Yes and no.

The implementation of email marketing campaigns did not kill the business of direct mail, but it was certainly a new (and better) form of direct mail.

Just as email marketing became the norm in the late 90’s, mobile marketing through push notifications could become the newest revenue generating strategy of this decade.

Why you may ask?

Because in comparison to the time and effort it takes to send out an offer through email; push notifications have already been sent, received by the end user, and could be redeemed already.

When you design an email marketing campaign there are generally five steps:

1. Develop an offer
2. Create the message
3. Design the creative
4. Deploy to your database
5. Track and measure through analytics

When we package it up into this five-step process it seems simple, but each step is time consuming and requires multiple steps. A creative email marketing campaign also takes up the time of employees, can be costly and when every other company is trying to get into that one inbox, how are you standing out?

Similar to direct mail shifting to email marketing, someone had the thought that “There must be a better way for hotels to email market their guest!”

A push strategy, as part of your mobile marketing strategy is currently that better option. Developing a push notification strategy is straightforward and effective.

When email-marketing came about marketers saw how easy it was and how much time it saved. If you thought email marketing was easy and saved time, you should take an in depth look at Push. At most your still only looking at a five-step process.

1. Build an app with push functionality included in its Content Management System (CMS) (This step is generally completed by your app developer with your insights.)

2. Develop the offer
3. Push alert to people who have downloaded the app.
4. Track and measure

Once the alert is received by the end user it takes them to a landing page where you already have the appropriate calls to action in place.

Push notifications are still new enough that not everyone is using them, but established enough that we know they work. A push is unique because its short and sweet, once your app is built there are no further costs. As your users have given you permission to communicate by accepting push notifications on the initial opening of the app, push doesn’t appear spammy.

Sending the push will vary based on your apps platform but in general, your mobile app developer will provide you with login information; you login and then click the push tab to begin creating your notification. You can create a message, direct the message to a section of your app and decide if you want to send it to ios and/or android users.

Analytics and content management system are very important when thinking about a push strategy. Without a CMS you would not have the ability to send push because you don’t have the ability to create your apps content. Without CMS, if you decide to send a push, you are at the whim of your development company.

Some platforms offer in-depth analytics that tell you how long the guest who clicked through your deal viewed it, if they made a purchase through your app, or if they shared it with anyone. If you sent a push to 100 people for “20% off girls night out in our restaurant through 2012” and only received 5 purchases and the time spent viewing the deal was low than you would know that that special needed to be modified. Instead you could say “20% girls night out in our restaurant through 2012 if you reserve by end of this week” (hint hint, urgency creates need to consumers).

If you decide a hotel mobile app with a push strategy is right for you, come back next week and we’ll give you insight into how often to send out a push notification.