By 2018, Statista reported that a total of 3.7 billion people were using a mobile device to get onto the internet. That’s more than half the world’s population.
People purchasing smartphones rather than PCs as the initial way to get online is a trend seen in many countries, with mobile technology’s remarkable development being a major factor. And marketers need to adapt.
What strategies do inbound marketers use to create a tailored experience on mobile devices while not impinging upon their users’ everyday activity? The solution is not to look at the mobile device as a separate computer but as an extension of your active and occupied consumers and potential customers.
This is a collection of advice and techniques for marketers to use to become proficient in the field of mobile marketing.
What is mobile marketing?
Promoting through mobile devices involves taking advantage of any and every digital, social, and relevant content marketing platform to contact a target group. It is necessary to create an effective campaign that involves the right messaging, design, and target market to ensure the successful delivery of the message through smartphone or tablet devices.
Although it isn’t possible to use some or all of the marketing channels available when not using mobile marketing, there are plenty of new opportunities to explore. This article provides an overview of the marketing channels that can be included in a mobile marketing plan. Each one will be discussed in greater depth in the accompanying guide.
Mobile Marketing Strategy
A mobile marketing approach uses a variety of promotional tactics to reach potential customers through their cell phones and convert them into leads. The channels you choose should be determined by the places where your customers are spending the most time on their phones, as well as the kind of content they are engaging with.
Responsive Website
A website that has been created for use on a desktop computer but which has been adjusted specifically for use on a smartphone or other mobile device is referred to as a responsive website. The website’s “responsive design” makes it so that users can view buttons, text, and webpages on a mobile device that they would not have been able to see without the optimization.
Making your website adaptive ensures that it stays a significant advertising platform when your audience changes from traditional computers to mobile. Discover how to adapt your website to be compatible with mobile devices using this guide.
Mobile Search
A majority of Google searches are performed on phones or other mobile devices, as opposed to desktop computers. Mobile devices account for a large proportion of searches, thus SEO needs to be included in the same way as it would in a comprehensive digital strategy. Discover key elements of Google’s ranking process here.
Email Marketing
Did you know that people who use a mobile device to access their email look at it three times more than those who don’t? Mobile devices make up no less than 50% of the number of emails opens, which is according to information obtained from Campaign Monitor. Ensure your email messages sent to subscribers are designed to be seen easily on numerous mobile email programs – we’ll explain how to do this in a few minutes.
Social Media
It is evident that people get just as much pleasure out of using social media via mobile as they do on PC, if not more. Additionally, there are certain social networks that have been specially created to work well with mobile devices. Uploading photos via a phone’s mobile device is a necessity for those who are among the 1 billion monthly active Instagram users. Including Instagram as part of your mobile marketing plan alongside networks like Twitter and Facebook makes sense IF your target audience is active on Instagram.
SMS Marketing
Text marketing also referred to as SMS marketing, is a method of getting in touch with potential customers by sending them messages concerning their business by means of text messages. Messaging is not normally linked to companies and therefore it can be risky to receive messages from somebody other than people someone is familiar with. Despite this, there are circumstances where it is reasonable for a business to send SMS messages. I’ll elaborate later in this blog post.
Mobile App Development
It appears to be a complex project, but with a limited amount of engineering personnel, you can bring people in your target market to your app through the app stores specific to different cellular devices. What sorts of apps should you create, you ask? That depends on what your goal is. Got an event coming up? Send the occasion timetable to participants via a phone application. Are you in the software business? Your customers may have a desire for a mobile version of your product, even if you have not realized that yet.
Virtual and Augmented Reality
Virtual and augmented reality are the most up-to-date advancements in digital advertising, and, in some situations, just a cell phone is all one requires for an enjoyable experience.
Instead of creating full worlds through a cell phone, augmented reality enhances the look of what someone is seeing when they view it through the screen on their device. Many enterprises have already capitalized on this innovation to give their customers customized experiences and even assist them in making wiser buying choices. One instance is the home decor seller Wayfair, who has recently included an augmented reality feature in their mobile app that allows customers to have a preview of what an item would look like situated in a certain spot inside their residence.
Mobile Marketing Channels.
Any channel that a consumer can access from their phone or tablet can be used for mobile marketing, however, the main channels used specifically in mobile marketing are:
SMS or Text Messages.
SMS marketing is a streamlined and convenient way for customers to get updates, individualized offers, and restricted-time deals.
With text/SMS marketing, people can be reached even if they are busy doing something else, and the response rate is almost perfect, with nearly everyone opening the message within the first 20 minutes.
Push Notifications and In-app Messaging.
For businesses with a mobile application, users who choose to subscribe to notifications can be sent discounts, recommendations, updates, and alerts to their home/lock screen, regardless of whether they are actively using the app at the moment. Push notifications, when managed correctly, can serve as a great platform for mobile marketing!
Messages through an app do not ask for permission from users in advance, therefore communicating with your entire consumer base is possible. In-app messaging is an excellent way to obtain data, determine likes and dislikes, and let customers be aware of any new offers they can take advantage of.
You can utilize the inbox feature of your app the same way you would with email marketing in order to facilitate longer and more extensive messaging. Inboxes that are integrated with apps offer a lot of statistical information while allowing you to oversee what is present in the emails once they arrive in the inbox. This implies that it is possible to make offers more customized and enhance the experience of the user.
