Unit 6: Social, Mobile, and Local Marketing

This unit explores three of the most significant and interconnected trends in modern e-commerce marketing: social, mobile, and local. These three trends are so closely linked that they are often referred to by the acronym SoLoMo.

We will examine how businesses are using social marketing on platforms like Facebook and Instagram to engage with customers. We will then look at the unique aspects of mobile marketing and how to reach consumers on their smartphones. Finally, we will explore the growing field of local marketing, which leverages a user’s geographic location to provide highly relevant offers and services.

Introduction to Social, Mobile, and Local Marketing

Social, mobile, and local marketing are the fastest-growing and most dynamic areas of e-commerce. They are also converging, creating a new marketing landscape that is often referred to as So-Lo-Mo.

1. Social Marketing

Social marketing is the use of social media platforms to connect with your audience to build your brand, increase sales, and drive website traffic. This involves publishing great content on your social media profiles, listening to and engaging your followers, analyzing your results, and running social media advertisements.

2. Mobile Marketing

Mobile marketing is a multi-channel, digital marketing strategy aimed at reaching a target audience on their smartphones, tablets, and/or other mobile devices, via websites, email, SMS and MMS, social media, and apps.

3. Local Marketing

Local marketing is a marketing strategy that targets consumers and customers within a certain radius of the physical location of a business. Local marketing is also known as neighborhood marketing or local store marketing.

4. So-Lo-Mo (Social-Local-Mobile)

So-Lo-Mo in Nepal

The So-Lo-Mo trend is very relevant in the Nepali context. With the high penetration of smartphones and the popularity of social media, businesses in Nepal have a great opportunity to reach their customers through social, local, and mobile marketing.

  • Social: Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are extremely popular in Nepal. Businesses are using these platforms to connect with their customers, to build their brand, and to drive sales. For example, many businesses use Facebook and Instagram to run targeted ad campaigns to reach specific demographics.
  • Local: Local marketing is also very important in Nepal, especially for small businesses. Many businesses are using location-based marketing to target customers who are located near their store. For example, a restaurant might use geofencing to send a special offer to customers who are within a certain radius of the restaurant.
  • Mobile: Mobile is the primary way that people in Nepal access the Internet. This means that it is essential for businesses to have a mobile-friendly website and app. Many businesses are also using mobile marketing techniques like SMS marketing to reach their customers.

The convergence of social, local, and mobile marketing is creating new opportunities for businesses in Nepal to reach their customers in a more personalized and engaging way. For example, a business could use a combination of social, local, and mobile marketing to send a targeted ad to a customer who is located near their store and who has previously expressed an interest in their products.