Mobile Guerrilla Marketing – Why & How

Why You Need a Mobile Guerrilla Marketing Plan & How to Get Started

April 16, 2014 – Ninety percent of American adults have a mobile phone, according to a January Pew Internet Project study. Another survey from Nielsen found that of these mobile phone owners, more than 60 percent own smartphones. With this level of connectivity, business owners without a solid mobile marketing plan are missing out on a significant avenue to earn new customers and make more money.

Harnessing the Power of Bluetooth

More than 80 percent of the 900 million-plus mobile phones sold each year come equipped with Bluetooth technology, according to the advertising agency McConnells. Thanks to this preponderance of mobile Internet access, it’s easy to create highly targeted campaigns using the technology found in smartphones.

Bluetooth proximity marketing (BPM) is one such example. With BPM, marketers can push content from Bluetooth-enabled pods to mobile phones whenever users enter specially designated zones. Bluetooth-enabled phones that enter the zone will receive requests to download rich content ranging from mobile vouchers to pictures, video and music. This gives business owners an immense and receptive audience and a great opportunity to expand brand and product recognition.

Other Guerrilla Marketing Ideas

Guerrilla marketing through SMS/MMS – Messaging technologies such as short message services (SMS) and multimedia messaging services (MMS) provide great opportunities for businesses to reach out to loyal customers via their smartphones and reward them with special perks and other exclusives. Businesses can also use them for spontaneous marketing opportunities.

One study published in Scientific Research Publishing notes how Twentieth Century Fox marketed the 2005 horror film “Hide and Seek” by sending approximately 100,000 people a text message with the words, “Why don’t you turn around…” The recipient invariably turns around, and later scrolls down to find this message: “You don’t see me! I am hiding. HIDE AND SEEK, the horror thriller now at the cinema. www.fox.de”

Mobile phone cameras – Almost every phone has one, and they’re commonly used for almost every occasion. Savvy businesses can create online competitions with mobile cameras and pictures as a central focus, with an end goal of increasing both sales and customer awareness of available products and services. For example, businesses can create a competition where participants take photos of a certain product or service being used, then send it via SMS/MMS or post it to the company’s Facebook or Twitter page under a unique hashtag. The content is posted to the company’s website and in return, participants may receive special benefits such as a discounts, vouchers or free samples.

Guerrilla marketing through augmented reality apps – Augmented reality is the latest tool to help customers enjoy an immersive shopping experience. In stores, taking a picture of a store display or product enables the app to display a wealth of information, from fun facts about the products to reviews and price comparisons.