In just a few years mobile marketing has evolved from just another technology on the marketing horizon which might have some future potential to the single most important factor in any brand strategy. Apply these mission-critical tips and become a mobile marketing master!

1. Lawyer up first. Every mobile marketer is aware that contests and sweepstakes are one of the best ways to build consumer engagement but never launch a draw of any kind without obtaining expert legal guidance.
2. Ne pas au Quebec, S.V.P. When you’re promoting a mobile contest throughout the USA and Canada make sure that you specify that it is not valid in Quebec. You do not want to get on the wrong side of that province’s Draconian regulations.
3. Honolulu luaus… zzzzz. Geographically personalize your mobile marketing but don’t resort to hackneyed stereotypes. There’s more to New Orleans than Jazz and Mardi Gras, and Honolulu isn’t built exclusively on hula dancers and luaus.
4. Never waste a checkout minute. Your brick and mortar store customers can be facilitated in the process to sign up for your various loyalty and other promotional programs through their mobile devices as they wait for checkout.
5. Instant gratification rocks. Your physical retail outlets should be festooned in scannable QR codes and other means to allow the mobile customer to access coupons and other offers which can be redeemed right there and then.
6. Discount it right now. Everyone wants to save money, whether they’re shopping for a child’s toy or a Rolex wristwatch, so one of the preferred methods to encourage mobile subscribers is to offer an immediate discount.
7. Stop selling so much. The majority of your mobile missives should follow the same rule as your social media posts: Have them focus on topics of interest while veering away from hype hype hype.
8. I want it all & I want it now. Mobile customers demand an immediate reply to their queries, so there is no choice for the mobile marketer but to devise a response strategy which works in real time.
9. One thing at a time. Mobile marketing is not the place for educating your consumer to the Ph.D. level, so keep your information packets short and sweet, while never making the fatal error of focusing on more than one message at any one time.
10. Txt shrthnd nvr. You can use txt shorthand when you’re ready to lose your job and drive your company into bankruptcy court. The necessity to keep messages short does not imply that you should write like an illiterate pre-teen.
11. Apply action verbs. What is the action that you want your mobile customer to take, and have you explained it clearly and powerfully enough? Use terms as Save, Sell, Buy, Run, Jump and similar verbs to capture their attention and inform them of what you want them to do.
12. Check the time. There is data within your customer database which can show you what times of day they are most active, so adhere to that behavior information. Your customer with small children is likely in bed by the time your night owl is getting ready to go clubbing.
13. Permission first. Never send an unsolicited SMS or email unless you have already gained full formal permission as not only you will be alienating your prospect but you may be breaking the law.
14. Marketing restrictions apply to kids. While you’re adhering to the legislation regarding permission make sure that you are also in compliance of the regulations regarding sending messages to individuals under the age of 1
15. No need for an app. You don’t have to be one of the first on the bandwagon to develop your own app. By all means wait for mobile to develop further so that it’s integrated into teleportation and interstellar spaceships. If you don’t recognize the sarcasm in this tip then you really should be looking for another line of work.

Mobile marketing is a multi-billion dollar business which is growing daily. Get your share of the pie!