WhereMobile marketing provides numerous opportunities to reach your audience, but how do you know where to send your messages?   Should you use SMS?   Should you insert your message in an LBS application?   Should you stick to the mobile Web?   Beyond simply reaching your audience via their mobile devices, it\’s sometimes difficult to determine where on those devices you should target.

A prime example is through the use of email marketing.  Email marketers are increasingly becoming aware that adding a mobile strategy  onto their email strategy can significantly expand their marketing reach.  When blasting out thousands of emails in any one campaign, you\’re bound to have several bounce back as undeliverable.  Instead of forgetting those recipients altogether, why not bypass email and send them an SMS instead?   The SMS can include a truncated version of the message you originally intended for email, or could even include a simple link back to your online content.

Another example would be a local brick and mortar business that\’s aiming to drive foot traffic into their store.  In this case, utilization of location becomes a primary goal.  With the evolution of mobile technology, many of the simplest devices are now location-aware.   This means that   marketers can now utilize location data to target people within a certain proximity to their business.  In the example of a local business trying to bring new customers through the door, a mobile campaign can be created that targets anyone using a location based service. This business can offer discounts, specials or other offers to those who \”check-in\” or otherwise notify the business of their proximity through a variety of LBS apps and services.

Though these examples are simple in nature, they show that mobile devices enable marketers to target their messages .  In the first example, SMS makes the most sense while location-targeting doesn\’t.  In the second example, making use of location for targeting is a primary goal of the campaign, while SMS doesn\’t make as much sense.  In the end, you can never go wrong using the mobile channel to spread your message and further your brand, but pay close attention to where on the device your message ends up.  User engagement, response rate and numerous other factors are on the line, so it\’s up to you to determine what\’s best for the goals of your specific campaigns.