What is Mobile Marketing and how does it work?

No need to preach to the converted as most marketers and advertisers today use mobile technology to reach their customers anytime they want, anywhere, and at any budget. With more than 3 billion smartphone users around the world, mobile marketing is not considered as a trend but a discipline that can turn your business into an income-generating powerhouse.  

Mobile devices are entrenched in our lives. According to a study, 91% of mobile phone users keep their phone within arm’s reach throughout the day. There couldn’t be any other easier way to reach customers and marketers are seeking out new ways to run effective online campaigns.

As today’s society is getting increasingly dependent on mobile services, search engines have stepped up their game. With mobile-first indexing, Google uses the mobile version of the content for indexing and ranking. Now, mobile optimization is propelled to top priority and gets the attention it undoubtedly deserves.  

It’s true that developing a successful mobile presence is not an easy task, it requires a total understanding of how mobile marketing works. Once you fully grasp the different aspects of this discipline you elevate your business to the next level and beat out the competition. 

What is mobile marketing?

Mobile marketing is a digital marketing strategy geared towards mobile device users. It encompasses a wide range of channels from email to push notifications, mobile-search advertising, in-app advertising, SMS messaging, QR codes and many more. Mobile ads enable marketers to customize ads based on user location and time of day. Thanks to the prevalence and accessibility of smartphones, businesses can be right where their customers are, on the go. If you haven’t included yet mobile marketing in your business strategy then you are already trailing behind. 

Why do you need a Mobile Marketing Strategy?

Mobile phones are so ubiquitous and the use of mobile devices is expanding rapidly with each passing year. Customers use their smartphone to play games, watch videos or communicate via social media, all fertile ground for businesses. Marketers should steer their strategies and campaigns in a more mobile-centric direction.

Some interesting mobile marketing facts:

• 79% of smartphone users stated that the first thing they check in the morning is their phone, and they keep it within reach throughout the day.
• We spend on average 3 hours and 25 minutes on our phones
• SMS messages have an open rate as high as 90%, a 45% conversion rate, and they are read in less than 3 minutes.
• 79% of smartphone users have made a purchase online using their mobile devices.  

There is no channel better than a mobile phone to reach easily your target audience. At this stage, ignoring mobile marketing will simply cost you sales. 

Types of Mobile Marketing Strategies

Like any other strategy, mobile marketing should be in line with your overall objectives and business strategy. It has to be defined based on your industry, target audience, and budget.

Let’s check out the different types of mobile marketing strategies.

App-based marketing

App-based marketing also referred to as In-app Marketing: is a type of advertisement directly deployed within a mobile app. It allows businesses to engage with their customers in real-time and personalize their messages to send targeted traffic to their landing page. The two leading app ad platforms Google AdMob and Facebook’s promoted post ads help create mobile ads that are shown within third-party mobile apps. 

QR codes

QR codes are not as effective as other mobile marketing strategies, but, if done right, it can be very useful. QR codes are a barcode that can be scanned by users, who are then taken to a webpage. This strategy allows marketers to integrate offline and online marketing. For example, QR codes can be placed on a magazine advert, on a billboard, or on receipts. The bottom line, they can be placed anywhere and are easy to track.

Mobile Search ads

Mobile Search ads are search engine advertisements optimized for mobile devices. They can be directly set up from Google AdWords or Bings Ads. For example, you can create a great local business listing on Google Places so mobile users can find detailed information about your establishment as well as ratings and pricing. There are other features to integrate like click-to-call or click-to-install buttons as a call to action for your target audience.

SMS Marketing

SMS Marketing is reaching out to your customers via text. The benefits of In-app advertising outweigh those of SMS marketing but it is still considered as a powerful strategy. Building a mobile number database of interested individuals will allow you to get in touch with your customers in a non-intrusive and convenient way.

Push notifications

Push notifications are alerts displayed on mobile devices. When an application is not open, automated messages are sent to the user. These notifications serve the purpose of retaining your customers and keeping them in the loop about new releases or promotions. Of course, notifications are not to be sent if the user has not already agreed to allow push notifications. Luckily, 70% of mobile users allow push notifications. 

Best practices for mobile Marketing

Mobile Marketing can be tricky if not done the right way. Here are some tips to make sure you’re leveraging this discipline efficiently.

The simpler, the better: your messages must be easily comprehensible for mobile users to have a chance at producing the desired outcome. More often, we focus on optimizing the design of our website and this can come at the expense of page speed. Now the mobile attention span is so short. This presents a real challenge for businesses. To ensure your message is delivered, you should opt for a simple design

Brief and concise: When it comes to small screens, It’s crucial to keep everything (email, mobile ads, paragraphs, etc.) short and to the point. Crowded ads is a real deal-breaker for most mobile users.

Optimize for local: users constantly use their mobile devices to find answers to questions related to their current environment: where is the nearest coffee shop? Where is the closest gas station? Make sure to optimize for local mobile marketing, if you have location-specific content.

Opt for different strategies: when it comes to mobile marketing, there are a lot of strategies available to businesses. Test out some ad extensions on Google Ads and see how they work for you. Experimentation is the key to find the most effective strategy.

Benchmark your results: when you are experimenting, you need to track your results to see which strategy works for you and which is not.