The adoption rate of smartphones has been nothing short of meteoric, and the vast majority of research supports the continued growth of the mobile marketing channel. IDC reported that the global smartphone market doubled during the past 12 months, and Nielsen says the installed base of smartphones will overtake feature phones this year. Gartner predicts that mobile phones will overtake PCs as the dominant web access device worldwide by 2013, and ABI says that 44 billion mobile applications will be downloaded by 2016.

Consumers are doing more with their phones every day, yet the majority of companies are alarmingly slow to adopt a mobile strategy to engage with those consumers.

Only 32% of companies surveyed by Forrester Research already have a mobile strategy in place while 45% are "just beginning to work on a strategy." The stark reality is that while companies are excited about the mobile channel as a marketing and CRM tool, they simply do not have the in-house resources, expertise, time, or structure needed to develop an effective mobile strategy.

It is important to remember that a mobile strategy is more than a mobile optimized website, an iPhone app, or a shortcode/keyword combination. It is the seamless integration of moving parts and multiple touch points to take consumers through the lifecycle from initial acquisition to deep brand loyalty. A mobile strategy is a combination of transactional events (e.g. mobile coupons and text-to-win) with relationship building campaigns that connect the brand and customer (e.g. loyalty programs).

INDUSTRY COMPLEXITIES

Combine the thousands of mobile device variations with all the wireless industry complexities and regulations, and companies quickly find themselves overwhelmed.

Plus, the risk of doing it wrong is real. Gomez reports that 61% of mobile users dissatisfied with the performance of a mobile site would be less likely to visit again, and 40% would visit a competitor's site.

For a company brand new to mobile, the regulatory issues around text messaging, privacy, and compliance are unknown, which means that there is no way of even knowing when they are at risk for non-compliance. Send out an ill-timed SMS and you will lose that opted in customer in seconds.

UNIFIED CAMPAIGNS

For companies that are dabbling in mobile marketing, the individual campaigns are rarely connected with the company's overall marketing plan. However, consumers do not generally view companies in this way; the mobile campaigns for any segment of the company act as the voice and brand of the company as a whole.

Any company considering incorporating mobile marketing must have a unified strategy and understand of how marketing for one division or department will impact another, for example planning how your retail sales staff and customer service department is educated on your mobile offer. By unifying your messaging, you will find ways for mobile to enhance your other marketing channels such as print, radio, outdoor, TV, online, and social media.

PERFORMANCE METRICS

The Forrester study goes on to find that only 34% of companies have adopted a set of company-wide mobile performance metrics. This means that even for companies that are launching mobile strategies, results have no context.

Marketers need to define the proper goals, set the proper expectations, and benchmark against others in the industry. Avoid getting sucked in to the latest fad. Stick to your objectives and be sure to choose the appropriate mobile channel.

Remember: for most industries, it's not too late to be early. You won't get it right the first time, but if you have the right measuring tools in place, you can learn from each iteration and move towards the most effective use of mobile for your company.

THE NEED FOR MANAGED SERVICES

Given all these complexities and the various user experiences that mobile offers, the need for Mobile Managed Services becomes clear.

So what should a company expect in a Mobile Managed Services arrangement? Demand a valuable set of services that orchestrates big picture strategy planning, creative ideation, mobile presence development, campaign execution, and performance monitoring. Look for a partner who is more than an agency and actually offers an in-house technology platform that can deliver multi-channel mobile campaigns.

Odds are that most digital agencies do not have the mobile expertise required to innovate beyond the competition. Companies will save time and money by going with an all-in-one mobile partner that combines consultancy with the technology.

A good Mobile Managed Services team will provide access to in-house marketing, creative, development, and technical experts who can help companies avoid pitfalls and optimize a mobile strategy across all mobile channels: SMS, mobile web, smartphone apps, QR codes, mobile coupons, and mCommerce.

In exchange, companies will need to be comfortable sharing their marketing strategy, short and long term goals, reporting criteria, and past marketing campaign performance information.

In the end, brands can build out effective mobile strategies without building out an in-house team and requiring additional overhead expenses.

CONCLUSION

Companies of all kinds need a mobile presence and mobile loyalty campaigns that fit into their overall marketing strategy. But without the resources to create and manage them internally, Mobile Managed Services is a critical success path for all types of companies trying to focus on what they do best while navigating successfully through the mobile channel.

To learn more about 2ergo's Mobile Managed Services offering, visit www.2ergo.com/services or email info@2ergo.com.