Smart digital content is a great investment for your business, but to get the best results, you have to go where your customers are. In today’s connected world with smartphones and tablets, mobile marketing is everything. To connect with modern customers, hop on board with this global phenomenon that has taken over the world.
Why Use Mobile Marketing?
Mobile marketing helps your business communicate with mobile users effectively. With mobile ads, you can take advantage of innovative marketing opportunities through apps, text messages, notifications, and web content.
Mobile Trends
It’s not an exaggeration to say that smartphones are revolutionary. Mobile apps put power into the hands of consumers, providing access to products, content, games, services, and tools with the touch of a button. From booking flights, ordering food, purchasing clothing, and checking work messages from virtually any location – there’s almost nothing a consumer doesn’t have at their fingertips anymore.
These devices are way more than a tech upgrade. They represent a new lifestyle, which also provides some awesome opportunities to reach your audience – and with the instant gratification that consumers seem to want these days.
Types of Smartphone Marketing
What is mobile marketing in practice? This category offers a variety of ways to reach users of modern devices with your messaging.
Push Notifications
Push notifications are short messages that pop up or appear as alerts on the lock screen. They can announce products, direct attention to blog posts, or provide important updates. Security apps often use push notifications to encourage clients to renew a subscription or purchase add-on services.
SMS Messaging
Also known as text messaging, SMS advertising involves sending short texts to a phone’s inbox. Text messages can provide electronic receipts, share promotional codes, or tell clients about product launches. For example, banks often use SMS to communicate suspicious account activity to clients.
App-Based Messages
In-app messages appear front and center for maximum visual impact. They can suggest similar products or announce limited-time offers. App-based marketing can use colorful images, attention-grabbing content, and functional call-to-action buttons.
Leadferno is a powerful business text messaging app that lets you communicate with your customers more quickly and drives conversion because text messaging gets 60X faster response times than email. It can also personalize the customer experience with emojis, links, and photos – great for building loyalty!
Mobile Inboxes
Mobile inboxes allow for messages that stick around instead of disappearing, just like email. When you have offers that users may come back to many times, such as a seasonal sale, mobile inboxes are a great fit. Mobile inboxes, or in-app messaging, work just like an email box, except the messages are contained within the app. The app stores the messages, so they stick around instead of allowing them to disappear. This is ideal for offers that users can return to, like a seasonal sale, product recommendations, guides, or new feature announcements. They’re typically customizable for appearance and interactions, too.
Why Is Mobile Marketing Important?
The whole point of marketing is to reach the largest number of potential customers possible and motivate them to take action – and to do so efficiently and effectively. Mobile marketing has the power to reach customers based on real-world actions and real-time behaviors – meaning you can catch the right person at the right time to fill an immediate need with a product or service.
If someone is already engaged on a mobile website or app, they have the power to make a decision right then and there to make a purchase or subscribe. Few avenues have as much reach and power as mobile advertising.
1. Mobile Devices Are Everywhere
Over 6.5 billion people around the world use smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices. As of 2022, the world’s population is 7.87 billion, meaning four out of five people worldwide own a smartphone. The percentage is even higher in the U.S., where 85% of adults have mobile devices.
With such a large, global audience at the tip of your fingers, tailoring your marketing efforts specifically for mobile devices is the most efficient way to connect with both your current and potential customers.
2. Mobile Marketing Gives You More Advertising Opportunities
People spend a lot of time every day on mobile devices:
- Americans use their phones every 10 minutes on average.
- In the U.S., people spend over five hours a day on mobile devices.
- Smartphone users check their devices over 95 times a day.
This gives your business many opportunities to connect with potential customers. Push notifications, text messages, and app inboxes grab attention every time users check their lock screens.
3. Mobile Delivers Results
People don’t just use their mobile devices to browse the internet for information. They’re increasingly using smartphones and tablets to make purchases:
- About 80% of smartphone users have made purchases from their mobile devices.
- Mobile purchases represented almost 75% of total e-commerce sales in 2021.
- The number of mobile sales increased by nearly 40% in just five years.
In other words, if you sell products or services online, you’re missing out big time if you don’t have a mobile marketing strategy in place.
4. Smartphones Are Here To Stay
Mobile devices are more popular than ever before. Millennials love smartphone apps for news, music, and shopping. Gen Z grew up surrounded by the latest tech, including tablets, laptops, and smartphones. These digital adventurers represent a whopping 40% of all mobile users.
As these generations get older, their love of using mobile devices will stick around. This means that your business has the opportunity to reach entire generations of people with a single marketing avenue! If your target audience is under the age of 40, mobile advertising should be a top priority.
What Are the Pros and Cons of Mobile Marketing?
Considering how popular mobile devices are, smartphone advertising offers huge potential for companies in every industry, from healthcare practices to manufacturers.
Pros
It’s easy to see the advantages of advertising with mobile messaging.
High Engagement
Do you remember the statistic about people checking their phones every 10 minutes? It’s a habit that can work in your favor for advertising. Notifications get attention immediately and often motivate users to take action.
Optimization for Social Media
Smartphone users spend a huge amount of time browsing social media — at the end of 2019, 83% of social media visits were from mobile devices. Mobile-optimized content is an ideal way to reach customers on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and other apps.
Direct Messaging in Seconds
While content marketing is effective, improving your search rankings and attracting visitors takes time. In comparison, mobile ads are lightning-fast. They offer quick and immediate exposure, reaching audiences within seconds, and are practically impossible to ignore.
Customizable Communications
Mobile marketing services give you the freedom to personalize your messaging. You decide who, what, where, how, and when. For example, fast food brands often send SMS discount codes right at lunchtime, exactly when their customers are starting to get hungry.
