Want To Grow Your Business? Try Smartphones

20 years from now, instead of citing apple pie, people will be saying "As American as Angry Birds" ("tax fraud" and "obesity" being close seconds). With mobile taking off into the hearts of the public one slingshotted red bird at a time, marketing to phone and tablet platforms is becoming more and more legitimate, offering lot of real and creative ways to grow you and your clients' businesses. I recently wrote an article for those new to mobile marketing for our sister publication Print Professional, which you can read right here. I also way over-researched the subject and ended up collecting more information than I could possibly print in the article. Reproduced below is some of the overflow, an interview I did with Christina "CK" Kerley, B2B marketing specialist for NYC-based CKB2B. I liked the Kerley interview not only because it came out well, but also because she provided a lot of great links and video too. If you're looking for more information on mobile marketing, I recommend checking out her site at www.ckb2b.com.

THE INTERVIEW

Promo Marketing: If someone is planning to use QR codes to promote a business, what's the #1 thing you would recommend they do?

Christina "CK" Kerley: The first item to determine is the specific goal they are seeking to achieve-let me give you several examples. Is the business using a QR code on a business card so as to make it easier for the target audience to collect contact information and store it in their smartphones for future reference? Or is the business using the QR code on a promotional item to provide an extra incentive for the target audience (as with couponing and special offers)? Are they using the QR code on a piece of collateral to extend the conversation by linking to a video that promotes the business? Or perhaps using the QR code on a piece of tradeshow signage that links to a stream of SMS alerts to which users can subscribe to receive new product information? There is no wrong answer and there are truly a myriad of ways to use QR codes. But the company needs to first decide what specifically they are looking to achieve, which can span increased convenience for their target audience, extra incentives for their users and new ways to engage with their customers.