In a culture of instant gratification and short attention spans, it takes a powerful statement (and online obsession) to gain traction. And while beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, beauty (and other) trends are in the hands of the phone holder. Investing in a good mobile marketing strategy is no longer a luxury for brands; it’s a success-making necessity. Let’s explore how to do it well.
The Stats Behind Mobile Marketing
We’re about to drop a profound piece of knowledge. Ready for it? Mobile marketing is marketing aimed at customers on their (can you guess?) mobile devices. Okay, while we remove the tongue from our cheek, we know that’s not profound, but it does have a pretty profound impact on brands who market this way. As of this year, there are an estimated 7.33 billion mobile internet users, 51% of whom use their devices to find and purchase products and services.
If you look up from your own phone long enough to notice, you might see that the majority of people spend three-plus hours on their smartphones each day. These users (a.k.a. your customers and potential customers) use this time to click through social media, interact with apps, search for products, and go through their emails.
But maybe the most motivating statistics of all: 61% of web visitors won’t return to a site that isn’t optimized for mobile, and 40% will turn to your competitors instead.
Advantages and Disadvantages
With those statistics in mind, it’s not just mobile marketing in a silo that makes sense for brands big and small to adopt. It’s creating a robust mobile marketing strategy that utilizes a combination of marketing channels and methods to connect with audiences where they already are—on their mobile devices.
These channels include:
- Mobile search
- Email marketing
- Social media
- SMS (text) marketing
- Mobile app development
We tell our clients to think of this as an opportunity to optimize your brand for the digital age with all the hallmarks of a great marketing strategy—engaging content, compelling imagery, and a solid understanding of your target. But, like any marketing method, mobile has its advantages and disadvantages…
Advantages
- Real-time reach (79% have their smartphones with them 22 hours a day)
- Easier to access and more widely accessible to most people
- Low-cost
- Instant engagement and transactions
- Highly-personalized approach
- Integrate seamlessly with social for increased shareability and reach
Disadvantages
- Leaves little room for error
- Can be invasive if done incorrectly (and some customers have ad block control)
- Data privacy and security concerns are increasing
- Tech fatigue can shorten attention spans and interest
Content Deserving of a Click
We like to think that well-executed marketing makes the disadvantages of any strategy the exception, not the rule. A strong mobile marketing strategy begins with a data-backed understanding of your mobile users, including mobile clicks to your site and what devices they use. This data serves as a foundation for creating valuable content for users who, more likely than not, are flooded with information every time they look at their screens.
Any digital marketing agency worth its salt will tell you to keep these golden rules top of mind before pursuing a mobile strategy:
- Make content short and sweet (add lists where you’re able)
- Use fast-loading, high-quality images (keep them vertical or square)
- Optimize videos for different mobile devices
Now, to the good stuff.
Utilize mobile-friendly features
Creating a mobile strategy without mobile-friendly features is like opening an ice cream shop without stocking up on cream and sugar; disappointing and confusing. At this point, most customers have certain expectations when they interact with brands on their devices. They want things to be quick, convenient, and accessible without a second thought. That could mean incorporating click-to-call features, QR codes, mobile payment integration (secure and with few clicks), or geofencing with tailored messages or location-specific discounts.
Test your website’s responsiveness
With a robust omnichannel marketing strategy, you’ll have more than one avenue linking to and from your site. That said, your website should be fully optimized for mobile devices—scrollable content, easy-to-use buttons, high-quality and properly sized images, and lightning-fast load times. If you choose not to optimize your site for mobile, be prepared to lose over half (61%) of users.
Optimize for a mobile searcher
The scales have finally tipped in favor of (60/40) mobile search, with most happening via Google. When optimizing your content, think like a mobile searcher would. Are they asking Google to search for something via voice assistant? Voice search dictates longer-tail and more hyper-localized keywords. That could mean adjusting a keyword from “organic ice cream” to “best organic ice cream near me.” In general, think about how search engines and users will prioritize and find content that’s made for mobile.
Don’t forget about email
Users aren’t just spending hours getting sucked into the black hole of social; they’re also going through emails (how else would the 75% of users who take their phone to the bathroom get work done?). If your brand already has an email strategy in place, make sure it’s optimized for a mobile format, which is responsible for half of email opens. There’s nothing more frustrating than receiving a promo email you’re interested in only to have the bottom third (the important third) cut off on mobile.
Take advantage of VR and AR tools
Mobile-friendly features have, in some cases, evolved into mobile-specialized tools for customers. Now, users can try on clothes, test out a paint color, and redecorate their rooms from their mobile devices. Before you implement this tool, evaluate if it makes sense for your industry, brings value to your customers, and makes the shopping experience more convenient overall.
Use SMS marketing sparingly but effectively
With high open rates and engagement, SMS marketing seems like a no-brainer. After all, besides their social feeds, aren’t your users checking their texts all day? While that may be true, this is arguably one of the most intimate ways to engage with customers (texts are, after all, mostly reserved for friends and family). To do it right, get explicit consent before sending, keep messages short with obvious CTAs, and personalize where possible.
Mobile Marketing Examples to Inspire Your Brand
You know the deal.
Starbucks Mobile Ordering
In 2015, Starbucks made a marketing decision that would impact its business (and hundreds of others) for years to come. As one of the first retail leaders to unveil mobile ordering, Starbucks saw incredible growth and inspired other brands to follow. The app made it easier than ever to skip the lines (and pre-coffee conversation) with the tap of a button. As the app’s evolved, it’s included integrations with payment platforms, gamification, a rewards system, and brand-aligned apps (like Headspace).
Wayfair AR Shopping
A product’s dimensions might help you decide if something will physically fit within your space, but it doesn’t do anything for an aesthetic fit. That changed when Wayfair introduced “View in Room 3D,” its AR-enabled shopping feature. With it, customers can not only look at products from every angle but also see how they look in their homes and fit into their lifestyles.
Nivea Sun Ad
An incredible blend of traditional and mobile marketing occurred when Nivea ran “The Protection Ad” in Brazilian magazines. The ad featured a tear-away bracelet that connected with the Nivea Protects mobile app to help parents monitor their children’s location (sounding an alarm when they wandered too far). The Canne’s Mobile Grand Prix winner took the brand’s commitment to protection even further.
Master Mobile With a Digital Marketing Agency’s Help
As much as we might miss simpler (and more analog) times, mobile is a powerful educator, influencer, and disruptor. In today’s marketing landscape, the brands that will stand the test of time have mobile marketing strategies that cater to their customers’ needs. When you’re ready, Savy’s here to help you master the art of mobile.