At its core, mobile marketing is nothing new. Ever got one of those annoying late night text messages from some company touting their latest effort to save you money (but not sleep)? That's essentially mobile marketing; however, perhaps not the best example. Mobile marketing is, when used properly, a permission-based form of marketing that empowers a customer to decide whether or not they want "opt-in" to receive your marketing message. If they agree, you’re in. If they don't, at least you’re not wasting your time, money, and effort on someone who isn't interested.

Unlike television, print, radio, or even the web, mobile marketing relies mostly on overtly simple actionable ads that drive customers to either A) subscribe or B) take action. This action could be to call your 1-800 number, visit your mobile website, or even download your latest app. Regardless of the call to action you are prompting them to take must be simple and easy enough to complete on the go. An example provided during the lecture I attended used mobile coupons to influence the shopping habits of customers in real time, offering what is known as a “double opt-in” to capture both the customer’s attention as well as their contact information with the promise of more discounts in the future.