Activating Your Mobile Program By Integrating With Social Media
Chad Starbuck, Zeta’s expert on all things mobile, continues to share his insight on how to build upon your current mobile programs. Chad’s previous posts provided tips on SMS, MMS, App Push Notifications and Mobile Wallet. Today, he is sharing his expertise on how to activate — and enhance — your mobile programs by integrating the experience with social media channels.
As you have begun to develop your cross-channel marketing programs, you’ve probably started implementing at least one, maybe more, of the mobile channels we have previously discussed. Maybe it’s an SMS/MMS program, or possibly App Push, or maybe even delivering mobile wallet passes via one of your existing channels. However, these programs can’t stand on their own. There are some easy and unique ways to enhance and grow them via interactions and integrations with social media channels.
Let’s take a look at some of the easy to implement solutions that can be developed with social media.
If you have a coupon or similar offer that you would like to extend beyond your subscriber base, use SMS to deliver the coupon and then provide a link that allows them to share the offer on their Twitter or Facebook account. Through an integration, the link in the SMS message will automatically open up the user’s Twitter or Facebook account and prepopulate the message, making it ready for sharing.
If you have created a video or trailer for a brand-new movie that would benefit from extending beyond your subscriber base, use MMS to deliver the video and then provide a link that allows them to share the video on their Twitter or Facebook account. As with the coupon offer above, through integration, the link in the MMS message will automatically open up the user’s Twitter or Facebook account and prepopulate the message and the video, ready for sharing.
In order to grow your subscriber base, it is always important to promote your mobile program in as many ways and locations as possible. One of those locations should definitely be within your social media brand sites. A simple Call to Action on these sites, asking people to opt in via either a keyword, or by adding in their mobile details on a submit form, makes it easy for those customers engaged with you via Social Media, to also become engaged via your mobile programs.
When connecting with your subscribers during regular marketing campaigns, use that opportunity to also connect your users to your social media presence. Include a link in your message that directs users to your Facebook page, or an important blog post. Get your customers engaged across all your platforms.
One of the best and most fun ways to integrate your mobile programs with your Social Media sites is through a Text-to-Win or Sweepstakes promotion. By simply adding a keyword Call to Action on your Facebook page, Instagram, Twitter feed or other sites, your customers are rewarded with a once in a lifetime chance to win a cool prize. Promoting an easy, “Text ‘WIN’ to 12345” message allows your customers to enter the contest. You can also promote a sweepstakes in your outgoing mobile marketing campaigns by including a sweepstakes code and link that drives your subscribers to your Social Media sites to enter.
Your Social Media sites are a great place to promote the download of your brand app. Make it even simpler by including a Keyword Call to Action (Text APP to 12345) right in your site. By texting the Keyword, the customer is provided a response that takes them right to the appropriate App store. So, by using a combination of Social Media, SMS and App, you’ve created a quick and easy access to your brand app.
When looking to promote your brand, it’s always best to look at a combined strategy across your mobile campaigns, social media campaigns and other channels. SMS/MMS, App Push and Wallet cannot stand on their own. Neither can your social media sites. Take the time to not only integrate your strategies, but your platforms and channels as well.
Taking Your Mobile Programs to the Next Level
As you have begun to develop your cross-channel marketing programs, you’ve probably started implementing at least one, maybe more, of the mobile channels we have previously discussed. Maybe it’s an SMS/MMS program, or possibly App Push, or maybe even delivering mobile wallet passes via one of your existing channels. However, these programs can’t stand on their own. There are some easy and unique ways to enhance and grow them via interactions and integrations with social media channels.
Let’s take a look at some of the easy to implement solutions that can be developed with social media.
1) Socialize a Coupon or Offer
If you have a coupon or similar offer that you would like to extend beyond your subscriber base, use SMS to deliver the coupon and then provide a link that allows them to share the offer on their Twitter or Facebook account. Through an integration, the link in the SMS message will automatically open up the user’s Twitter or Facebook account and prepopulate the message, making it ready for sharing.
2) Share a Video or Movie Trailer
If you have created a video or trailer for a brand-new movie that would benefit from extending beyond your subscriber base, use MMS to deliver the video and then provide a link that allows them to share the video on their Twitter or Facebook account. As with the coupon offer above, through integration, the link in the MMS message will automatically open up the user’s Twitter or Facebook account and prepopulate the message and the video, ready for sharing.
3) Add a Call to Action on your Social Media Site
In order to grow your subscriber base, it is always important to promote your mobile program in as many ways and locations as possible. One of those locations should definitely be within your social media brand sites. A simple Call to Action on these sites, asking people to opt in via either a keyword, or by adding in their mobile details on a submit form, makes it easy for those customers engaged with you via Social Media, to also become engaged via your mobile programs.
4) Use Your SMS Platform to Promote Social Media Sites and Blogs
When connecting with your subscribers during regular marketing campaigns, use that opportunity to also connect your users to your social media presence. Include a link in your message that directs users to your Facebook page, or an important blog post. Get your customers engaged across all your platforms.
5) Promote a Text-to-Win or Sweepstakes Promotion
One of the best and most fun ways to integrate your mobile programs with your Social Media sites is through a Text-to-Win or Sweepstakes promotion. By simply adding a keyword Call to Action on your Facebook page, Instagram, Twitter feed or other sites, your customers are rewarded with a once in a lifetime chance to win a cool prize. Promoting an easy, “Text ‘WIN’ to 12345” message allows your customers to enter the contest. You can also promote a sweepstakes in your outgoing mobile marketing campaigns by including a sweepstakes code and link that drives your subscribers to your Social Media sites to enter.
6) Promote the Download of Your Brand App
Your Social Media sites are a great place to promote the download of your brand app. Make it even simpler by including a Keyword Call to Action (Text APP to 12345) right in your site. By texting the Keyword, the customer is provided a response that takes them right to the appropriate App store. So, by using a combination of Social Media, SMS and App, you’ve created a quick and easy access to your brand app.
When looking to promote your brand, it’s always best to look at a combined strategy across your mobile campaigns, social media campaigns and other channels. SMS/MMS, App Push and Wallet cannot stand on their own. Neither can your social media sites. Take the time to not only integrate your strategies, but your platforms and channels as well.