Cost-Effective Ads
Mobile advertising sends similar messages to a large volume of users, so campaigns cost significantly less than other types of digital advertising. For small and medium businesses, advertising for pennies on the dollar is a smart way to use your marketing budget.
It doesn’t matter if you manage a small sales business or a national e-commerce brand. Improving the way you market to mobile users is one of the smartest investments you can make.
Cons
Mobile marketing presents a few challenges that you should know about.
Privacy Regulations
Some places have strict governmental privacy laws concerning digital devices. In Europe, the General Data Protection Regulation controls how companies use personal data, which includes names, locations, IP addresses, and mobile advertising ID numbers.
The California Consumer Privacy Act requires businesses to disclose exactly what information they collect and to allow users to opt-out at any time.
User Hesitation
Many mobile users are uncomfortable giving out personal information to online businesses. They may reject app requests for location tracking, which can make it harder for you to reach the market with your ads.
Reputation Risks
The close connection between social media and mobile devices works in your favor — until it doesn’t. Bad user experiences or false accusations can go viral just as quickly as positive content.
Negative Experiences
If people have trouble with app controls or pages take too long to load, they don’t just ignore your app. They may also leave negative reviews.
Tips for Maximizing Mobile Marketing Benefits
The good news is that you can overcome many of the obstacles to mobile advertising by following good marketing practices:
- Build trust: Invest in high-quality advertising messages that help mobile users trust your business and your expertise. People are more likely to sign up for messages from companies they like.
- Be transparent: Don’t be pushy, especially when requesting location data. Show that you want to use data to improve the customer’s experience.
- Offer value: It’s easier to convince people to sign up for mobile advertising when you provide something they’re interested in. You can get valuable leads by offering free how-to guides and requesting an email address for downloads. Infographics are popular for sharing on social media.
- Choose a professional mobile marketing service: Professional marketing teams have tons of experience with mobile challenges. Navigating GDPR and CCPA data protection laws is much easier with an expert team by your side.
How Can Your Business Use Mobile Advertising Strategies Effectively?
Building a successful mobile advertising plan doesn’t need to be complicated. Above all, focus on making your customers happy and providing the best user experience possible. Follow these six marketing strategies for mobile users.
1. Mobile-Friendly Websites
One of the primary goals of advertising is to direct users to your website, especially if you sell products online. Following a mobile-friendly website layout helps visitors find the right products and services quickly.
Also, make sure your website looks good on mobile devices. Smartphones have vertical screens that are much smaller than laptop screens. Mobile marketing optimization also means using smaller image sizes, so you keep loading times to a minimum. You need to ensure that your visitors have a seamless and user-friendly across all devices.
2. Mobile Search Ads
When people search the internet using a smartphone, they’re often looking for something specific. They may want to see a list of local restaurants, browse the latest shoe styles or check out prices for airline tickets. These users are ready to take action, such as ordering food or visiting a store.
Why is mobile marketing important at this stage? When people have purchasing intent, it’s the ideal time to motivate them to buy your products. That’s where pay-per-click advertising comes in.
With mobile ads, you focus your efforts on specific keywords and demographics. Put simply, you grab the attention of mobile users who are most likely to tap the “buy” button.
3. Social Media Marketing
Considering how active mobile users are on social media, your business needs to have a social media marketing strategy to stand out online. This type of marketing is amazing for building a strong base of loyal customers and getting your name out there.
Sites such as Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest have a less formal vibe for showing off your brand’s personality and values. Friendly posts and great content help customers trust you more. When happy clients leave positive reviews, it can motivate new visitors to choose your business.
4. Location-Based Marketing
If you only offer services to local clients or have a brick-and-mortar store location, you may think that mobile marketing isn’t that important. In reality, mobile ad services are just as essential for reaching clients in your area.
A lot of the time, smartphone users ask Google for local recommendations:
- “Best plumber near me”
- “Family dentist in Chicago, IL”
- “AC repair in Miami”
- “Where can I find wedding dresses in Duluth, MN?”
- “Home remodeling businesses near me”
Location-based marketing helps you choose the right keywords. If someone searches for “best pool builder in San Francisco,” you want your business to be at the top.
For effective location-based marketing, you should also establish and maintain a business profile on Google Maps and Apple Maps. This can help your businesses to improve online visibility and make it easier for customers to find you, especially in today’s mobile-driven world where consumers rely heavily on their smartphones to find directions and local businesses.
5. SMS Marketing
A high percentage of mobile users redeem text codes and coupons. Using SMS practically guarantees that people will see your messages, such as sale announcements. As long as your company follows data privacy best practices and treats customers with respect, SMS marketing can be an inexpensive and powerful tool in your advertising arsenal.
6. QR Codes
You shouldn’t view mobile marketing as an all-or-nothing thing. These days, advertising is often more effective when it combines several avenues simultaneously, including mobile, social media, paid search, and content marketing. QR codes are a natural fit for multichannel marketing. They encourage store shoppers and social media users to visit your website.
For example, one of your store products may say, “Buy one get one free coupon available online,” with a QR code on the shelf. All shoppers have to do is snap a picture of the square code on their smartphone. This QR code takes them immediately to the relevant page on your website so they can redeem the coupon. Of course, they have to sign up for an account first, which gives your business valuable leads.
Contact Digital Neighbor Today To Boost Your Mobile Presence!
Whether you sell products around the country or provide local services, mobile devices are the future of advertising. Don’t let your mobile marketing efforts fall behind; let Digital Neighbor be your guide to success! Contact us today to learn how we can help take your business to the next level.
