Basic Yet Critical Mobile Marketing Tips For the best results, keep these best practices in mind when creating your own mobile strategy.
By Brett Relander Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Mobile marketing has finally come of age with more consumers than ever making purchases using their mobile devices. If you're in business, then this is a trend you need to pay attention to.
CIO.com reports that 28 percent of sales are now conducted on mobile devices, primarily smartphones. In 2014, sales using smartphones increased by 87 percent year-over-year. While sales via tablets expanded by a smaller percentage, it still grew by 52 percent. In other words, mobile marketing is the wave of the future.
Yet, many brands have yet to develop fully mature mobile marketing strategies. For some, mobile marketing remains somewhat vague and difficult to contain in the same way as traditional marketing. While mobile marketing is still growing and evolving, it is basically any type of marketing that is used to promote business through the use of a mobile device, including smartphones and tablets.
Related: 5 Ways to Maximize Your Mobile Marketing Strategy
Mobile marketing doesn't have to be some mysterious thing. Here are some factors to keep in mind when developing your own mobile strategy.
Keep it brief.
Recently, Google has been explicit about the need to make content longer, meatier and higher quality. These goals all work well for online marketing, but with mobile content, it is important to be concise. Of course, you should still create quality content, but be quick to get to the point. Remember that your target consumers are likely working from a small screen and may even be away from home or the office. As a result, they do not have a lot of space or even time for reading lengthy content. This can make it more challenging for mobile marketers. It is imperative that you create content that is both compelling yet brief.
Remember the power of local search.
Local searches commonly occur via mobile devices. In order to take advantage of the increased use of mobile devices for local searches, it is important to ensure that your mobile website is submitted to Google My Business.
Additionally, you should ensure that that the physical address of your business along with your contact information and hours of operation are visibly listed on your website. Visitors should not have to search to find your address or phone number.
Related: How to Make More Effective Use of Social Media in Your Ecommerce Strategy
Make use of location-based sites.
As an increasing number of people opt to access social sites via mobile devices, it is vital that your brand takes advantage of the opportunity to connect with your targeted customers through available location-based services, such as Yelp and Foursquare. Such location-based services can be ideal for businesses such as retailer operations and restaurants.
Tap the power of getotargeting.
Geo-targeting through the use of location-based services is a great way for brands to direct their marketing messages to their targeted customers who may be in the vicinity. With this type of platform it is possible to run promotions to encourage customers to check in with your business through the use of digital discounts and coupons.
When handled properly, mobile marketing can be an exciting and innovative way to promote your business and engage your customers. Following the best practices listed above can help you to launch a successful mobile marketing campaign.
Related: Why Authoritative Content Is More Important Than SEO
