Mobile marketing is a critical tool in every marketer’s arsenal. Businesses that don’t want to lose relevance should step into the future and take advantage of the mobile marketing methods available today.
What Is Mobile Marketing?
Mobile marketing is any marketing or advertising activity that uses mobile devices to promote products and services. It uses modern mobile technology and its features to widen audience reach, encourage engagement, and convert buyers. Mobile media marketing leverages location or GPS services, apps, mobile websites, social media, and SMS/MMS to increase brand awareness and positively affect a company’s bottom line.
Consumers now spend a large portion of their time fixated on their mobile devices, be it smartphones or tablets. In fact, in a survey conducted in 2021, nearly half of the respondents said they spent an average of 5 to 6 hours on their smartphones on a daily basis. And that’s only for non-work-related use. Because of this, marketers have shifted their focus towards a more mobile-forward digital marketing strategy.
Types of Mobile Marketing Strategies
Traditional marketing may have dominated the industry for the better half of the last century. But, traditional forms of media — such as television, billboards, and radio — are on their way out. Today, a large majority of consumers carry an opportunity for advertising right in their pockets. When it comes to mobile marketing, there are a number of strategies businesses can use.
1. SMS and MMS
Companies can use text messaging and multimedia messaging to promote their products and services. It works by obtaining a consumer’s phone number and sending them offers via SMS or MMS. Of course, unless a business has already formed a lasting relationship with the consumer, many will find this form of promotion irritating. Thus, it is important to come up with a good SMS strategy that won’t involve sending messages too often. Nobody wants to be considered spam.
2. In-App Marketing
A mobile marketing strategy that is widely used today is in-app marketing. This method makes use of mobile apps to put content in front of users. Now, you don’t need to develop a mobile app of your own to achieve this. There are plenty of services that allow you to create ads and make them appear on third-party mobile apps.
You can also use promoted posts on social media apps like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. These platforms come with integrated features that allow you to create ads and present them to your target audience. The best thing about these ads is that they don’t look like ads — they blend in perfectly with the newsfeed that customers don’t always notice their ads.
3. In-Game Marketing
Similar to in-app marketing, in-game marketing puts your ads in front of gamers who use third-party game apps. Typically, users will see these ads as banners and full images, though you can also make video ads that play in between loading screens. Some games give freebies like extra lives or power-ups if users opt to view an ad, giving them an incentive to voluntarily learn about your brand.
4. Location-Based Marketing
Location-based marketing refers to ads that pop up on mobile devices when they are in a particular area. For instance, mobile users may see an ad appear on their smartphones or tablets when they enter your business or a specific area surrounding your business. This form of marketing makes use of location or GPS services.
5. QR Codes
If you want to add a layer of mystery to your ads, QR codes are the way to go. With this, users scan a QR code using their mobile device, which takes them to a specific landing page associated with the code. More often than not, businesses use QR codes as a way to gamify promotions.
6. Mobile Search and Image Ads
Desktop users are already familiar with Google search ads, but did you know you can use them on mobile devices, too? Mobile search and image ads are great because they work largely the same way as those on desktop devices. But, these ads also come with mobile functions, such as click-to-call buttons and maps.
The Benefits of Mobile Marketing
Unlike traditional marketing, mobile marketing is much more accessible. This bodes well for smaller businesses because you don’t need a high level of technical knowledge or experience to get started.
Additionally, mobile marketing is also more affordable compared to traditional media. With mobile media marketing, you can select a strategy that works well for you at a more cost-efficient rate. You can run an entire marketing campaign with a limited budget.
Furthermore, it is significantly easier to reach your target audience through mobile methods. Thanks to technology, you can adjust your target and perform retargeting functions based on a multitude of consumer behavior, thereby providing better quality leads. With traditional advertising, you can really only rely on basic demography. It is also easier to get your content in front of consumers or delay them until they open their phones (push notifications).
Finally, mobile marketing allows you to measure the success of your campaigns. With billboards, for example, there is no way of knowing in quantifiable terms how many people have seen your ad. You also don’t know if it reached the right audience. Because mobile advertising comes with data and analytics, you can review your campaigns and make necessary adjustments as they are running.
The Downsides of Mobile Marketing
As with most things, mobile marketing also comes with its fair share of disadvantages. Thanks to hyperconnectivity and the wide availability of information, there are some privacy concerns related to this method of digital marketing. Mobile devices have been used to collect data on users, and there is some debate on whether companies even have the authority to do so. Worse yet, some of this information ends up in the wrong hands, leading to spam and even identity theft.
The Future Is Mobile
Mobile marketing is clearly the direction the industry is headed. Thus, if you don’t want to get left behind, you have to adapt as soon as possible. Nowadays, it is almost impossible to survive without some form of mobile marketing, and the future will likely see this trend going further up.
Digital marketing is not for everybody, which is why Tanner Grey offers web design and digital marketing services to businesses in the Charlotte area. Call us today at 844.500.1339 or contact us online to learn more about our services.
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