Mobile Marketing

Mobile Marketing Is The Future Of Online Advertising!

What does mobile marketing have to do with Nomophobia? The term is an abbreviation for "no-mobile-phone phobia." It refers to an irrational fear of being without your mobile phone. This includes misplaced or lost phones, having no service, a dead battery, and other such reasons that would result in your phone being unusable.

Studies showed that about 50% of people suffer from this.

When is the last time you misplaced your phone? What feelings did you have? Our mobile devices have almost become a part of us. Often times we view teenagers as the mobile users, but everyone uses them! Moms, dads, business owners, vacationers, executives, commuters, shoppers, and the list goes on. We would rather leave the house with no clothes than without our mobile device! We invite you to consider the obsession that society has with their mobile devices and how your business might benefit from this phenomenon.

Target your ideal customer on their preferred device. Mobile Marketing is the future of online advertising! Google reported that more searches were taking place on mobile phones as opposed to desktop. Its clear society is obsessed with their mobile devices, presenting an opportunity your business can profit from!

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In 2015 Google reported that more searches were taking place on mobile over desktop. This is the case for the whole world! Some internet users only use mobile devices to search and surf the web. Our heading above may be a little deceptive as the future is now. It is estimated that mobile advertising accounts for over 60% of all online leads. Are you considering how mobile marketing fits into your overall marketing strategy? Do you know how it can help your business be seen and increase conversions? Do you know how your customers are interacting with their mobile? Don't pass on the power of mobile marketing for your business.

What Is Mobile Marketing?

Mobile marketing is marketing done on mobile devices such as a smartphone or tablet and other handheld devices. This online advertising can take many forms such as ads on Facebook, ads on Google, in-app ads, location-based marketing, and QR codes. It is important to consider how to optimize your users experience for both mobile and desktop. You may question how the user experience on a mobile device is any different from a desktop. The following list unravels the major differences:

• Location- As you have probably noticed, it is often the case while on your mobile device that a pop-up notification asks you to "allow" or "don't allow" your location to be made known. You can imagine what type of data can be retrieved from knowing a person's location. If you are a local business, this particular feature is extra important.
• Real Estate- Think about how an upper-class suburban home differs from a mobile home. What is the first thing you think of? It is the most likely size, and that one is transportable. This is quite literally the same concept for mobiles and desktop advertising. The size of screens differ greatly between a desktop and mobile devices, and even among mobile devices there are many different sizes. Depending on the device the "real estate" that is available for an ad varies greatly. Therefore the text size, image size, amount of content, graphic layouts, and navigation will be different.
• Mobility- This is obviously no hidden secret, but as mentioned in the analogy above between the upper-class suburban home and the mobile home, a big difference is the fact that one is easily transportable and has high mobility.
• Photo and Video- Mobile devices have made it very easy to Skype and engage in similar activities like taking pictures. Cameras pixels and video capabilities are ever increasing and becoming their own media outlets. This is a major difference between mobile and desktop.
• Push Notifications- The impact of push notifications is much greater for mobile devices.

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Mobile marketing is key to any marketing strategy

A good marketing strategy includes objectives and a plan. It identifies which channels you will use to push your product or services; whether it is through online advertising, trade shows, networking, etc. As mobile searches are dominating traffic, it is crucial to incorporate mobile advertising into your overall strategy. Another key ingredient to a successful marketing strategy is knowing your customers. Strong mobile marketing will not only give you a leg up on your competitors and increase your brand awareness and ultimately your sales, but also provide you with key information about who your customers are, where they are coming from and when they are interested in your products or services. Consider the following when developing a mobile marketing strategy that fits into your overall strategy:

