Developing a Comprehensive Mobile Marketing Plan for a Business

Mobile phone usage is continually rising. According to?recent studies by Zippia, there were around 6.65 billion smartphone users worldwide in 2022 (86% of the global population). And as of 2021, mobile commerce accounted for 73% of the total e-commerce market.

People rely on mobile phones for all sorts of activities these days – communication, online shopping, entertainment, banking, taking photos and even checking the weather. Virtually everything can be done via mobile apps. Hence, businesses need to focus heavily on mobile marketing strategies.

What is a mobile marketing strategy?

A mobile marketing strategy is a plan of action designed to reach and engage with target customers through various mobile devices, channels and platforms, with the aim of promoting a product, service, or brand and ultimately driving business objectives such as increased sales, customer loyalty, and brand awareness. It typically involves tactics such as SMS and MMS marketing, mobile app development, mobile website optimization, and social media marketing for mobile devices. A mobile marketing strategy is about addressing your audience's needs from a mobile perspective.

Why businesses need to utilize mobile marketing strategies

A key benefit of mobile marketing is its extensive reach. Did you know that in 2021, there were almost 15 billion mobile devices in operation worldwide, up from just over 14 billion in 2020??Statista reports?that by 2025, some 18.22 billion mobile devices will be operating. Other benefits include:

• Reaching audiences on the go?– mobile phones, in particular, are usually always switched on, and people use them everywhere – on transport, at work, at home, on holiday, etc. There's a good chance that a well-timed mobile marketing message will get noticed.
• High levels of personalization and targeting?– mobile marketing allows you to connect with your target audience in real-time at any point in their customer journey. By leveraging customer data insights, you can send the right message at the right time to encourage conversions and repeat purchases.
• Using location-based services?– tapping into GPS, for instance, and collecting location-based data offers options for geographical marketing campaigns.
• Shareable content?– many mobile marketing campaigns can be easily shared with other mobile users, helping you generate organic brand awareness.

What channels does a mobile marketing strategy involve?

A good mobile marketing strategy is multichannel (or omnichannel). It should include different digital channels with promotional content adapted to each. Consider the following:

1. SMS marketing

Text marketing is where you promote your business via SMS message – a 160-character text sent via a cellular network or Wi-Fi (the latter requiring a third-party?SMS marketing platform).

Businesses using text messaging?can obtain branded sender IDs or memorable short codes to establish brand identity and build trust. Like all marketing strategies, text marketing requires every subscriber to opt in.

SMS offers higher open rates than other mobile channels, such as email (98% vs?21.33%?respectively), making it a leading marketing channel. It works even on basic feature phones.?SMS marketing?works brilliantly for abandoned cart reminders, flash sale notifications, new product launches, review requests and various types of reminders.

2. Email marketing

People of all ages check their emails on their mobile devices (phones and tablets), according to?Campaign Monitor.?And even though most people have cluttered email inboxes, the email medium is still useful for sending out long-form content that needs explanation.

An effective email mobile marketing program means making sure the format and content are mobile-friendly. Here are a few tips:

• Write a short subject line?– many mobile devices only show 25-30 characters.
• Keep your main copy short?– mobiles have small screens, so aim for easily digestible and scannable chunks of content such as bullets or short paragraphs.
• Be mindful of images?– not all devices show images by default. So ensure your email campaign makes sense if the pictures don't appear.
• Focus on CTAs?– tell readers what you want them to do instantly by having CTA buttons near the top of your email.

3. In-app marketing

In-app marketing is any marketing message displayed to customers while they're using your app. Mobile push notifications are a type of in-app marketing (as are Messenger chatbots).

This form of mobile marketing is very effective for increasing customer engagement and satisfaction because the messaging is contextual and highly personalized to active customers.

With in-app marketing, you can not only send exclusive offers that drive revenue but also provide great value to customers with informative notifications (such as tooltips and interactive walkthroughs), helping them to return to your app and stay loyal to your brand.

4. Mobile ad campaigns

Mobile ads include display ads and interstitial ads (full-screen ads) that appear in-app, as well as social media marketing adverts. Businesses often use the latter because social apps are very popular with mobile phone users.?Backlinko reports?that 98.5% of Facebook users access the platform via a mobile device (for 81.5%, that’s their mobile phone).

Mobile search ads are also included in this category. For best results, carry out A/B testing to ensure your copy and call-to-actions are optimized and achieve the best results for your marketing goals.

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More SMS marketing tips, yet to come :