Digital Marketing – Missed Opportunities 3

There have never been more ways for marketers to reach their customers.Beyond the traditional methods for marketing that are still thriving after all these years, there are the hundreds and thousands of digital methods available, with new opportunities opening up every hour of every day.Consumers can now be reached absolutely anywhere and at anytime.Marketing materials are available on our phones, in our cars, in public bathroom, at work, on the road and everywhere in between.Still, despite this pervasive nature of marketing, many companies are missing some easy opportunities to reach, engage and communicate with their audience.While there is always a risk of Internet Marketing and Search Engine Optimization experts overreaching their grasp, it would be even more unfortunate if audiences who are seeking a product or who may be particularly receptive to a marketers offerings were never made aware of the particular product or service.In this article we will examine some ways in which marketers can reach audiences by using some cutting edge methods they may not have considered.iPhone Apps The United States Army has a free iPhone App that shows the weapons, vehicles, aircraft and equipment they use.High resolution photos abound, and informative descriptions are present for each item.However, nothing is for sale and no conversions are to be found.Most are aware that this app has two purposes: an information source for interested parties, and an Online Marketing/recruitment tool.A local pizza parlor this author frequents also has a free iPhone app available.The app allows you to view their menu, see the latest deals and coupons and even place your order.Both the United States Army and the local pizza shop have realized that having any sort of iPhone app available to an interested public is always better than ignoring the space altogether.There are very few instances where some sort of iPhone App is not justifiable.Every sort of business or organization, from the aforementioned pizza shop, to a childrens soccer team, to a car mechanic all the way up to a Fortune 500 company can typically justify some sort of iPhone App.Schools can use their App to deliver notices of emergencies, school cancellations, field trip announcements, report card release dates and other news bulletins, as well as a medium for ordering yearbooks, making donations and allowing parents a look in on faculty and staff.The local soccer team can use their App as a way to maintain and track schedules for practices and games, update rosters, centralize rules and policy information and allow teammates to communicate.Larger organizations such as retail stores can allow for pre-orders through their app, as well as sale announcements, customer feedback and other information exchanges and communications.Many smaller organizations and businesses tend to shy away from developing an iPhone app out of fear that it will be cost prohibitive.This fear is allayed in part due to the fact that a simple and basic App can be developed quite quickly and affordably.Sub $2,000 Apps are not at all unheard of, and sometimes an App can be had for much less, such as if the business owner is able to make a connection with a local university or technical school.If readers are able to extract anything from this information, it should be the fact that there is no need to stay out of such a potentially beneficial space as is offered by iPhone Apps due to unfounded fears or concerns.The space is simple to occupy, and if you choose not to partake, you can be sure that your competition will soon have a presence of their own if, that is, they havent established one already.