• Using Proper Keywords- Keywords are not only important for content marketing. Mobile customers are typically searching locally. To apply this principle, make sure you include your local area in your keyword. An example of this is changing "Chicago Deep Dish" to "Chicago Deep Dish in Edmonton." This will give you greater visibility locally and will help you get qualified leads.
• Sales Offer On Mobile Site- Make sure to include sales offers or special offers on your mobile site to grab the attention of customers. This will help boost your response rates. Often times a count down timer is very effective, counting down the time left until a particular promotion ends.
• Include Map- If you have a physical location make sure to include not only an address but also a map to help people locate you. It is estimated that 70% of users take action within an hour of a search on their mobile phone. Make sure you are seen and found!
• Have Compatible Marketing- Customers will be viewing your advertisements from many different devices, therefore, it is important to make sure your content is compatible with all devices. Many potential sales fail if a website is not mobile friendly. An easy way to check if your website is mobile friendly is going to your website from a mobile device. Try many different devices with different screen sizes. See what you think of the experience. If your site is not optimized for mobile and your competitors is, who are they going to buy from?
• Use Location Data- Most people make purchases close to home. Use IP Geolocation and big data to target those closest to your physical location.

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The Shift To Mobile Marketing

It's estimated that mobile ad spend will rise to $66 Billion equating to 72% of total ad spend (resulting in 28% for desktop). Mobile devices are dominating searches, social media, email, and video. The shift to mobile is real and is not slowing down. Mobile devices are consumers lifeline. They feel a personal connection to their device, and it is a part of who they are.  A recent study shared that the average person spends 90 minutes a day on their phone. Think about the anxiety you felt the last time you misplaced your device. Think about having the knowledge of where and when your customers are viewing your content. A unique feature of mobile devices is that they are always on, unlike the television, radio or billboard ads. If you have not made the shift, do it now! Do not rush into it. Develop a mobile marketing strategy that is feasible and realistic.

Mobile Websites Optimization

As mentioned earlier, it is important to have compatible marketing. Compatible marketing is optimizing user experiencing for different devices. Consider optimizing for mobiles with different screen sizes and tablets. Take into account different screen sizes and load times. When optimizing look at page speed, site design, and structure. If your site is already optimized for search engines (if it is not optimized, contact us) there are only a few things to do. They include:

1. Speed- Page speed is very important for mobiles and tablets as they often have connectivity issues. Low speeds result in high bounce rates. Do you wait around for pages to load or do you just leave? Speed can be maximized by reducing all unnecessary code, using browser caching, and minimizing redirects.
2. No Flash- Not all devices will have the flash plugin. Use HTML5.
3. No Pop-ups- Pop-ups are hard to close. Don't annoy your customers, get rid of these and decrease bounce rates.
4. Design- Consider the right approach and the organization of content.
5. Consider Fat Fingers- Buttons that are too small may lead to accidental clicks.
6. Titles and Meta Descriptions- Less real estate means less space for titles and meta descriptions. It is important to be concise while showcasing what you offer.

• not new, been around for a long time
• Shift to screens such as tablets, mobiles, important to optimized for each variation

Why Use Mobile Marketing

If you still do not see the need for having and implementing a mobile marketing strategy, it's a sad day for business. Online advertising is good but only when done right.

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Mobile Marketing Strategy

Imagine there is a large tree that in your front yard that needs to be cut down. Would you use a traditional ax or chainsaw? Obviously, you would choose a chainsaw as it is much more effective, it theoretically, is an evolution of the axe. The same goes for mobile marketing in relation to marketing. Every good marketing strategy includes a mobile marketing strategy. As important as online advertising is, mobile advertising is becoming increasingly more important; over half of the searches online come from mobile devices. For most businesses a mobile marketing strategy should be the foundation for their overall marketing strategy. The first step is to make sure your website is mobile-friendly. Just as effective mobile marketing can help you, ineffective or non-existent mobile marketing can hurt you. Consider the following items below when producing your mobile marketing strategy.

The first step is to make sure your website is mobile-friendly. Just as effective mobile marketing can help you, ineffective or non-existent mobile marketing can hurt you. Its all about creating a good experience for your user! Consider the following items below when producing your mobile marketing strategy.

Facebook Mobile Advertising

Facebook has 1.44 billion active monthly mobile users, with more that 700 million visiting daily. You can imagine the number of people you can target. Facebook mobile ads allow you to reach your target market; the right gender, age, interest, and devices. As opposed to Google, who runs different ads according to keywords that are searched, Facebook runs ads based on things that people are interested in and how they behave online. This is known as "paid social." Ads are placed in the "news feed" portion of Facebook and are therefore more likely to be seen and acted upon. Track the success of your ads to measure their effectiveness. Facebook is an inexpensive, easy way to advertise your products or services and keep customers engaged with your business. If you are already running Google PPC ads, don't worry, you can also run Facebook ads. They can work together to achieve maximum visibility and better reach your target market. Facebook allows you to advertise on Instagram.

