Consumers spend more time with digital media than they spend with any other channel. According to a digital marketing report by eMarketer, digital will overtake television as the dominant marketing channel in 2020. That’s the good news. The bad news is that most marketers aren’t ready for this future. Read on to know why mobile marketing is the future and how you can start today.
What is Mobile Marketing?
Mobile marketing is the process by which brands, corporations, and organizations use mobile devices to reach and interact with customers. It’s a way to tap into the unique capabilities of mobile devices. For example, it’s harder to reach someone by broadcasting an ad on a computer monitor than on a smartphone screen.
The content needs to be more targeted. And because mobile customers are more likely to be in a specific location (e.g., at work or home), it’s easier to provide contextual messages.
Why Mobile Marketing is The Future
Mobile marketing is set to overtake television as the dominant marketing channel in 2020. But why? Let’s look at some statistics. In the US, 92% of consumers prefer to receive marketing messages via smartphones, tablets or other mobile devices.
Additionally, 90% of consumers expect to receive a significant amount of their brand’s marketing messages via mobile devices over the next two years. And even more surprisingly, only 15% of consumers expect to receive the majority of their marketing messages via television in 2020.
When Should You Start with Mobile Marketing?
Mobile marketing can be a good option for many businesses. But before you start investing heavily in this channel, you need to have a clear understanding of your customers. If you have a strong understanding of your customer’s needs, interests, and behaviours, you can use this information to create compelling mobile marketing campaigns.
You can also use this information to identify which customers are most likely to convert as a result of your campaigns. Finding these customers will require some research. You can use a combination of customer research techniques and in-house resources to learn about your customers. You can also hire a marketing consultant to help you with this task.
Why You Should Care About Mobile Marketing
Mobile marketing is one of the most powerful channels for brands. And the future of mobile marketing is bright. But why should brands care about mobile marketing? Because it’s the channel where consumers expect to get the most relevant and useful content.
It’s also where customers can find you when they’re looking for you and where they expect to find you most often. Here are some key reasons why you should start incorporating it into your marketing strategies now:
Consumers Want Personalized Marketing
Because mobile users are so accustomed to having control over their experiences, they expect to see personalized ads based on their past behavior. For instance, if you’ve recently searched for a certain product or brand, you’re much more likely to see an ad for that item than someone else would be. You also probably have a much different shopping basket than someone who’s never visited your online store.
Mobile Ads Are More Effective
Mobile ads are also more effective because of the smaller screen of real estate. A website ad can be several screens wide, but a mobile ad can only be as wide as that phone’s screen. By limiting your ad space, you can ensure that each ad gets the attention it deserves, so your brand shows up during the right moments and with the right message.
Mobile Payments Are The Future
While you might be tempted to think that mobile payments will only become popular in the far future, they already have more than two billion users worldwide—and they’re only getting more popular. In fact, mobile payments are already being used for everything from buying coffee to renting vacation homes.
People Are Already Using Apps for Marketing
We’re already seeing companies use apps as spaces for marketing their products and services. In fact, 76% of consumers say that their favorite places to shop and eat are apps, so you should definitely consider including a few of those in your marketing strategy. Apps are extremely easy to use, so you don’t have to worry about confusing anyone. They’re also very accessible, so they can reach a much wider range of people.
People Don’t Trust Print Media Anymore
The fact that so many people are ditching print media is a very clear sign that it’s time to incorporate more digital marketing strategies into your mix. That’s because people don’t trust any single form of marketing more than the others—they just trust that marketing methods are improving.
Brands Need To Capitalize On Online Marketing Too
Brands have always relied on online marketing, but mobile is actually becoming even more important. In fact, mobile is now all that counts for business success, according to a whopping 66% of respondents. That means you need to make sure that whatever online methods you use, include mobile.
5 Ways in Which You Can Use Mobile Marketing in Your Business Right Now
- Offer customers a rewards-based mobile app – Reward customers for downloading your app, completing specific actions within your app, or interacting with your app in other ways. For example, if your business offers a loyalty program, offer customers rewards (e.g., discounts and free services) for using their loyalty card.
- Integrate your website with an app – Customers want to be able to view your website on their mobile devices. This can help you generate leads and increase brand loyalty.
- Run an app-only promotion – Let customers use your app to receive special deals and discounts. When they redeem these deals, they’re essentially spreading the word about your brand.
- Host a promotion on your mobile app – While customers are using your app, host a promotion that encourages them to take action. For example, you can ask them to download your app, enter a contest, or share your app with their friends.
- Loyalty Program – Create a loyalty program that rewards customers with points they can use to redeem prizes and discounts.
Bottom Line
In order to succeed in mobile marketing, you must first ensure that your customer data is as robust as possible. You also need to determine how you’re going to use your data. These steps will help you start your mobile marketing journey. And, once you’re ready, you can use all of the powerful tools available to help you reach more customers with relevant content.
