Mobile SEO as a Part of B2B Online Marketing

Last week I wrote a piece on Ten Ways B2B Marketers Can Become Cutting Edge with Online Marketing.  One of the items mentioned was to use Mobile Marketing to compliment your online presence.   So exactly what is mobile marketing or mobile SEO?  Can it be used by B2B marketers as a lead generation tool?  Should it be used by B2B marketers as part of an online marketing strategy at all?

Before we try to answer these questions, we should discuss exactly what mobile marketing/mobile SEO is.

Definition of Mobile SEO: the process of increasing visitors to your web properties through the use of mobile marketing and promotion.

Definition of Mobile Marketing: Mobile marketing is the process of marketing on or with a mobile device such as a cellular phone or personal digital assistants (PDA).  Mobile marketing is usually done through SMS.

Definition of SMS: Short Message Service (SMS) is also known as “text-messaging” and is a telecommunications protocol that allows the sending of "short" (160 characters or less) text messages.

Since the start of the decade, Short Message Service (SMS) has become popular in Europe and Asia.  As a result, businesses in these areas started to compile mobile phone numbers and send off content and ad messages.  Mobile Marketing via SMS has expanded rapidly in Europe and Asia as a new channel to reach the consumer.  As a side note, the first cross-carrier SMS shortcode campaign in North America was run by Labatt Brewing Company in 2002.

SMS Facts

• in 2000 (the start of text messaging and SMS) just 17 billion SMS messages were sent
• in 2001, the number was up to 250 billion
• 2004 saw this rise to 500 billion SMS messages
• At an average cost of USD 0.10 per message, this generates revenues in excess of $50 billion for mobile telephone operators
• The 2004 total of SMS messages represents close to 100 text messages for every person in the world
• Short messages are most popular amongst young people who live in urban areas

So the question becomes should B2B marketers use mobile marketing?  Well the quick answer is yes why not?  Mobile marketing presents a fairly cost effective way to intercept your audience.  You can use it to promote your website (in addition to your solution or product).  Mobile marketing cannot hurt your existing campaign.  In fact it can be used to bolster your online marketing campaign.  There are a number of reasons as to why B2B marketers may want to consider establishing a mobile marketing strategy.

Reasons Why Mobile SEO Should be a part of a B2B Online Marketing Strategy

• The number of cell phone users continues to increase. (2005 saw 2.1 billion users, recent reports suggest this is now considerably higher)
• having a mobile marketing strategy through mobile ads can help promote traffic to your web properties
• text messages are also often used to interact with automated systems, such as ordering products and services for mobile phones, or participating in contests
• SMS has caused interesting changes in society and language since it became popular in such as short time.  Text-messaging has had impacts on academics, criminal activity, political events and social news-worthy events.   Creative marketing through text-messaging can generate tremendous revenue.
• so long as advertisers do not abuse the power of mobile marketing so that it is not considered spam, advertising through text messaging can be very effective

Should Mobile SEO be a focus of B2B Marketers?

Depending on whom your target market may be, mobile marketing may not be for all B2B marketers.  In the past, services that provide bulk text message sending are also becoming a popular way for clubs, associations, and advertisers to quickly reach a group of opt-in subscribers.  Is mobile marketing simply a fad?  I’m not so sure as it appears to picking up steam as we head towards the end of the decade.  The IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) and the MMA (Mobile Marketing Association), have both established guidelines and have began evangelizing the use of the mobile channel for marketers.  Mobile marketing is not going anywhere in the near future.  For that reason alone B2B marketers should look further into the opportunities that mobile marketing may provide for their organizations.  Mobile marketing can be a great way to compliment your online marketing efforts as part of an overall marketing strategy. 

For more on mobile marketing and SMS visit Wikipedia’s entry on SMS