How much time would you say you are spending on your mobile device each day? Are you one of those who sleep with their phone under their pillow? Do you reach for it as soon as you wake up in the morning and it never leaves your side throughout the day? Don’t worry you are not alone. According to a study completed by Flurry, today people are spending an average of nearly 3 hours on their smartphone or tablet.
Now to me, that number seems a little low considering how much we depend on our digital devices for just about everything these days. Cell phones have completely changed our daily lives. Do you think you could go without your cell phone for a few days? While you are completely capable of doing that, the world just doesn’t function without cell phones anymore.
If you are curious like me, you can download an app on your phone that will track your daily activity usage. There are many apps available today that can track your daily usage however; I selected one app for iPhone users and one for android users.
- iPhone: Moment app
- Android: BreakFree app
Let’s shift our focus from usage and look at an important question for your business.
Do you have a mobile marketing strategy or are you missing out on potential business? It is no secret that the majority of consumers are using their smartphones every day. So why would you decide to miss a perfect opportunity where you could market to your target audience? Mobile marketing is no longer an option, it is required.
But what is mobile marketing? Mobile marketing encompasses all interactive multichannels that advertisers use to communicate and promote with consumers via their mobile devices or networks. It is important to know that mobile marketing is not just limited to your cell phone. You may also consider other digital technologies such as e-readers or tablets.
Mobile marketing allows us as marketers to remain connected to customers 24/7. For those businesses with a mobile strategy in place, they understand the potential for further growth in engagement and conversion. Why? Because mobile marketing allows us to be constantly in communication with our customers. Your customers can be anywhere! They are no longer constrained to their desk at home. Therefore, you can connect and market to your customers that are on the move with their mobile devices.
So what types of mobile marketing strategies should your business focus on putting into practice? Keep in mind that every business is different with different goals, target audience, competition, brand loyalists, and other strategies.
Here are 13 types of mobile marketing strategies your business can consider:
1. Mobile applications: Mobile applications allow you to include advertisements in mobile apps design. Mobile applications can include widgets, virtual machines or native applications. I think Facebook is a great example of advertisements in an application.
2. In-game: This form of advertisement will have ads within a mobile game.
When you play a game it is not uncommon to see ads. The ads can appear as a pop-up or full page. You might even see a video ad every once in awhile. The ad below is from the game Sonic Dash. It appeared after I had lost a round.
3. SMS (short message service): You probably know SMS better as texting. Using SMS, marketers can send text messages to customers with offers and other information. Personally, whenever I hear mobile marketing, I think of SMS. I would say this is the most commonly used form of mobile marketing. This type of marketing should always give customers the option to sign up or opt out at any time.
4. MMS (multimedia message service): MMS marketing sends text messages that contain media items such as images, video, or audio. I think MMS is better than a simple SMS because consumers will respond better with a visual. They are more likely to remember your message and perhaps share your offer if it contains media. A year ago I was signed up to receive messages from Starbucks. Majority of their messages included entertaining GIFs. I would often send those messages to my friends.
5. QR Codes (quick-response barcode): QR codes can be scanned with the camera on a mobile device. Once scanned, it will take consumers to the linked website where they can view more information about a business. QR codes are user-friendly and can be used for just about anything. You can set up a QR code for you business at a low cost or you can find free services. A QR code can enhance your customer engagement and also help you grow in the social realm. Your code can link to any page, whether it is your website or your Facebook page. Whatever you decide to link, QR codes can help you attract new customers.
6. Location-based: Location-based marketing uses the user’s mobile location to market a business in that area by means of GPS. For example, you might be visiting Chicago. You might see ads for restaurants near you. However, advertisers can decide the radius for their ads.
7. Mobile Banner Advertisements: These are banners that are the same ads you will see on a desktop, but will be smaller in order to fit the mobile device’s screen.
8. Near Field Communication (NFC): NFC is a type of technology that has the ability to send data to a consumer’s cell phone using a short-range wireless connection. NFC can share web pages or social media. It is best suited for areas that are crowded.
9. Bluetooth or Proximity Marketing: Consumers obtain location specific advertisements, which is enabled from their Bluetooth.
10. Voice Marketing: Voice marketing uses an automated and computer produced phone call to consumers. The consumer has the option to listen to the message or they may hang up. I often think of voice marketing with politics or charities.
11. Pay Per Call: This type of advertisement allows the user to tap the phone number that is directly listed in the ad.
12. Mobile Search Advertisements: Mobile search ads are similar to Google’s but are optimized for mobile.
13. Mobile Wallet: An example of a mobile wallet is Apple’s Passbook. Passbook is an iOS application that stores personal information such as credit cards, boarding passes, coupons, gift cards, or tickets digitally on a mobile device. Passbook is customized by the user’s location. For example, if you are at the airport, your boarding pass will appear on your Passbook.
Users can also share these promotions easily with their friends. Passbook allows marketers the opportunity to offer coupons to consumers and consumers don’t need to print these offers. Passbook is ecofriendly too! Mobile wallet apps, such as Passbook make it easy to use and store all information in one location.
Mobile marketing is a great way to generate tailored messages to promote a business’s products or services. Because cell phones have become the main hub for how consumers view the web, businesses should include mobile marketing as a strategy.
Does your business utilize a mobile marketing strategy?
