How to Create a Mobile Marketing Strategy That Works For Your Business

Given the previously unrivalled popularity of desktop devices, it is mind-blowing that today 1 in every 4 online searches is conducted from a mobile device. And the number is set to increase by the end of 2014.

Is your mobile marketing strategy ready for the mobile wave? Here are some insights to set up a plan that works: 

Solve A Problem In A Way That Is Meaningful To Your Brand

Developing apps is an increasingly popular method of boosting brand awareness and customer engagement. It is not surprising that there is an app for everything, and many businesses are enjoying great results with their app platforms. In fact, 85 % of users prefer native mobile apps to mobile websites. Even then, prior to developing an application, it is important for marketers to understand the kind of problems it may solve. Mobile users use applications to quickly access services and content. They are looking for an app that will make their life easier and perhaps more fun. Your app strategy should seek to solve a problem that is specific to your target audience while advancing your brand’s objectives.

Understand The Idiosyncrasies Of Your Mobile Audience

A consumer-first mobile marketing strategy is more sustainable than one that overlooks the actual behaviours of the target audience. Before rolling out a mobile marketing campaign, a marketer needs to fully understand how consumers use their mobile devices. Do they use smartphones to access social media sites or to download music? Do they use tablets to read long form content or to browse the internet? Do they frequently use geo-location services such as FourSquare? Do they make use of mobile coupons? What time do they usually check email from their mobile devices? Who reads their emails or SMS messages almost immediately? These and many other psychographic and demographic questions are helpful in mapping out the needs of your mobile audience.

Plan The Type Of Mediums You Will Use For Your Mobile Marketing

One of the advantages of mobile marketing is that it offers several messaging platforms and data channels through which you can reach the individual and the masses equally. Bluetooth, MMS, Infrared, SMS, GPRS, all have their strengths and weaknesses and may be applicable at different stages of the consumer cycle. For example, Multi Media Messaging (MMS) is ideal for brand awareness as it allows marketers to distribute a wide array of branded content including newsletters, videos, text and audio. Short Message Services (SMS) are great for announcing quick offers, discounts and announcements to a larger audience. Your mobile content strategy should also adapt to different operating systems including Linux, Google Android, and iOS for the iPhone.

Adopt A ‘From Scratch’ Approach For Optimizing Your Mobile Content

User experience can break or make your overall mobile marketing strategy. Consumers expect brands to have a fully functional and easy to use mobile website. As many brands rush to cater to their mobile audience, there is a tendency to hurriedly create a pocket-sized version of the desktop website. This cookie cutter, mobile-friendly approach does not work because what mobile users will see is a small, difficult to use version of your website. The best practice is to adopt a mobile-responsive platform that seamlessly allows your website to adapt to a smaller screen. Mobile responsiveness as opposed to mobile friendliness offers superior user-experience as customers interact with your content.

Develop A Strong Mobile Content Marketing Campaign

Mobile content is significantly different from online desktop content. Mobile device users typically have short attention spans and are more inclined to engage with short format content. With the introduction of Google updates such as Panda, Penguin and Hummingbird, there is an increased demand for marketers to create comprehensive content that fully answers consumers’ questions. Obviously, mobile users are less likely to read a 2,000-word blog post from their small screen. A better approach is to provide teaser content for mobile users and a link to the full-length blog post, which they can access through a tablet or a desktop device. This is just one example of how to approach your mobile content. The idea is to make mobile content quick, easily accessible and streamlined.

Integrate Mobile Ads To Boost Visibility And Brand Awareness

Google’s Adwords Enhanced campaigns allow you to create mobile ads that are informed by user intent, location and their device of choice. Mobile Cost Per Click (CPC) and Cost Per Mille (CPM) are presently lower than desktop ad costs, yet the click through and conversion rates are significantly higher for mobile. Notably, seventy percent of mobile consumers are more likely to make a purchase in the first hour of clicking through an ad compared to desktop users. Tying a mobile ad campaign into your overall mobile marketing strategy can improve conversion, awareness and business ROI.

Consumer behaviour across mobile platforms is very different from conventional desktop and offline consumer trends. The most successful brands are continuously assessing these changing trends to adapt their mobile strategy to the specific needs and behaviours of their on-the-move target users.

Do you have a strong mobile marketing strategy?