Technology offers us a lot to make our lives easier. The internet makes it easy for us to stay connected with our loved ones. It's the same with mobile phones; we can stay connected by calling and text messaging anytime that we feel like reaching out to anyone. Because of technology, mobile phones evolved from basic call and text phones to full-graphic smartphones. Mobile phones can now connect to the internet, check email when on the go, direct someone to the nearest restaurant - it's convenience in your pocket. 80 percent of the United States' population are mobile phone users. If your local area is dependent on mobile phones, there is a possibility that you can use mobile marketing as part of your marketing strategy.
According to Experian, there are 1.8 billion active SMS users; that's twice as much as active email users. On the average, text messages are read within 15 minutes and are responded to within an hour. The statistics seem to make mobile marketing a feasible way to reach out to customers. If that's still not convincing, mobile phones are always carried around and always turned on. This makes it easy for marketers to get their messages around to their customers.
If you want to add mobile marketing as part of your marketing strategy but you're unsure, here are 8 tips to make mobile marketing effective for you:
Device capabilities - mobile devices available today can do more than just call and text. They have web connectivity and can detect your location at all times. Mobile features these days make mobile marketing attractive because you can send messages of any kind. It can be a simple text about business promos to more complex ones that has a link to your website. Mobile phones are personal devices and we are dependent on them. There's not a day that goes by that we don't check our phones.
Proximity is key - mobile marketing is effective for local businesses because when people search something on their mobile phone, it means that they need it immediately. When an individual searches for the nearest restaurant, chances are they are going to dine there within 24 hours. When you go to mobile marketing, make sure you are ready to sell because customers on mobile phones are ready to buy.
Caution - be careful when sending out text messages. Users have control over who gets to text them. If they feel that you are spamming their phones, they might block you or report you. When you are going to partner with another business to market for you, make sure that the company complies with privacy policies because you don't want your brand to develop a bad reputation.
Define your goals - going mobile doesn't mean you need to create an app. Define your goals and see what will work best for your business setup. You can just blast text messages for promos or you can do an app if a lot of your customers say it would be helpful. It all depends on your business needs.
Okay, you need an app - after further research, you have decided to make an app. There are more than a hundred thousand apps available out there and if you want to stand out, you need to consider five things: value/differentiation, life expectancy, frequency, marketing role, and cost. You also have to consider which platform. More than half of available apps are used on the iPhone. You have to consider your target market's mobile preference.
Customer needs - according to statistics, 79% of consumers use their phones to shop. When they search for you, they need three questions answered: Where are you located and hours? What are your products and services? What promos do you have? Your marketing strategy should have answers to these questions.
Testing mobile strategy - if you want to test an application to work with your marketing strategy, consider failing quick and failing cheap. New applications are created every day and if you want to test them out, invest a small amount to start. Geo-fencing is an application that recognizes a user when it enters a set radius of your location; they receive a text message about your products/services to ask them to try them out.
Track everything - track your mobile marketing performance. This is your way of finding out if it's working for you or not. It will allow you to make adjustments to improve your marketing approach.
Mobile phones make everyone social. It is said that 80% of Twitter usage is done on the phone. Most businesses searched on phones are contacted. If you have a great mobile marketing strategy and they find your business, there's a high chance that they'll see you.