The importance of the mobile phone in marketing
Mobile marketing in brief
First things first – let’s make the obvious statement from the start – your consumers are literally attached to their mobile devices. Have you ever sat in a fast food restaurant and watched as people stare at their mobile phones rather than chat with their friends? Research suggests that your buyers will have their phone with them for all but 2 hours of the day – and this is likely when they are in the shower or it is on charge! Let’s face it – not even the toilet is a sacred mobile-free zone.
As the mobile device moves with your consumer, you can actively market to them when they are close to where they may make the final purchase. You can send them notifications and you can encourage interaction. This isn’t just about making your website mobile friendly – mobile marketing is about understanding how the features of the smart phone can bring any brand close to its customers.
Here is how important it is
Apart from the obvious attachment we all have with our mobile device – there are other important reasons to embrace mobile marketing.
There are more mobile devices than desktops
There are actually more tablets and smartphones in the world than there are people – never mind desk tops. If that doesn’t blow your mind – nothing will. So, why are you spending so much time optimising your online presence for the computer when the consumer is using a mobile device? More importantly, with the growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the interconnectivity between devices – the mobile phone or tablet tends to become the hub of our lives.
People actively seek out deals
People are more likely to browse apps and respond positively to mobile notifications than emails to their inbox and time spent on your website. It is how the consumer is choosing to interact with companies. The better and more accessible you are on a mobile device, the more you take advantage of how your customers are choosing to shop.
They still have the phone when in your bricks and mortar outlet
The phone travels with the customer. Imagine if you could send them a text notification of a deal just as they approach your store? GPS and geolocation make it possible for you to know when they are shopping with you – and to access them as they are close to the end of your sales funnel.
Improved optimisation
Google have adapted the algorithm to favour mobile-friendly websites. Therefore, putting effort into your mobile marketing also improves the value of your website and general online presence – In short, you will move up the ranking on search engines.
You get access to more data
It is possible to track consumer trends all the time your users are interacting on the mobile device. Data from your mobile marketing, if freed from its silo, can help to inform the design of your website, the timing of an email and even the content of your next campaign. Mobiles give you precise locations of users and timings – these details of browsing habits whilst on the move are invaluable to any marketer!
The top mobile phone marketing strategies
So, now you know that mobile phone marketing is crucial, what strategies can you employ?
Using Siri and all our other digital pals
Our phones and mobile devices come with little helpers who answer our questions – whether spoken or typed. Therefore, you need to provide content that helps to answer these micro-moments of interaction. A user may ask: “what is the best pain medication for my toddler?” – is your site optimised to be the one that offers up the instantaneous response that the user wants?
There are four major types of “I want to” moments – it is either to know, to go, to do or to buy. If you are on top of these demands for instant answers – you can put yourself at the top of the list of go to sites from the mobile device. Start by thinking how to make content more digestible in small bite-size pieces.
Local marketing
The internet was meant to take us global but has in fact made us more local. Imagine you are walking around a major city on a day trip and you want to know where to have lunch. Users pick up the mobile device and can do a few things to find their food – 1. go to a web browser and ask for restaurants near their current position 2. go to Google maps and look for outlets close to their location or 3. go to the Facebook Places and look for user recommended food outlets.
Each of these forms of marketing use the location of the mobile phone to place the user close to your service – you need to have enough information on your website, etc. that you are open to being found in this way.
Push notifications and SMS
Push notifications are excellent because your user has opted into these through your app and therefore welcome the information on their mobile device. You are providing a service whilst you are marketing your product or service. SMS marketing can be a little more intrusive – however – it is a great way to get a quick message to your user – especially when they are close to your site. Stats suggest that the click-through rate for text messages is 36% compared to the 7% with emails.
The overall takeaway
Mobile marketing is overtaking all other forms of online marketing. It is where your consumer is choosing to hang out most of the day – therefore – it is important you are there to be found when they are looking for you. Data about mobile phone use and click through rates are just too compelling to ignore.
This is more than just optimising your website for a mobile device, though this helps. It is about making use of social media, map apps, your own app, text messages and push notifications – as well as all the possibilities of geolocation and data collection.