SoLoMo Strategies for Savvy Marketers

"SoLoMo" is a phrase mobile marketers have been using for a while now, even as traditional marketers are just learning about hyperlocal. Companies that are experimenting with the idea have already experienced positive results, making it a premise to keep in mind when planning your next marketing program. A social/local/mobile technique will help you to add a new level of precision to your campaigns that will reduce wasteful ad spend by reaching the right people at the right time with the right offer, ultimately increasing success. foursquare hosts a half-million merchants with more than 15 million users worldwide. According to a January 2012 U.S. Digital Consumer Report from Nielsen, 29 percent of smartphone owners use their phone for shopping-related activities. This number is sure to grow as in-store price comparisons grow in popularity, online reviews gain credibility and daily deals continue to offer considerable discounts to consumers Brands appreciate when their customers "check in" to their establishment and increase awareness, yet they often brace themselves for subpar social reviews and experiment with how they can interact with vocal and visible customers from a SoLoMo perspective that drives positive endorsements and awareness for their products and services. The exciting news is that some brands are doing a lot more "appreciating" and a lot less "bracing." By leveraging marketing campaigns that tap into the location of specific customer demographics, companies can be proactive with that information — e.g., present more targeted offers that will drive local brick-and-mortar loyalty, in-store purchases and word-of-mouth within their neighborhood. A national mobile campaign can now increase the revenue of a brand's store in a specific area. Macy's, for instance, is using this strategy on NBC's Fashion Star. The brand recognizes that its customers constantly have a mobile device within reach, whether they're on their couch watching TV or in-store buying a new pair of jeans. Macy's has fused these actions, enabling Fashion Star viewers to shop its mobile website for specific looks seen on the show (or visit their local Macy's to make a purchase). As a result of Macy's forward-thinking in the mobile marketing space, the retail giant has built an impressive opt-in SMS database of customers. The company has long embraced calls to action in its store aisles, and is now giving consumers the opportunity to engage via calls to action on television. What's next in the equation? Social. Macy's knows that its customers are accessing social media sites on their mobile device, so the best way to reach them for the Fashion Star promotion is through the same medium. Macy's can promote its Fashion Star looks on its brand page, Twitter feed and elsewhere by saying, "Check out the winning looks from NBC's Fashion Star right here on Facebook, then scoop them up before they're gone! Which ones are on your wish list?" With more than 5 million Facebook fans, Macy's has a huge, valuable pool of consumers that, similar to the mobile campaign, have already opted in to receive updates and promotions from the retailer. So why aren't brands doing more of this? We've definitely seen an uptick in maturity of SoLoMo campaigns, and while it does take a fair amount of orchestration, it's the most logical balance of interaction with consumers that are ready and willing to interact. Brands already on social networks have access to fans’ and followers’ personal details, including email address and location. If a brand integrates its social and mobile strategies, and consumers give their blessing, this information can be used to provide very targeted and relevant offers. There are many ways that a brand's social presence can be extended onto a mobile platform. Consumers who are shopping in-store and visit that brand's Facebook page to look for deals can be offered a number of opportunities for interaction, including the following: respond to a mobile contest or coupon campaign, which not only bolsters loyalty with existing customers but hits prospects that are hunting for a bargain to further build an opt-in customer loyalty program for future engagement; click through to a mobile website that offers a familiar online shopping experience, yet a different way for the brand to achieve customer satisfaction; and scan QR codes throughout the promotion for an intriguing, tech-savvy way to drive interest, awareness and loyalty. Rather than view social, local and mobile as siloed channels, savvy brands are recognizing the synergistic benefits of combining the efforts of these campaigns, helping them to maximize results and take advantage of these new and advanced opportunities to interact with consumers. Doug Stovall is the vice president of sales for Hipcricket.

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SoLoMo Strategies for Savvy Marketers

Doug Stovall

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Doug Stovall