Textlocal’s top tips on how to use the Olympics to boost your profits and make mobile work for you:

With only 80 days to go until the start of the Olympics 2012, most businesses will have already outlined their marketing strategies to reach out to the new audiences it will attract to the UK. Leading mobile company Textlocal explains how limited time isn’t an issue where mobile messaging is concerned.

The impact of this event on all industries will be astronomical, and it’s expected to attract at least an additional four million people. So the question is, how do you rapidly reach out to a mass audience on the fly?  How do you capture their contact details and communicate targeted messages to them in seconds?  Mobile messaging is the answer. We share with you our expert knowledge and key advantages of mobile that will ensure you achieve the best results.

1. Capture data on the fly

Using short codes, and even QR codes to encourage people to opt-in to receive your communications is powerful. No other SMS marketing tool can do this while your customers are on the move, instantly and for little cost. Allowing customers to opt-in to receive your marketing, means that your follow up activity becomes more targeted, and in turn increases ROI.

Simply advertise a short code in a prime location, (e.g. text EVENT to 60777) inviting people to text in to receive more info e.g. discounted offers, alerts or promotions. In a short time, you can easily build a substantial list of opt-in mobile numbers. You can arrange for an auto-response to be sent straight back containing information about your company, or store the numbers to execute a promotional marketing campaign at a later date. By asking them opt-in together with their email address you can also send an automatic email to them containing your company brochure. QR Codes follow exactly the same rules, and can be advertised to be scanned to immediately opt-in or obtain company details.

2. Auto-schedule your communications around specific events

Using mobile messaging you can target people in the right place, at the right time without having to be sat at your PC. Auto-schedule your messages around the events taking place at the Olympics, and offer promotional incentives which coincide with the timetable and they will send from the system automatically at your specified time. A typical example could be ‘If you’re dashing to the men’s 100 stop at Bertie’s sweetshop on Olympic Rd for 2 for 1 on all soft drinks’.

3. Build long-term relationships

Mobile messaging is the only medium that has an open rate of 97.5%. It gives a campaign the added power to communicate with targeted customers and build on the relationship you have with them, based on permission and trust. Once you have a list of opt-in contacts, the data is yours to communicate marketing messages, alerts or promotions whenever you like. If you collect the numbers during a busy period such as the Olympics, it gives you the opportunity to build and maintain those relationships in the long-term.

4. Flexible communication

The key advantage of mobile messaging is the flexibility it gives you to engage with a mass audience instantly. Whether you need to grow a database, send appointment confirmations or send urgent updates. Any time of day, and wherever your customers are the uses are endless with mobile messaging. There is no substitute for fast, direct, targeted marketing on the move.

5. Send rich content

No longer are you limited to 160 characters of text, the use of Smartphone technology and the public acceptance of tiny URL’s on social media platforms, means that mobile messaging can be used as a tool to link to a bigger picture. SMS can be used as the ‘hook’ needed to direct the reader to where they need to be online, faster than if they were left to their own devices. Links to apps, videos and web pages are easily incorporated into an SMS message. The overwhelming advantage that mobile has is its capacity to reach people virtually instantly wherever they are, usually within 5 seconds; a key benefit to all businesses wanting to engage with new audiences during the Olympic games.

For more top tips, join The Mobile Marketing UK Forum on Linkedin.