As our world population grows bigger, the electronic devices grow smaller. Times have changed, and our lives have changed with it. Advertisement, now, is not reliant on big jumbo posters alone. Although on-ground still works, a large portion of happens online now. That’s where the global population lives. The virtual world has made way for , with more than 80% of business owners agreeing that is crucial to a business’s popularity.
While many people do not have PCs, more than 80% of the global population is connected to the virtual world via .
The market research also gives evidence that over half of the advertising budgets are consumed by .
Defined
is a method of advertising by business owners that reaches their audience via phones or tablets. There are a variety of forms of . They range from QR codes to emails to SMSs to in- advertising. With access to data like demographics and location, marketers can even customize the way they market their products.
Why Is Trending?
There are various reasons why more and more business owners are opting for . Some of them include:
- The sheer number of is enough to attract all the business owners to the virtual world. Given the economic disparity, not everyone can have a television set. But, many companies are manufacturing cheap products that are affordable to a greater number of people.
- No one really needs a laptop or a desktop anymore. Companies are generating apps that are compatible with phones. And so, more and more people are getting their work done on their phones. Besides, when people are not working, many spend the vast majority of their time online on their phones, making even more attractive.
- The layout of advertisements on phones gives companies greater flexibility. provides business owners with the option to insert videos and gifs on their advertisement, which helps them connect with their customers better.
- phones are personal, and so, they offer personal insights into the customers. These are crucial data for agencies to further develop their brand. Furthermore, a closer understanding of the customers can help businesses customize their list of products.
- A boost in web traffic is crucial to a business’s online reputation. If well done, can help you reach the global crowd creating a global community. Moreover, many customers already prefer shopping online through websites.
Mobile Marketing Is A Boon To Small And Medium Enterprises
Small and medium enterprises or independent businesses cannot compete with large corporations on-ground. But, gives them a chance to reach a wider crowd. Let’s just say that it significantly levels the field for everyone.
Small businesses can reach the global community without setting a store outside their state. It cuts through cultural and geographical boundaries. Using , you can go from a local business to an international one.
The various features of also give SMEs multiple channels for their outreach program. Many of such features include games, , emails, and even apps.
To put it simply, the wider the base, the more chance there is for your business to grow. With , SMEs can directly reach their consumers about their latest updates or products.
Pointers On Getting Your Mobile Marketing Started
The mobile marketing scene is also highly competitive. It’s very easy for your business to become invisible in a sea of other businesses. Here are some easy pointers to keep in mind when setting up your mobile marketing strategy.
Find Your Core Customer Base
The one truly important thing that matters for a business is its consumer. We cannot emphasize the point any further. It’s the customers that run the business. And so, it is crucial that you find your core customer base. This will differ according to the products you have. And, mobile marketing takes you very far in understanding who your consumers are.
You can receive information about your customers, like their age group, marital status, gender, income bracket, and location. Knowing this will help you tailor an attractive marketing campaign that your customers won’t be able to resist. Moreover, if your business’ and customers’ interest align, you will have found a loyal customer. And, loyal customers are invaluable.
An Appropriate Channel
After you identify who your customers are, you need to advertise via appropriate channels. Understanding your customers and giving them what they like will only drive your sales up.
Always Customize Your Content
Your content matters. Instead of sending out plenty of mobile marketing campaigns, send one carefully crafted one. A well thought out campaign will help your business grow more. Find a connecting link with your customers to make them loyal to your brand. Furthermore, unique content will separate you from a sea of online advertisements.
What Are Some Of The Best Mobile Marketing Strategies
There are several ways you can go with mobile marketing. The point of the matter is that advertisements on mobile phones give your brand more flexibility than any other platform.
App-Based Marketing
One thing that is guaranteed is that most of us are always scrolling through one app or the other. This gives business owners excellent opportunities to advertise their brands on apps. You can showcase your products on mobile apps. Other forms of third-party advertisements are marketing your products on social media sites. Facebook and others are excellent in this regard.
Location-Based Marketing
When you use this method, you attract potential consumers on the ground. Location-Based marketing takes the GPRS into account and gets a potential consumer’s exact location. And, when they are near your business, they can be alerted of your products.
QR Codes
Gone are the days of pamphlets. You can now insert your website link onto barcodes. And when potential customers scan these barcodes, they will be given details of your brand.
In-Game Advertisement
Since video game companies now cater to mobile phone users as well, you can use this mobile marketing opportunity to insert your product in between games by using banner pop-ups and video clip ads.
