Learn how to harness the power of mobile marketing and explore strategies to optimize your own mobile marketing campaign.
These days, a business without a sound mobile marketing strategy isn’t likely to be very successful—regardless of the industry. After all, consider the fact that 50% of mobile phone owners now utilize their phones to access the Internet over any other device. Combine that with the fact that nearly 40% of adults now own at least one non-phone mobile device (such as a tablet), and it only makes sense that the impact of mobile marketing is here to stay. For professionals looking to maximize a marketing budget for mobile, however, there are some important tips worth keeping in mind.
Smartphones Aren’t the Only Medium
While smartphones are currently the most widely utilized mobile technology, it’s important to realize that there are other types of mobile devices that are worth tailoring a marketing strategy to. Smart watches, for example, are becoming increasingly popular, and their popularity is only expected to continue growing in the future. Cars are also starting to come standard with “smart” technology, such as touch screen dashboard controls with a variety of apps. So while your marketing strategy may focus on smartphones, don’t forget about these other opportunities as well.
User-Friendliness is Everything
Whether you’re designing an app or a website for mobile use, the fact remains that user-friendliness is key. Today’s smartphone users don’t have patience for apps and mobile sites that aren’t easy-to-use or don’t cater to their needs. Specifically, you need to focus on making sure mobile sites are responsive to any smartphone used to access them; the same goes for apps. Users should be able to easily navigate your site. Furthermore, should you choose to integrate a click-to-call CTA in any of your mobile content, be sure that the button is large enough for a person’s thumb to tap it on a standard-sized mobile phone.
Explore All of Your Options
These days, the options for mobile marketing are seemingly endless, so be sure to explore all possibilities and decide which specific strategy is going to be best for your goals or your client’s goals, as the case may be. In addition to creating a strategized app and responsive mobile site, you may also want to consider taking advantage of geo-fence technology. This allows you to send targeted ads and offers to smartphones with activated GPS signals when their phones are detected within a certain area (such as near a business’ brick-and-mortar store). This can be a great way to send specialized offers and gain more business for your client using mobile marketing.
Don’t Overdo It
The beauty in mobile marketing is that most smartphone (and other mobile) users tend to have their devices on them at all times. This means that the opportunity to reach them is always there. However, it’s important for marketing professionals to avoid becoming to spammy with their content, especially when it comes to mobile marketing strategies such as SMS messages and e-mails. Always give subscribers the choice to opt out if needed; otherwise, you could leave them with a sour taste in their mouths and their view of the company you’re marketing for could become tarnished.
The Bottom Line
There’s no overstating the effectiveness of mobile marketing, and its influence isn’t expected to wane anytime soon. By keeping this information in mind as you develop your next mobile marketing strategy and implementing these tips, you’ll be able to bring better results to your clients and keep them coming back for more.
Posted by Kara Whitley, Digital Marketing Analyst at initiate-it, She is passionate about her work and has helped companies find success through their digital and direct marketing campaigns with 10+ years experience including paid search, social media, email marketing, and creative strategy.