From responsive design to local search listings; mobile capability has officially invaded the marketing world. Recent survey results indicate that more than half of the adults in the United States use a smartphone to connect to the Internet on a regular basis. Even retail stores realize the importance of being mobile-friendly. Much like social media and the ever-present blogosphere; if you want to get your message out, you have to use the most pervasive language of the time —and that means using mobile search tactics for your business or organization.
Which Mobile Marketing Strategy Is Best For Me?
The mobile market has grown by at least 20% a year since 2011. If the current rate holds, it will be the best way to reach your customers in-store, online, and everywhere in between. Not only that, if you employ the right marketing tactics, your customers will reach back.
We’ve collected some of the top-performing stratagems you can use to go-mobile and stay universally user-friendly. Try out the tactics that fit your business best:
Tactic #1:
Shop-kick your check-ins. Platforms like Foursquare have made location sharing in vogue. You can use this to your marketing advantage by offering your customers in-store incentives for updating their status online.
Popular incentives include:
- Special recognition
- Discounts
- Kickbacks
- Gifts
With the right motivation, your business or organization could become a local hotspot.
Tactic #2:
Follow your customers' lead. If your primary customer base is using their smartphone to access local searches, social media, and check-ins; learn to share and share alike. Use your mobile devices to update social media and search accounts. That way you establish instant relateability with your target market.
Tactic #3:
Use text and email marketing to the full extent. This means getting permission from customers to send exclusive promotions straight to their mobile devices, but also investing in mobile apps that take your email contacts to a whole new level. Look into using QR codes, business card scanning, and registration apps; to name a few possible avenues.
Tactic #4:
Create your own mobile app. Mobile-savvy customers prefer downloading an app over surfing the mobile web. Where is the proof? At last count, there were more than 20 million mobile app downloads and counting. Add your brand to the list through an app produced e-newsletter or unique featured downloads.
Of course, this is a two-way street. Feel free to share with us the mobile marketing tips that have worked for your business. Start a conversation in the comments below, and if it sparks something, we will either test it out and report back, or will feature it on our site. Share and share alike, remember?
What Else Can I Do To Go Mobile?
4.3 billion people worldwide own a mobile phone. That number is expected to increase to 5.1 billion by 2017, according to Mashable. People using mobile phones spend 80% of their time on apps, and 50% of mobile phone owners use their phones as their primary Internet source, according to Super Monitoring.
Having a mobile web marketing strategy in place can be critical to spreading a business’s message. If a business does not appeal to the mobile crowd, it could be left in the dust.
However, mobile marketing isn't just about apps. It's also about making your website mobile-friendly for those millions of people who use their cell phones, iPads and other smart devices to search for a business or ask a question.
Questions and Final Thoughts?
Is your business or organization mobile? If not, what are you waiting for?
