Mobile marketing has been around for a long time, but it’s only recently that it’s letting businesses get closer to their audience. It’s a huge part of a modern multi-channel marketing strategy and, if you’re not using mobile to create meaningful interactions with your customers, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity.
In this post, we’re going to look at the latest mobile marketing trends and strategies to help you engage with your customers and grow your business.
1. Create a mobile-friendly website.
If your business doesn’t have a website – or if your website is outdated – then creating a mobile-friendly website should be a top priority. Not only is a professional website a necessity for any business, but it’s also important for your website to be mobile-friendly. This means that your website is designed to be easily viewed and navigated on a mobile device.
“Mobile-friendly” doesn’t just mean that your website can be viewed on a mobile device; it means that your website is designed specifically for mobile viewing. This includes things like having a responsive design, using mobile-friendly fonts, optimizing your images for mobile viewing, and more. A mobile-friendly website will help you provide a better user experience and keep visitors on your site longer.
If you already have a website, you can use a free tool like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to see how your website looks on a mobile device. If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, then you may need to invest in a website redesign.
2. Use SMS marketing.
SMS marketing is an effective way to reach your customers where they are. It allows you to send text messages to your subscribers’ phones with important information, such as sales, promotions, new product launches, company news and more.
To get started with SMS marketing, you will need a list of phone numbers to which you can send your messages. You can collect phone numbers by running a contest, offering a discount, providing valuable information or by using a text-to-join keyword.
Once you have a list of phone numbers, you can start sending your text messages. Be sure to keep your messages short and to the point, and make sure you have a clear call to action. You should also be mindful of the time of day when you send your messages.
One of the best things about SMS marketing is that it has a high open rate. Most people will read a text message within a few minutes of receiving it. This makes SMS marketing a great way to reach your customers and get your message across.
3. Implement an omnichannel strategy.
If you’re not already implementing an omnichannel marketing strategy, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to reach your audience where they are.
An omnichannel marketing strategy is a marketing strategy that incorporates multiple channels – like email, social media, SMS, push notifications and more – to create a seamless experience for your customers.
This means that you need to be where your customers are. If your customers are on social media, you need to be there, too. If they prefer to communicate via SMS, you need to offer that option.
The key is to make it easy for your customers to connect with your brand, no matter which channel they prefer. This will help you reach new customers, retain your current customers and increase your sales.
4. Use push notifications.
Push notifications are a great way to engage your customers and encourage them to take action. You can use push notifications to send targeted messages, suchjson as reminders and special offers, to your customers’ mobile devices.
Push notifications are an effective way to increase customer engagement and drive sales. In fact, studies show that push notifications can increase app engagement by up to 88%. And, with a 90% open rate, they are one of the most effective ways to reach your customers.
Just be sure not to overdo it. Too many notifications can be annoying and may cause people to turn off notifications for your app or uninstall it altogether.
5. Create mobile-specific content.
Don’t just repurpose your existing content for mobile marketing. To really succeed, you need to create content that is specifically designed for mobile users.
Mobile content should be short, sweet and to the point. Use bullet points and subheadings to break up your text and make it easy to read. Keep paragraphs short, and avoid using long blocks of text.
You should also optimize your content for mobile by making sure that it loads quickly and is easy to read on a small screen. Use a responsive design for your website, and make sure that your images and videos are mobile-friendly.
6. Use geofencing marketing.
Geofencing marketing is a great way to target your audience based on their location. You can set up a virtual fence around a specific area, such as a city or a neighborhood, and then send targeted ads and other marketing materials to people who are within that area.
This is a great way to reach people who are most likely to be interested in your products or services. For example, if you own a coffee shop, you could set up a geofence around a business district and then send targeted ads to people who are within that area during the morning hours.
Geofencing marketing can be a bit more complex than some other types of mobile marketing, but it can be highly effective when done right. And, there are plenty of tools and apps out there that can help you get started with geofencing marketing.
7. Optimize for local search.
Mobile users are often looking for businesses and products near them, so it’s important to optimize your mobile marketing strategy for local search. One way to do this is to make sure your business is listed in local directories and that your Google My Business profile is up to date.
You should also use local keywords in your mobile content and create location-based offers and promotions. The more you can do to show mobile users that you are a local business that can meet their needs, the more likely they will be to choose you over the competition.
8. Use social media and location-based services.
Social media and location-based services are two of the most popular reasons people use their smartphones. They also present a great opportunity for small businesses to reach customers.
Social media and location-based services allow businesses to target potential customers based on their current location, and they can also use this information to send targeted offers and promotions. For example, if you own a restaurant and someone is nearby and hungry, you could send them a coupon for a free appetizer or a discount on their meal.
The key to success with social media and location-based services is to make sure that your offers are relevant and timely. You don’t want to send a coupon for a free appetizer to someone who just ate lunch or is on a diet.
You also want to make sure that you are using the right social media platforms and location-based services to reach your target audience. For example, if you are trying to reach women between the ages of 18 and 35, you might want to focus on Instagram and Snapchat, which are more popular with that demographic.
9. Create a mobile app.
If you’re looking to take your mobile marketing strategy to the next level, consider creating a mobile app. Mobile apps are a great way to engage your audience and create a more personalized experience for your customers.
With a mobile app, you can send push notifications, create loyalty programs and offer exclusive deals and discounts. You can also collect valuable data about your customers, such as their location, shopping habits and more.
Creating a mobile app may seem like a daunting task, but there are many tools and platforms available that make it easier than ever. You can also hire a developer to create a custom app for your business.
10. Use mobile marketing analytics.
As with any marketing campaign, you need to track your results to see if your mobile marketing efforts are effective. One of the best ways to do that is to use mobile marketing analytics.
Mobile marketing analytics tools can provide you with valuable data about your audience, such as how many people are viewing your content on mobile devices, what types of devices they are using, and how long they are spending on your website.
This data can help you make informed decisions about your mobile marketing strategy and improve your results over time.
Conclusion
Mobile marketing has become a primary channel for many businesses, and it’s important to keep up with the trends. With these mobile marketing trends and strategies, you’ll be able to grow your brand and reach more people on their smartphones.