Look around any airport, café, retail store, or waiting room and you’ll see the same thing: people glued to their phones. Mobile devices have become the primary way consumers browse, shop, communicate, and engage with brands. In fact, mobile now accounts for the majority of digital media consumption, making it one of the most powerful marketing channels available today.
Yet despite the rise of mobile-first behavior, many businesses still struggle to create marketing strategies that truly connect with customers on their devices. From mobile-friendly email campaigns to location-based targeting and video content, brands that optimize for the mobile experience can dramatically improve engagement, conversions, and customer loyalty. Here are five proven mobile marketing strategies to help you drive better results.
Release special offers with greater impact
People are tethered to mobile — they work, eat, and even sleep within inches of their mobile devices. Other tactics, such as direct mail, cold calling, and email all work, but, if you want to get a customer’s attention this very second, reach out through mobile.
People view marketing communications through mobile at unprecedented levels. For example, the rate at which people open text-based promotions on mobile is an astounding 98 percent (compared with 20 percent for traditional email campaigns).
The nail polish company Julep decided to deploy a mobile marketing strategy focused on enticing people to connect with it through mobile. The promotion kicked off by sending a text message that asked existing customers to join the “Julep Mobile Insider Club.” Those who agreed were rewarded with a 50 percent discount on their next purchase. Social media and email were also used to encourage people to sign up.
The campaign resulted in 5,000 mobile opt-ins. What’s more, after the company sent out the first promotion, which spread news about a new nail polish color, it experienced a 34% click-through rate and a 17% purchase conversion rate.
Key takeaway: If you aren’t communicating and pushing out special offers to your clients through mobile, it’s time to incorporate this activity into your strategy. Generate sign-ups by emailing your existing customers and sending social media reach-outs. Meet customers where they’re spending time, which is on mobile devices.
Design mobile-friendly email campaigns
If your mobile marketing strategy includes email campaigns, consider that 55 percent of all emails are opened with mobile devices. A large chunk of your target audience is reading your communications through their phones and tablets. Drive greater results and ensure a user-friendly experience by making a few changes:
- Keep the message concise. Mobile screen sizes are small in comparison to desktop monitors. Make reading easy by keeping your message clear, short, and to the point. Make each word count.
- Use a simple layout. Let’s say that your team publishes a monthly newsletter for B2B enterprises. Use a single-column layout to avoid the need for scrolling or zooming in.
- Select one call to action. Mobile readers are in a hurry. Keep the call to action simple to generate more responses. Test different placements of the call to action. Some marketers report that they increase mobile conversions by placing the call to action at the top of the page.
- Use images sparingly. This tip goes against most of the advice that marketers receive. Many marketing gurus say that using lots of images drives greater engagement and click-through rates, which is generally true. But when preparing content for mobile consumption, it’s important to consider the user experience. Mobile is unpredictable and if you display too many images, some devices and platforms may automatically turn off the images, so the user sees a big, awkward chunk of white space.
- Use a large font size. Aim for a font size greater than 13 points to encourage greater readability.
Key takeaway: The reader’s experience is your first priority. When you optimize your content for mobile, you’ll instantly harness greater results.
Leverage the power of geolocation
Location-based mobile strategies allow customers to use their devices when shopping for new products and services; geolocation delivers relevant offers with perfect timing.
For example, Apple introduced “iBeacons” at retail locations. When customers enter the store, the technology greets them through their phones. It then shows relevant product information, even displaying offers as customers pass products.
Macy’s tested this technology. As a person walks into the store, the beacon technology instantly recognizes the customer and asks that he or she open the mobile application. Once opened, the program continues to highlight relevant offers and personalize the customer’s experience.
The technology understands the customer in real time, and, as a result, delivers relevant and timely offers that not only improve the shopping experience but drive the customer to action.
Key takeaway: Geo-targeted campaigns achieve a 20% higher CTR than standard campaigns and are an effective mobile marketing strategy across most industries.
Get data driven
Mobile creates massive amounts of data, but what marketers need most are insights. Unlike a desktop, which multiple people use, a mobile device is typically used by only one person — a relationship that provides marketers with much greater understanding of their customers. How we analyze that data, however, is important. Use mobile analytics to better understand the following elements:
- Mobile bounce rates. How many of your customers are quickly leaving your mobile site? If this number is high, find out why.
- Pages per session. Once visitors arrive, how long are they spending on your mobile site and how much are they reading?
- Mobile site speed. Because a large majority of your audience is accessing your content via mobile, pay close attention to loading times. Slow loading could affect conversion rates and, consequently, revenue.
- As with your website, you’ll want to track the number of conversions you’re receiving from mobile — and whether this number is increasing or decreasing. Look for problem areas.
Key takeaway: Mobile analytics empowers marketers to improve customer experiences. You can learn which services are most popular and which pages people access the most. Leverage mobile analytics to help shape your future mobile marketing strategies.
Use video
Video is used in many marketing strategies, such as social media and branded website content. But, it’s also important to know that smart phones accounts for 75% of all video views, so it’s critical to think about video in the context of the mobile experience.
Reach customers through a variety of formats. For example, Adobe published the comical video “Click, Baby, Click” to drive awareness of marketing cloud products. The video has captured more than 200k views and provides a humorous take on what happens when analytics go wrong.
Other ideas for incorporating video in your mobile marketing strategy include short blog videos, video case studies, and educational content that helps your customers get more from your products and services.
Key takeaway: Combining mobile and video can drive greater engagement and reach customers through a format they prefer.