This isn't news, but everyone has a smartphone these days. Okay, maybe not everybody, but most people. According to a 2021 study from the Pew Research Center, 85% of Americans own smartphones. That's up from 35% in 2011.
This has had a variety of effects on people's lives. Retail businesses can now better exploit the benefits of e-commerce. This includes new opportunities to market and build customer bases.
Online marketing strategies, at the very least, must include an easy-to-find website as well as an accessible social media presence. However, these measures are just scratching the surface, so to speak, especially when it comes to formatting your marketing for different devices. A website will look different on a smartphone screen versus a laptop or PC monitor.
For firms that have not yet laid out a marketing strategy for mobile devices, now is the time. Mobile marketing's share of the ad market is only expected to grow in the coming years. Luckily, it's easy to get started.
Types of Mobile Marketing
Let's back up a bit and hammer out our definitions. Mobile marketing refers to a variety of marketing strategies businesses use to advertise and communicate on people's mobile devices. Cultivating a mobile marketing audience requires marketers to be a little more proactive in their ad campaigns than other forms of advertising.
Some of the simplest forms of mobile marketing take the form of email, Short Message Service (SMS), and Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) promotional campaigns. An SMS is another word for a text message. An MMS is delivered to people's phones in the same way an SMS, but it includes some additional multimedia, such as an image or a video. Marketing campaigns of this sort enable customers to receive ads and promotional offers directly on their devices. Businesses, whether they're housed entirely online or entirely in-person, have several options to choose from when looking for email and SMS marketing software.
Mobile promotions offer great ways to stay in contact with existing customers. Moreover, it's pretty simple to add a button for enrolling customers in mailing and texting lists on most website check-out pages. You can also create landing pages that solicit website visitors for contact information, so they can take advantage of special offers, even before they purchase anything.
In addition, content marketing should play a major role in any mobile marketing plan. Content marketing is the use of creative content, such as blog posts and videos, to sell your products. Many website builders, like WiX and WordPress, have built-in page templates for blog and video pages you can use to draw people in.
Likewise, many website builders automatically format your content for viewing on both computer monitors and mobile devices, meaning anyone can view your content anywhere at any time. Content marketing is also great for boosting your company's SEO.
Finally, for those who are looking to graduate to the very top of the mobile-marketing class, there are mobile apps. Mobile apps are specifically designed for use on smartphones and other mobile devices. They require more investment upfront. After all, you have to pay someone to make the app for you.
Nevertheless, once your app is ready, you can use it both to market and sell your products directly to your customers. Numerous retailers, including Whole Foods, Kroger, Overstock.com, as well as most restaurant chains all have mobile apps that allow customers to shop right on their phones.
Now is the time to get into mobile marketing. Not sure where to start? Web and Marketing USA can help craft a sound strategy for increasing your mobile marketing reach. They can advise on website formats, reliable content creation, and best practices for building your website's SEO. Click the REQUEST button below to schedule a free consultation.
