By Chris Lee

Analyst group Gartner estimates that by 2013, mobile phones will overtake PCs as the most common Web access device worldwide. With such a high penetration of mobile phones in the market and devices getting ever more sophisticated, marketing over the mobile platform would appear increasingly attractive.

However, according to a recent US study Marketing and Ad Spending Study 2010: Total US and B2B Advertising marketers will spend 16 per cent less on mobile during 2010. One firm which claims that click-through rates on mobile advertising are significantly higher than other media is mobile test and measurement specialist Keynote Systems.

NMK caught up with the company’s CEO, Umang Gupta, to find out what he believes delivers the best value in mobile marketing.

Briefly introduce the options available for mobile marketing?

As the popularity of smart phones continues to increase, marketers should look to incorporate all mobile channels including SMS, MMS, mobile Web, Bluetooth, bespoke apps and Infrared into their mobile campaigns, communicating directly with customers through their mobile devices. Businesses must realise however, that what is successful in a fixed line Internet campaign may not automatically translate to a successful mobile campaign.  There are many more considerations with mobile such as smaller screen sizes, different handsets and different operating systems – and this means there are many more things that could go wrong.  For this reason, companies must work on dedicated mobile customer outreach by constantly monitoring and considering the mobile end-user experience, ensuring any content is tailored to the individual’s device, network and location.

You say click-through rates on mobile ads are higher than other media, why do you think that’s the case?

Mobile is the medium that is with the consumer at all times and is the most direct way for businesses to reach potential customers.  With effective mobile marketing campaigns, companies can ensure that the content they’re delivering is relevant to the recipient and for this reason the potential customer is more likely to click-through for further information.  However, if SMS marketing campaigns are not properly planned and tested, delivery failures and load errors could mean that customers are far less likely to respond to future mobile marketing campaigns.

What works best?

Mobile marketing is about building brand reputation and staying in touch with existing and potential customers. Campaigns need to be integrated and should consist of a combination of the mobile marketing tools available.  For example, SMS provides immediacy as you don’t have to wait for the individual to access the mobile site of their own accord, but if there’s a problem with the click-through, this is wasted effort.  It’s also critical for marketers to recognise that each campaign must be tailored to the individual – what works well on an iPhone may not be as effective on a different smart phone. What’s most important is that all elements of the campaign work seamlessly together to create a consistent, positive end-user experience. If one part of this chain isn’t performing as it should, businesses risk driving customers away.

What’s best practice when embarking on a mobile marketing campaign?

Mobile marketing promotions must be executed with the ease-of-use for the customer in mind and this must be considered at every stage of the campaign and through every mobile channel.  Failing to plan a campaign in this way undermines the mobile’s role as the most direct and easy route to potential and existing customers.

What test and measurement steps should companies take?

Test and measurement of mobile campaigns must be carried out not only in the planning stages of a campaign but also once the campaign is live. Early testing will help marketers identify any potential glitches.  For example if marketers introduce rich and complex content into their mobile campaigns, they must consider how this will affect the overall performance of the mobile campaign, and pre-launch testing will help iron out any problems.  Effective planning from the outset will also help ensure that the business is prepared for an influx in site visitors once the campaign goes live.

Given the sheer number of considerations – from different handsets, operating systems and networks – rather than simulating how customers interact with mobile sites, marketers should test and measure site performance on real mobile devices connected to live networks to gain an insight into the true consumer experience.  This can be used to test a campaign before it goes live but also, businesses can continue to monitor the entire process of a campaign from SMS delivery through to mobile web page click-throughs.  This allows businesses to identify and rectify problems as they occur in order to minimise damage to brand reputation.