We recently blogged about challenges facing organizations as they begin considering mobile within their marketing and customer relationship development mixes. From mobile getting confused with email as a tactic, to convincing top marketers that mobile is a key interaction channel, mobile faces barriers to adoption. Add in potential confusion over the need to first obtain permission to contact your customers via mobile and the consequences of not doing so, and the discussion often comes to an impasse.
It need not though, and today I came across a good article on DMNews.com with some sage advice for marketers sitting on the fence with mobile.
Titled “Why SMS messaging is more than a teen tool for marketers,” the author makes some good, common sense recommendations about how to obtain opt in permission and thus begin marketing to customers through the mobile channel:
“…when a customer visits your Website and signs up to receive updates on sales, new products or services, offer the customer the option to receive updates via SMS in addition to, or instead of, email alerts.”
“For those businesses or product lines with standard customer agreements in place, the consent to receive important updates and offers via SMS and other communication channels can be added directly to the customer agreement, securing an opt-in immediately upon the origination of the business relationship.”
I thought the latter point was notable, as I have not seen such a recommendation before yet it makes complete sense, for both B2B and B2C customer relationships where some agreement accompanies the transaction.
The takeaway here is that opt in doesn’t need to be the centerpiece of a complex or costly marketing program with various calls to action. In fact, gaining permission using existing forms of customer communication means the opt in step may be right under your nose.
