4 Ways to Get Your Mobile Marketing Off the Ground

If you’re in business selling products and services of almost any kind, but haven’t integrated mobile marketing into your mix, then it’s time for you to think about doing so. For small, medium or large businesses alike, integrating mobile marketing just makes sense. Mobile marketing doesn’t necessarily mean you’re sending text messages to users as they walk by your store– it simply means that you recognize that your sales and marketing info is being accessed through mobile platforms.

The Gartner Group has estimated that by the year 2014, sales of tablets will have surpassed laptops and desktops combined. Add that to a new Forrester report that indicates over a billion people worldwide will have smart phones by 2016. Currently, 82% of American adults own a cell phone, Blackberry, i-Phone, Android or other mobile device.  This trend isn’t surprising.  People want to access the Internet without being tied to a desktop, and devices keep getting cheaper.

For businesses, integrated mobile marketing includes mobile-optimized web pages, mobile apps, QR codes, SMS text messaging and even social media (which is ready-built for mobile– Twitter started as a texting platform, after all).

Businesses who jump ahead of the curve can take advantage of the opportunity to profit from developing a strategic mobile marketing campaign in a space that is still relatively uncrowded. Here are four tips to consider as you develop your mobile marketing plan:

1.  Apply the KISS Principle

“KISS” in this instance, stands for “Keep It Short and Simple”.  Mobile marketing is different than traditional online marketing because the screen and fonts are smaller.  People just don’t want to have to wade through too much information to find out what they need.  They aren’t on their mobile device to surf and waste time; it’s quite the opposite.  People just want to find the information and get on with it.

Therefore, when you’re creating a mobile campaign, whether it’s a website, a text or offering a coupon, the simpler the better.  Graphics should be used sparingly and only when necessary to enhance the message. Make sure you create a mobile version of your site, and use a designer that has experience with this stripped-down, fast-loading format.

2.  Offer Value-Added Information

Although still in its infancy, mobile marketing will quickly start to become oversaturated as more and more businesses see the benefits.  Therefore, if businesses abuse the trust that their customers have, they will destroy the relationship with their customers, and lose business. The last thing a mobile user wants is cumbersome or useless information.

Value added advertising and marketing includes discounts, coupons, actionable tips or tricks, alerts to special events or the ability to check in or register for other benefits. These kinds of mobile-related gestures help to make your products and services more useful and therefore strengthen customer adoption and loyalty.

3.  Create a Viral Campaign

People love to share information with each other.  A viral mobile marketing campaign that takes advantage of sharing an offer with family, co-workers or friends and rewards people for sharing a coupon, freebie, sale, or other offer is fast and simple, and yet it can be one of the best ways to take advantage of mobile marketing.

For example, a restaurant might offer a free appetizer, or even a 2-for-1 meal when someone shows the server an online coupon with a QR code they received through the mobile marketing campaign. The QR code tells the server who shared the coupon in the first place, making them eligible for other great deals. Or a store could put a QR code on their site or on a sign at the front of their physical store to promote their sale with a free hat, mug or other promotional item that customers show their mobile coupon to receive.  Tracking the results is simple and an excellent way to verify that your mobile marketing campaign is working.

4.  Change It Up

If you’re putting together a mobile marketing campaign, rotate your offers on a regular basis to test what works best as far as offers, timing and messaging, but also so your customers don’t get burned out.  For example, one week, you might offer a discount while the next week you send a coupon or even a freebie.  When your customers are surprised by a new and different offer, you’ll also have a higher text open rate.

Your mobile marketing campaign doesn’t need to be elaborate or expensive.  By creating a high perceived value campaign, showing your customers that you appreciate them, you can easily create a highly successful mobile campaign that enhances and increases your business.

 

Mark Daoust is the owner of QuietLightBrokerage.com, one of the nations leading internet business brokers. Unlike many website brokers, QLB uses a hands on approach to assist buyers and sellers with navigating the complexities associated with buying or selling an online business.

Image Credit: WeirDealsOnline, jhaworth

 

Posted on: April 2, 2012