/false or multi-answer vote programme.
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 hasnt purchased in 30+ days.
Data triggers
text message
A B C
Subscriber
data
imported
Purchase record
> 100
Data added
to database
17 Mobile Idea File ExactTarget
Enhance SMS with APIs*. Trigger real-time SMS messages like account alerts, appointment reminders, and reservation updates. Automate
these messages, and youll be spending no time at all to provide excellent customer service.
*API: An application programmeming interface; a set of functions or routines to accomplish a certain software task. If youre not sure of your brands
capabilities with APIs, check out your data set or discuss with your teammates in IT.
SMS alerts
sent based
on APIs
Mobile Idea File 18 ExactTarget
Are you beginning to see mobile subscribers engage with your
campaignseither 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 isnt done. Its time to work harder 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 personalised and
less batch and blast. You dont want to scare of new subscribers by
asking for too much information too soon, but if you give customers
easy access to manage their message preferences, youll gain valuable
data about them without making the process too invasive. A unifed
profle center (like ExactTargets Interactive Marketing Hub) can keep
track of each subscribers 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.
Ofer important content through mobile.
Incentivise subscribers to reengage.
Incentivise them immediately post-transaction.
Use mobile messaging to follow up after in-person
meetings or store visits.
Retain 4
Ofer important content through mobile. For example, try in-
store signage that leads customers directly to their phones for the
high points of your return policy.
For the details of
our return policy,
text RETURNS to 12345
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Incentivise 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 youd like.
Database
Contact Owner
Name
Account
Title
Department
Birthdate
Reports To
Facebook ID
36
days
Edit Contact
Name
Incentivise them immediately post-transaction. For subscribers who have just made a purchase, thank themand invite them back right away, as in
this example, which includes a data import and automated SMS send.
Date of most recent
communication added to
CRM data base
Data triggers
text message
Purchase
data
imported
CRM
Profle
Updated
Mobile Idea File 20 ExactTarget
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.
Voting
results
collected
In-person meeting with
21 Mobile Idea File ExactTarget
Mobile messaging ofers ample potential for customer engagement
beyond the simple messaging options of deals and coupons. Take
the 2012 Super Bowl Host Committee as an example.
In 2012, Indianapolis played host to the most-watched Super
Bowl in history. In the week leading up to the big game, more than
300,000 people swarmed downtown Indianapolisroughly half of
which were out-of-town visitors, who needed help fnding dining,
parking, and entertainment information. The Committee ofered a
text-in campaign for subscribers to receive general information,
marketing materials (like links to download the Super Bowl XLVI
app), and answers to any question.
Fans could stay up to date on weather and trafc information
by texting keywords such as WEATHER or PARKING to a
shortcode. Results from the campaign included:
130,000 messages sent
2,500 new subscribers
Received 6,000 mobile requests through the shortcode
Mobile messaging campaigns arent only for coupons and special
ofers, as evidenced by this example. Use your ability to directly contact
customers on their ever-present smartphones for customer service,
answering questions, and doing market researchall with a short
message that can be sent easily and quickly, without doing any graphic
design or complex coding. After all, every text message is already
optimised for mobile!


VISI T
2012Indy.com[Mobile site]
IndianapolisSuperBowl.com
[Real-timenews & information]
ASK*
Text any question to 242242
[Answerstoquestions about
Indyor the game]
DOWNLOAD
Super Bowl XLVI Application
for iPhone, iPad and Android
[Maps, info, other city & game information ]
TEXT *
INFOtoSB2012 (722012)
[Trafc, dining & cityinfo]
SUPER BOWL toMYNFL (69635)
[Ticket holder & game information]
*Standard text messagingrates apply
CA LL
Fan Hotline at 1.855.472.2012
(Open Jan. 26 - Feb. 6 / hours vary)
From text-in surveys to SMS customer service,
mobile messaging campaigns arent only for
coupons and special ofers.
Learn From Their Success: 2012 Super Bowl Host Committee
Mobile Idea File 22 ExactTarget
Looking for a way to retain customers with mobile messaging?
Look to the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), who
found a way to cut customer service phone calls by 40% through
SMS capabilities.
OCTA is a transportation agency ofering bus service, freeways, taxi
services, and more. OCTAs bus riders began calling the Customer
Information Center (CIC) for times and ticketing information at a cost of
approximately $2 USD per call to OCTA, amounting to a hefty $144,000
USD per month.
OCTA launched a Text4Next SMS programme that began with
printed ads and promotional materials encouraging patrons to text
in for OCTAs next three scheduled bus times. This on-the-go solution
resulted in some serious success for the travel company:
Decrease in number of calls to the CIC by 40%
Substantial increase in customer satisfaction
198,000 texts from customers in a single month
As youre looking to improve customer retention, youll need
to promote your mobile campaign across all channels, just
like OCTA did with their print promotional materials and
corresponding website.
Encourage users to opt-in with a simple and consistent message,
remembering that an incentive (like a right-of-the-bat discount
or promise for future ofers) can deliver the most immediate
engagement.
Encourage users to opt-in with a simple and
consistent message, remembering that an
incentive can deliver the most immediate
engagement.
Learn From Their Success: Orange County Transportation Authority
23 Mobile Idea File ExactTarget
Your mobile messaging programme is the perfect place for brand
fans to receive on-the-go information about your services, along with
appropriately timed ofers that coincide with their behaviours and
preferences.
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 programme member
Store purchaser
Reviewer
The goal is to understand each customer in order to provide
relevant digital messages. Whether thats via SMS, push
notifcation, email, or Facebook update, always consider the
channel thats most appropriate for the current message.
Receiving a spot within a customers coveted mobile shelf space
isnt guaranteed forever, so take every opportunity to justify
your presence. Continue to test approaches, timing, ofers,
landing pages, and copy to learn what works best with your
mobile audience.
Your mobile messaging strategy must start and end with the
customers wishes, and provide content that brings real value.
If you accomplish that, youll maintain a long and powerful
relationship with your mobile subscribers.
Conclusion
Theres marketing. And then theres Inspired Marketing.
With billions of hyper-connected customers on the planet, theres never been a
better time to be a digital marketer. You have an incredible opportunity to use
data and technology to drive relevant messages, to connect, to inspire.