Long are the days when we would see a poster in the street and be sold on a concept, idea or product. We no longer see a TV ad and say to ourselves, “I do actually need one of those”. Marketing has got harder; you have to be present in more than just one or two communication channels to hit your target demographic, and it has to be constant.
We all like to think of ourselves as digital surfers and we know our way around the web, it is an integral part of our lives, and the devise that is changing this area of our lives is the mobile phone. We use it every day to find out valuable information on products, services, fact and figures, at any and every stage of the decision making process.This has put the consumer in charge again, companies have to be more personal, approachable and friendly again, they need to be there before we think about it, they need to be there at the zero moment of truth.How can companies influence this moment? Well they can do a few things; be ready to answer questions and make sure their brands are constantly in front of the consumer; there’s nothing worse than being forgotten in a price comparison, as you stand no chance at all of being chosen! Large brands can afford to use print media and TV advertising to help them stay at the front of consumers minds, but how can a smaller brand with a limited marketing budget achieve this?Simple, take advantage of the humble SMS; use it to advertise new products, promote old products and offer special deals, deals the consumer can’t find on the internet or anywhere else. Send out an SMS at the right time and you’ll not only guarantee to put your brand at the front of the consumers mind, but you’re likely to get a few sales along the way.The great thing about this form of advertising is that it’s cheap, just a few cents per SMS and over 98% of people will read it. Maybe only a small percentage of these will take up the offer, but your brand will remain in their mind as SMS has over a 90% recall rate. In a truly digital age, it’s important to take advantage of new technology, but don’t get completely swept up with the latest fads, trust in the old from time to time, you might just get more than you expected.Google coined the idea of a “Zero Moment of Truth” that basically states that customers are using numerous online channels, at the time of purchase, to make an informed decision on what they are buying.
