Mobile marketing is hot. How hot? According to the Mobile Marketing Association, 5.1 billion people own a cell phone (incidentally, more than own a toothbrush), 50% use them while shopping and 70% of all mobile searches result in consumer action within 1 hour.
If you’re a business of any size, these statistics should cause you to sit up and take notice. While not everyone is in your niche, those who are are out there, with their mobile devices handy, waiting to purchase—possibly at a moment’s notice.
So, to help you strike while the iron is hot, here are 7 tips that will get your mobile marketing campaign started and keep it on track:
1. Optimize for mobile. It sounds obvious, doesn’t it? But you might be surprised by how many companies start mobile campaigns without first making sure their information, site and messages are mobile-friendly.
According to Google, 57% of consumers won’t recommend a site with a poorly-designed site. So, create mobile landing pages, ads and content that are easy for mobile users to engage with.
2. Keep your messages relevant. You don’t want your messages deleted. So, when people opt-in for mobile marketing messages, ask them their preferences for which information and offers they want to have sent to their mobile devices.
3. Make it simple. Remember, mobile users are on-the-go texters. Short, thumb-friendly forms are a must, and all content should be densely informative. Use links whenever possible (a la Twitter).
4. Think local. Location-centric content often delivers the greatest ROI. So take advantage of mobile technology that lets you make offers based on where your buyers are at any given moment. Are they walking by your bricks-and-mortar store today? Capture their business with coupons and promotional offers sent when they’re nearby.
5. Request feedback. This is not specific to mobile marketing. But, with mobile, your requests can be delivered conveniently through email and mobile surveys. Keep the questions short and easy to answer.
6. Don’t overdo it. Just as with any marketing campaign, too much of a good thing is too much. So, limit the quantity of messages that you send to your mobile customer. Since they tend to read their messages right away, if yours is one of many sent at one time it’s likely to get deleted or remain unread. Respect your buyers’ time, and don’t overdo it!
7. Offer easy referral. Many mobile users are happy to refer you to a friend, if they find your content valuable. Make it easy. A banner ad or email link that they can quickly click on gives them the option to have your messages sent to others, thus increasing your subscriber list without additional effort on your part.
Mobile marketing is where it’s at, and where it’s at is wherever your customers happen to be. By optimizing and refining your mobile marketing campaign you can reach them at the moment they need you. Try these tips to increase your success with mobile, and you can get in on one of the most effective, affordable and agile marketing tools available to companies of any size.
