Department store chain Nordstrom is using mobile advertising to bolster its social media presence and encourage consumers to learn more about its Nordstrom Rack brand.

The company is running the mobile ads within Us Magazine?s mobile site. Nordstrom has ran mobile ads in the past to drive consumer awareness.

"I like the Nordstrom Rack banner visuals with the models," said Simon Buckingham, CEO of Appitalism, New York.

"But the actual social networking campaign is a little confusing since it takes visitors off to Twitter and Facebook, etc," he said.

Mr. Buckingham is not affiliated with Nordstrom. He commented based on his expertise on the subject.

Nordstrom did not respond to press inquiries.

Mobile shopping
The Nordstrom mobile ad encourages consumers to find products from the brands they love at up to 70 percent off.

When consumers tap on the ad they are redirected to a mobile landing page where they can learn more about the company, as well as browse its Twitter, Flipbook and Facebook page.

For example, via the Flipbook tab, consumers can browse current styles that are trendy right now.

Additionally, users can tap on the personal stylist tab to find looks based on their style preferences.

By incorporating social into its mobile marketing efforts, Nordstrom is able to build a relationship with new and existing customers even when they are done engaging with the mobile ad.

Mobile advertising provides a great opportunity for marketers to ramp up their social efforts.

And, by incorporating Facebook and Twitters tabs, Nordstrom is able to grow its social media list.

Past efforts
Nordstrom is no stranger to mobile.

Last year, Nordstrom launched its first mobile application that combines commerce, customer service and cross-channel engagement.

The Nordstrom app allows consumers to buy products, curate looks, create a wish list, venture in-store for events and call customer service (see story).

Most recently, the department store chain targeted aspirational consumers through mobile banner advertisements for its Nordstrom Rack locations in the popular gaming application, Words With Friends (see story).

"The campaign doesn't really educate consumers about the brand on the secondary page or give them an clear incentive to follow or friend them," Mr. Buckingham said.

"On mobile people are time constrained and need a good incentive to follow a trial of links and engage with this campaign," he said.

Final Take
Rimma Kats is associate editor on Mobile Marketer, New York