Are You Targeting Your Mobile Audience?
According to investment management company Morgan Stanley, there will be more people using internet on mobile devices in five years, than those using desktop internet. Another recent study also discovered that Americans spent an average 2.7 hours per day socializing on their phones; that’s more time than we spend eating. Mobile marketing is only going to continue growing, and right now is the time to get involved. Mobile marketing is effective, efficient, and far less expensive than any other form of marketing. Forbes recently discussed mobile marketing, and said, “As marketers, we are supposed to ‘go where the consumers are and get there first” (Forbes). Your customers are mobile, so your business and marketing needs to be mobile, too.
[Tweet “Your customers are mobile, so your business and marketing needs to be mobile, too.”]How do mobile audiences differ from other channels?
Print, email, social media, and text message channels are all used to communicate with the customer. Each channel offers its own pros and cons (read more about four main marketing channels here), but mobile audiences are much different than the other channels.
- Mobile audiences are just that, mobile! They are always on the go, and can be hard to catch. They want fast, efficient information; they do not want to sift through a lot of extra material to get to what they want.
- Mobile phones are personal. Think about it. Our phones literally go with us everywhere… the mobile phone is a very personal thing, and it allows you to market to your customer wherever they are, no matter what they are doing.
- Mobile audiences get to choose what they see. With the opt-in feature of mobile marketing, audiences only choose the messages that they are interested in receiving. This is good because it cuts down on their fatigue and annoyance with advertising bombardment. And, because they get to choose what they see, they are much more likely to act on the special offer or discount or whatever it is you sent them.
- 98% of messages are opened and read. Unlike facebook, where only 3% of brand messages are read, text messaging boasts a staggering 98% opened and read rate. This guarantees that your target audience is aware of the deals that you are offering. (Read more about social media marketing here.)
How do I target mobile audiences?
- Make sure your website is mobile friendly. With our above statistic that mobile internet users will overtake desktop users in 5 years, having a mobile-friendly site seems like a no-brainer. I’ve personally forgone a stop at a business simply because I couldn’t access their website on my iPad, and I’m not alone.
- Use a mobile marketing tool, like the one that Txtwire offers, that allows you to effortlessly connect with your audience. You can send promotions, coupons, announcements, and more with SMS mobile marketing. The cost is much less expensive than print or email advertisements, and much more effective.
- Visit our Mobile Marketing Tips post to find out even more about implementing an effective mobile marketing campaign.
“60% of mobile shoppers use their smartphones while in a store, and another 50% while on their way to a store” (Deloitte Digital) and “61% of people have a better opinion of brands when they offer a good mobile experience” (Lattitude published a great study).
If you already have a website, mobify.com offers a fast way to launch the mobile version of your website. You can also use free tools like wordpress.com, which offers a mobile version of your site, though you may not be able to customize it as much as you’d like.
What do I do now?
You are now armed with all of the information you need to decide whether mobile marketing is the route for you. SMS text messaging is a great option. It is cost-effective, low-maintenance, high-return, and offers an opening into a booming market. The fact of the matter is that mobile phones are not going away; they are going to become an increasingly important part of our lives, and the lives of our customers. Will you be ahead of the market, or struggling to keep up?
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