Flavors of mobile offerings for business

When I talk with businesses and students about the latest mobile marketing methods, they tend to feel like the potential is all over the map (no pun intended) and I thought it would be good to categorize these offerings for the sake of clarity, as we move into the new hyper-local world.

Opportunities – These are time sensitive offers such as discounts or coupons. There is data out there that show the demand for these types of offers are high. (I’ll share those numbers in when I am done with the mobile white paper I’m working on.)

Enrichment – Location based services can enhance the experience of the location. The can be done with additional information someone receives when they scan the barcode/QR code with their smartphone. Mobile augmented reality can also provide an amazing experience. Users could hold their smartphone up to a logo on the label and get a small video (a.k.a. branded entertainment moment) displayed on their phone.

Product Search – I search for a: shirt/black/short sleeved/extra large/collar and a map with the results appear. The results are a real time representation of products (with pictures) that are currently in stock at that location. (I posted about this here.) Retail needs to get a lot smarter really quickly.

Transparency – Think reviews like Google Places or Yelp. This allows your potential customers to see what you have to offer and what others think about your business.

Loyalty -This is a no-brainer when you think of the check-in behavior. Businesses are already using this mechanism to build loyalty programs and this is only going to continue.

When developing a business model with a focus on mobile, it’s important to consider these funnels. It’s also vital with all of these that you enable the customer to become a conduit, allowing them to easily share your offering.