SMS Mobile Marketing
Using an online SMS service for your business is another excellent method to directly reach larger target customers.But this usually works only if you have access to a large database of potential customers.
What Are The Pros And Cons Of Mobile Marketing
Pros
- Since mobile phones are “mobile”, wireless, and can be taken anywhere with us, our mobile phones are always with us. So, the first pro of mobile marketing is that consumers will be informed of a brand’s product almost instantaneously.
- It’s very convenient for business owners since mobile marketing needs direct, smaller, but attractive content. So, the content doesn’t have to be elaborate, it just needs to be unique and need to get your point across.
- When you get access to your consumers, you also get access to certain information about them. And that information, as detailed above as well, can help you customize your products according to your customer’s needs. If your brand matches your customer’s interest, then you can gain a loyal consumer.
- You are not a local business anymore; you are in the global market. This means more consumer base. There will be no cultural or geographical barriers, and you can truly expand your business overseas without ever physically going there.
- Online payment further helps you maintain a global consumer base. Additionally, you don’t have to worry about the trouble over converting international currencies. This makes your brand even more appealing to a consumer.
Cons
- This is one important thing you need to remember. Never get carried away with collecting data. If you are not careful with what kinds of data you are collecting, you can be charged with unlawful activities of breaching a consumer’s privacy. This can further result in lawsuits, which will cost you a significant amount.
- There’s limited standardization. Since there are different brands that manufacture smartphones, every brand is different. And so, you don’t really have the option of creating one standard mobile marketing campaign for every electronic device. Although, on the flip side, it gives you more flexibility.
2020 Mobile Marketing Trends
Mobile marketing has taken the reigns of the advertising world. As the world progresses, mobile marketing trends also progresses. 2020 is bringing us several mobile marketing updates.
5G Network
The super exciting 5G network was announced in 2019. It elevates our network speed, and so, gives more room for mobile marketing to expand. Now, brands can create immersive and elaborate mobile marketing campaigns. It will not only enhance a consumer’s experience but also give brand opportunities to express themselves better.
M-Commerce
Mobile commerce is also growing as more and more brands come running towards mobile marketing. Research has shown that over 40% of online transactions happen on mobile phones. Several sophisticated mobile shopping apps have also emerged in recent years. More are expected to come.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence has completely changed the game in mobile marketing. They are a huge source of data collection for brand managers. Several companies have already started going deeper into customer insights using AI. Reports suggest that AI development will find explosive growth in 2020. This way, brands utilizing mobile marketing can gain larger data on their consumer’s behavior.
Conversation Selling
This method is excellent in giving your consumers a more personal experience. You can use third-party apps like a Facebook messenger or WhatsApp and chat with your customer live. They can even give you direct feedback on the products.
Here Are Some Great Mobile Marketing Platforms
Adestra
Small and medium enterprises can utilize this platform for the best of results. It is compatible with several apps. Not just that, it also provides a crucial analysis of consumer behavior. These behavioral trends give SMEs a great opportunity to know their customers.
Adobe Marketing Cloud
Regardless of whether your brand is big or small, you can use this platform. It gives you online analysis as well as provides you with a mobile marketing platform. Its tools include consumer targeting, social media, and online experience management.
Sharpspring
The best thing about this platform is that it is easily affordable. It gives you information on the flow of the market, and it is also compatible with third-party apps.
What’s The Difference Between Social Media Marketing And Mobile Marketing
The two are interconnected and linked in many ways, but they are not the same. Social media marketing uses social media, in forms of Facebook ads or Google ads, to market products. Meanwhile, mobile marketing uses social media platforms along with games, SMS, QR codes, MMS, etc.
So, the end line is that both are forms of digital marketing but are not the same.
Research has found that more than 40% of mobile phone users sleep with their phones near them. This shows that mobile phones are a part and parcel of our everyday lives now. This only goes on to explain why mobile marketing is on the trend right now. Creating a personal link between a brand and a customer was never this easy. Now, with mobile marketing, a customer’s favorite brand is just a tap away.
More than half the population finds their desired products through their mobile phones. And these are numbers that cannot be ignored.
On a closing note, let’s also make clear that, while mobile marketing has become the global trend, competition is also massive. That’s why businesses, especially local and independent ones, need to make sure that they put the right amount of effort and money into it.
Choosing the right channel is crucial in finding and reaching your core consumer base. So, make use of all the pointers given above, and you will be good to go!
