Mobile devices provide one of the most personal and intimate ways for marketers to reach consumers. eMarketer estimates nearly 80% of the US population has a mobile phone as of 2010. But many marketers are slow to take advantage of the channel.
According to an April 2010 survey by interactive and email marketing agency eROI, less than a third of US marketers think optimizing the mobile marketing experience is important to their customers. Almost as many are unsure and nearly a quarter are testing the value of mobile optimization.
Despite the number of marketers who reported testing mobile, some basic research is not being performed: 63% of marketers told eROI they were not measuring how many of their email subscribers were viewing messages on mobile devices. Mobile-optimized messages were sent by 25% of respondents.
Usage of marketers’ websites via mobile was even more likely to be ignored; just 23% of marketers reported having a mobile-optimized website. The vast majority of those sites were limited versions of the full company website designed to include information relevant to mobile customers.
Other studies have also showed slow uptake of mobile optimization by US companies. Multichannel Merchant found in February 2010 that nearly 80% of US multichannel retailers had no m-commerce capabilities, for example.
Social media, by contrast, is much further along. While many companies are still not using the channel strategically, a majority of marketers are now incorporating social tactics into their marketing mix. eROI reported that nearly three-quarters of marketers felt social media was having a positive effect on their efforts.
What’s more, about two-thirds of respondents said they were integrating social media into email campaigns—compared with the 25% who were integrated mobile into email marketing by offering mobile-optimized messages.
Keep your business ahead of the digital curve. Learn more about becoming an eMarketer Total Access client today.
Check out today’s other article, “Social Gaming Market Begins to Mature.”