Mobile Optimized Email Marketing.
Email marketing does not need to be tailored specifically for mobile devices, however since most people who use smartphones typically check their email with their phones, it is important to make sure that your email marketing can be viewed easily when accessed from a mobile device. By making content especially designed for mobile devices, creating a website that adjusts its layout according to the size of the user’s screen, and providing branded apps, it’s incredibly simple for people receiving emails from you to go straight to your site and do what you want them to do.
Mobile Marketing: Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages of Mobile Marketing.
Mobile marketing offers some unique advantages that make it a highly effective component of digital marketing:
1. Easily Accessible to a Large Audience.
Making contact directly with your target audience via their cell phones is a rapid, instantaneous way of communicating that will connect to most people online right away.
By 2027, the estimated number of smartphone users worldwide is expected to increase to over 7.6 million, up from the current 6.5 million users in the year 2022. By 2025, roughly three-quarters of all internet users, or 72.6%, will be accessing the web via a mobile device such as a smartphone.
And that is just smartphones. It does not take into account those utilizing tablets and other portable gadgets.
Regarding SMS or text marketing, a special advertising process that only works on mobiles, the open rates are incredibly high at 98%, making mobile marketing a highly successful way of advertising.
2. Highly Cost-effective Marketing.
Utilizing mobile marketing is one of the most expansive and money-saving methods of connecting with your target audience. This comes down to several factors:
- Your existing content and messaging can easily be re-purposed and optimized for mobile
- Screen sizes are smaller, which means the new content you create for mobile is inherently smaller and simpler, which takes less time and costs less money
- Precise targeting and location-based marketing allow you to focus your marketing efforts on the right segments of your audience, reducing wasted ad spend
- Mobile-only channels like push notifications, in-app ads, and SMS or text marketing are some of the cheapest channels available
The ultimate result is that mobile marketing offers a higher return on investment than other marketing strategies. It is both efficient and cost-efficient.
3. Mobile Marketing Allows You to Make the Most of Location and Personalization.
Individuals take their mobiles with them constantly, no matter where they go. Mobile marketing offers the advantage of being able to send pertinent communication to your target demographic no matter their location.
Using location-based marketing enables the collection of a multitude of data points about your target demographic, such as what they like, what they have previously purchased, and their current whereabouts.
This data is incredibly helpful for precise targeting and extremely tailored advertising. It is possible to get your message across to the proper sections of your audience, through the ideal deals, at the proper moment, and at the suitable venue.
Disadvantages of Mobile Marketing.
While mobile marketing offers great advantages, there are also some pitfalls to be aware of when you’re planning your mobile marketing campaigns:
1. Immediacy Means There is No Wiggle Room to Fix Errors.
Mobile marketing is a way of communicating promptly and in real time. If you mess up your communication, there isn’t enough time to alter it before those receiving it can view it, and sending out an incorrect message followed by a notification of amendment isn’t the most favorable initial impression you would like to be associated with!
2. Easy Sharing and Viral Potential Can Backfire.
There is a high chance for your material to spread rapidly if placed in the appropriate environment. In the incorrect situation, however, it can be an enormous disadvantage. If your material is dispersed and circulated due to positive inappropriateness that brings bad light to your business, it can cause significant harm to your brand image, which can be both costly and hard to fix. Ensure that every piece of your writing has been given appropriate consideration and will achieve its desired end result prior to sending it to anyone’s mobile device!
3. Costs to the User.
Some mobile marketing channels, such as email or SMS marketing, can be cost-efficient for you; however, they may require your audience to incur extra fees for data or text messages. This should be taken into consideration when you create your mobile advertising campaign and decide on the tactics you will apply to reach different parts of your desired customer base.
How to Launch a Mobile Marketing Strategy
To launch a mobile marketing strategy through the channels outlined above, you’ll do three things right off the bat:
- Identify your mobile users. See if site visitors are indeed using mobile devices to visit your site and what devices they are using most frequently. Knowing the devices used to visit your site most frequently, such as an iPad, Android, Blackberry, or iPhone, will help you prioritize optimization efforts toward those devices.
- Set measurable and realistic goals. If you’re just getting started with mobile marketing, this will help you determine if your tactics are working. For example, if you’re looking to start an SMS campaign, a good first goal would be to build your opt-in database. If you’d like to optimize your site for mobile, consider starting with the content assets that drive the most leads to your site as a way to dip your toe in the mobile waters.
- Create a test base. Identify some loyal customers on which to test new mobile campaigns. Mobile requires customization, and a short test phase in which users can give you feedback will help catch glitches and create a better user experience before a large-scale rollout.
Final Thoughts on Mobile Marketing Strategies.
It is essential not to disregard mobile marketing as it is a strong part of digital marketing. This option is cost-effective, can be easily included in your general advertising plans, and is tremendously successful.
If you put together the correct mixture of mobile promotional techniques and create an effective mobile promotion strategy, you can communicate with your designated recipients, anytime and anywhere, with applicable, contextual, and tailored marketing material.
Today, we discussed some of the superior strategies and examples of mobile marketing, as well as three fundamental steps to take when setting up a mobile advertising scheme.
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