What do you do when you get up in the morning? Do you grab your phone first thing? Do you check news sites, read your email, check your social accounts, and maybe even play a game before you get on with your day?
You’re not alone.
According to a new report, we’ve reached a point in time where US adults spend more time on their mobile devices than they do watching television. And that will have implications on the way businesses market their products and services.
What is mobile marketing?
Mobile marketing is simple enough to understand – it’s the process of marketing your business utilizing mobile devices as the source. But this isn’t traditional marketing. This isn’t generic commercials you see on television, or random fliers you receive in the mail.
Instead, mobile marketing is targeted. It’s personal. When done right, mobile marketing can be the key to reaching out to the perfect client for your business. You can reach them anytime, anywhere, even when they’re on the go.
And that’s the beauty of it.
Imagine owning a restaurant and targeting a hungry customer right before lunch hour. You entice them with a free drink if they purchase a sandwich from your store. Think that wouldn’t motivate people to visit?
This isn’t an extension of the marketing plan you’ve already set up for desktop applications. People search differently when sitting at their desk compared to how they search with a mobile device in hand. And if you don’t know the differences, it’s costing you business.
What you need to know about mobile marketing
Before you understand how to create a mobile marketing strategy, you need to understand how it differs from other forms of online marketing.
Possibly the most important aspect is speed. When search is performed on a mobile device, it’s done quickly. People want information, and they want it now. They won’t wait. They won’t dive deeper for more information. If you don’t give them what they want quickly, they’ll back out and go someplace else.
That means your message has to be simple. Give people what they want. Don’t make it difficult. And by all means, ensure that what they are seeing is mobile friendly. Have you ever had to resize a screen, again and again, attempting to read tiny print? Annoying, right? If you haven’t checked your current site, landing pages, and ads on mobile, do it now.
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What are mobile marketing ads?
When people think of mobile marketing, it’s easy to forget how many different ways you can create ads and target potential customers. There are so many ways of reaching out to a target audience.
Text Messaging
Also known as SMS, text messaging is one of the dominant ways people are currently reaching out to prospects using mobile devices. By sending a text message, the user will receive the advertisement directly on their screen. And because people are very aware of being texted, they tend to look at the ad almost immediately. These ads can include opt-in links for more information, direct links for immediate purchase, or simply be a friendly reminder to take action.
Social Media Messaging
There are many social media platforms out there with millions – billions of people using them. But by far, the social media platform at the top of the food chain is Facebook; it’s the world’s largest social network, and it’s the one place we see consistent results. Facebook has several ways you can reach out to your customer base – boosted posts, ads, even messaging using Messenger app. This allows you to keep in contact with your customers and prospects, and send special offers and coupons with very quick action requirement. It gives you the possibility of building strong relationships with those that care the most about what you do.
Location Based Marketing
What if you could reach out to mobile users who were within a mile of your store? Think you could entice them with a coupon? Or give them a reason to pay attention to what you have to say? Location based marketing gives you the option of defining your target area by location, drawing a “fence” around it and target only to mobile users within that location. It’s a great way to reach out to people currently at your competitors, in the area, or even shopping at complimentary places.
Video
We mention video because it has so much potential, now and in the future. You can’t scroll your newsfeed without seeing video. How many Youtube videos have you watched today? Youtube states it has more than 1.9 billion logged-in users visit each month, and over a billion hours of video are streamed each day. That’s a lot of video! That’s also a pretty significant reason you shouldn’t be ignoring this way of advertising your business. And because people love to plugin whether walking down the street, riding in a train, or waiting for their next appointment, video is the way to reach any audience you choose.
Why you need a mobile marketing strategy
Hopefully, you’re starting to see possibilities.
Your business needs a mobile marketing strategy now more than ever. Can you imagine operating your business without a phone number? A web address? Or internet access? Of course, not. That’s the cost of doing business.
In today’s world, if you plan on staying in business in the next few years, it’s going to be increasingly more difficult to do without a mobile marketing strategy too.
Here are some interesting facts.
- In 2018, 63 percent of all digital ad revenue came from mobile ads
- Google drives over 59 percent of all mobile search traffic
- The App Store registered revenue of $46.6 billion
- In 2019, mobile accounted for 92 percent of Facebook’s ad revenue
- Two-thirds of Amazon’s digital ad budget was mobile
Mobile is the way of the future. Which means if you don’t have a mobile marketing strategy in place, you’re losing business.
Be clear and concise with your plans. Mobile marketing isn’t something to overwhelm your target audience with. Just friendly nudges from time to time.
Consider your audience. What do they want? If you can predict ahead of time, you can be where they want you to be.
And by all means, be open to possibilities. Experiment with different strategies to find what works best for you.
Are you ready to start developing your mobile marketing strategy?