Google Maps Optimization For Mobile

It is estimated that 1 in 3 people do a local search on a mobile device before visiting a store's physical location. Many times users are looking for practical information such as an address or phone number. The more information you give Google, the better and more optimized, your site will be. Make sure you list your business on Google+ local. It is important that all the information you enter is correct. Integrate local keywords in your pages, content, and titles. Make sure when submitting your NAP(name, address, phone number) in local directories that you always use the exact same information. An example of this is using "Ave" versus "Avenue." Google bots are very smart and pay attention to detail, they notice slight discrepancies. Consistency helps Google establish confidence in you and ultimately will help you rank higher on Google maps. If you are wondering if your NAP is consistent, there are tools to do just that. Entering your business information is very tedious work, but it is crucial.

Social Media Mobile Advertising

The beauty of mobile marketing is the intimate experience a user can have. It is not like other, more traditional forms of advertising. Get personal by using the data from the social platforms. Tailor ads to your target and speak their language. Make sure tracking is in place to record and measure the success of your ad campaigns. Tracking your ads will allow you to measure conversions and other metrics that are useful in seeing what campaigns are successful. Choose social platforms that your target customers use. Such platforms may include:

When using social platforms to advertise for mobile, there a few techniques that will help you create the most effective ads. First, use simple imagery. Mobile devices have much smaller screens than desktop computers. Simple but bold images are best. Second, use limited text. This also addresses the fact of the small screen for mobile. Thrid, make sure your landing pages that link to your ads are mobile friendly. Lastly, use mobile-friendly videos when possible. Videos increase user engagement. Users are often lazy and do not want to read content, and they would rather watch a video.

In-App Advertising

In-app advertising is another great way to reach your target market. When creating ads for apps constantly test new ad formats to increase conversion rates and reduce bounce rates. Depending on what you are advertising and pushing, ads can take many different forms such as videos, expandable ads, and even interactive ads. A general rule of thumb is usability equals conversion. Another important factor to keep in mind is speed, this coincides with usability. Make sure to have the powerful call to actions. Call to actions can be enhanced by adding incentives. Limited time offers, discounts, coupons, and such incentives will increase your conversion rate.

In-Game Mobile Marketing

There are millions of people who play games on their mobile devices. If your target market happens to play these games, then this might be a good option. It is possible to use banner ads or video ads that appear between loading screens. It is also possible to use pop-ups. We usually do not recommend using pop-up ads, however, if you do choose to use such a method, this would be the place to do it.

SMS

This is also known as "text message marketing." This is when you send your potential customer text offers. This method is a little outdated and often not very effective. One particular issue is that businesses are required to first gain permission from customers before they text them.

QR Codes

QR codes, which are similar to bar codes, can be scanned by mobile devices directing them to a particular offer or web page. This method bridges mobile marketing and physical marketing. QR codes can be placed on buses, business cards, and many other locations. This is not a commonly used method and is generally not an extremely effective method, but it may work for your business. QR codes are very versatile and often cost effective. QR codes can be tracked, and therefore campaigns can be easily tracked. It is important to have strong landing pages; weak landing pages can result in a very uneffective QR code campaign.

Mobile Website Advertising

Having a mobile friendly website is crucial. Consider the many devices your potential customers will use when viewing your website and make sure it is compatible with those devices. Having an intuitive menu will help reduce bounce rates and keep users engaged with your site. From our own research, we have found that footers, usually overlooked, are important for keeping users engaged and moving onto different pages. If a user scans a page and does not find what they are looking for, often times

Need Help?

If you are overwhelmed at the thought of doing your own mobile marketing or if you just don't have the time, contact us for help! Digital Shift would love to hear about your mobile marketing strategies. A digital marketing strategist can provide you with a free consultation and review your mobile visibility.

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