Mobile marketing and the mistakes you mustn’t make
Do you spend time working on your mobile marketing strategy? Mobile marketing has been steadily growing in popularity and scope for years now. Some commentators have even argued that it could overtake by now more traditional marketing platforms such as the internet. And the statistics speak for themselves. According to SmartInsights, the time spent by consumers using mobile digital media in the USA is now at 51%, compared to 42% of their time using desktop media. The same research shows that 89% of their time spent on media is through mobile apps, as opposed to only 11% on mobile sites.
Econsultancy reports that ‘retailers are missing out on £6.6 billion a year by not going mobile’. 48% of UK millennials said that a poor mobile experience would make it less likely for them to use a business’s other products, with that figure rising to 54% globally. UK Consumers are reportedly set to spend £53.6 billion a year using their smartphones and tablets by 2024. If anyone doubted the value of a good mobile marketing strategy, they need only look at the statistics to see the phenomenal value to be tapped into, yet also the pitfalls to sidestep.
Magical mobile
It is true that a good mobile marketing strategy can speak volumes and drive results for your business.
entrepreneur.com have argued that ‘when you set about integrating mobile into your marketing plan, you should begin with the basics: the “who, what, and how” of your mobile strategy’. By asking simple questions of your strategy such as who are you trying to reach and how will they use your content in their daily lives, it is possible to very quickly create an outline of what your strategy will look like.
As the above statistics on mobile media usage have demonstrated, this strategy often needs to go beyond simply optimising your webpage for mobile usage. According to entepreneur.com, by investing in a mobile app for your company you can boost brand awareness and consumer affinity, but you must make sure this app provides a service wanted and needed by your consumer. Whether this is a practical service, for entertainment purposes or providing a social media element to your strategy, the app must be meaningful and offer an alternative dimension to your brand.
Other industry commentators such as Mobile Marketing Magazine also advocate the importance of creating a coherent mobile marketing strategy. Specialising in all things mobile, MMM have teamed up with US mobile marketing specialists Urban Airship for a whitepaper on ‘winning in mobile’.
The paper argues there are a number of benefits to mobile marketing which often make it preferable to more traditional desktop methods such as the power to reach an audience anywhere, anytime, the way mobile offers a more personal experience for consumers that has in many ways become an extension of themselves, and the unprecedented level of control given to consumers in deciding which apps communicate with them and which don’t.
Top tips for dealing with these opportunities and challenges include focusing on innovation, not interruption. Use targeted messaging to engage with audiences on the one to one level offered my mobile. Create moments that matter as opposed to relying on old techniques of reach and frequency. These tips will help you connect with your consumer in a meaningful way. You can download the Mobile Marketing Magazines whitepaper for free here.
Mistakes you mustn’t make
According to a recent article by Marketing Week, ‘although mobile strategies are beginning to mature there are several pain points that continue to frustrate marketers’. Revenues from mobile marketing continuing to soar, just look at Facebook! So, Marketing Week have drawn up a list of five key mistakes that often prevent companies from succeeding in their mobile marketing. Helpfully, they also show how to fix them.
Number one on the list of mistakes is putting apps before strategy. Marketing Week explains as an over-focusing on apps which can hinder generating a rounded strategy. While the above research shows that apps are an important element of users’ mobile experience, it is argued ‘instead of assuming apps are the answer, marketers need to think more creatively about how they can reach and engage with consumers on mobile’.
Other mistakes to avoid include avoiding obtrusive mobile advertising. These are often subject to ever more sophisticated ad blockers so are a waste of time and money. Failure to personalise content in an age where a one-size-fits-all policy is no longer effective is a big no. As is under-investing in mobile strategy.
Hopefully, you’re now much more aware of these potential pitfalls in mobile marketing. Use this to create a strategy which makes the most off the opportunities available in mobile. If you’d like some help, get in touch with the team at Think OTB.
