We just love our smartphones. Like a loyal companion, they go wherever we go. Savvy marketing companies understand this, which could explain why Apple recently decided to disentangle itself from Google Maps for its own mapping solution. Or, it could explain Apple’s upcoming location-based Passbook app, which conveniently lets users know that they can use a coupon or movie ticket when they’re at a related business.

And it’s not only Apple. Facebook is also getting in the game, saying that it’s developing an advertising product that will allow companies to target users based on their real-time whereabouts.

The core idea behind these trends is that you can maximize your ROI by selectively targeting your audience according to specific data, like location and demographics. Fortunately, for businesses today, you don’t have to wait until tomorrow for these technologies to mature. In minutes, you can set up a QR code that, once scanned by a smartphone, will take the user to an Online Sign-up Page, which he/she fills out to get exclusive coupons or deals. You can then use the customer-provided information to create targeted marketing campaigns based on the city they live in or any type of data that you ask your customers for.

But what if the customer doesn’t have a smartphone, which is about half the mobile users in the U.S.? Now with mobile keyword capture, you can reach everyone who has a mobile phone. Just by using mobile text-messaging technology, you can automatically collect, store, and organize all the contact information, like name, phone number, and email address, texted in by the user.

The future of marketing looks great, but you can realize success today. With the right tools, insight, and creativity, you can organize a cutting-edge marketing campaign without waiting for the likes of Apple and Facebook.