Visit any airport, coffee shop, or retail outlet and you won’t need to look far to find somebody preoccupied with a mobile device. In fact, people now spend 65 percent of their digital media time on mobile, with the desktop becoming secondary for many digital users. Few mediums in history are as personal, powerful, and disruptive as mobile technology.
However, many marketers still struggle with creating powerful strategies that harness the maximum potential of this medium. Here are five powerful strategies to incorporate in your 2017 mobile marketing efforts.
1. Release special offers with greater impact
People are tethered to mobile — they work, eat, and even sleep within inches of their 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 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.
2. Design mobile-friendly email campaigns
If your marketing plans for 2017 include email campaigns, consider that 51 percent of all emails were 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.
3. 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 recently 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: 72% of customers say they’ll respond to a call to action that they view within sight of a retailer. Yet, only 23 percent of marketers use geo-targeted data in their mobile marketing strategies. This data presents a huge opportunity to reach customers with accuracy and then reap great results.
4. 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. Use mobile analytics to help shape your marketing strategies for 2017.
5. 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 video accounts for 50 percent of all mobile data, 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 131,000 views to date 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.
Leveraging mobile with greater success
Mobile is like a freight train, charging forward and gaining speed as it charges along the tracks. There’s no stopping it, and this medium holds so much opportunity that you wouldn’t want to pull the brake. Mobile click-through rates and email-opening rates are providing new opportunities for brands to truly participate in the customer journey.
To optimize success you must develop mobile marketing strategies that help you better understand customers in context and reach them intentionally and thoughtfully. By creating these strategies, you’ll drive greater engagement, results, and impact for your brand.
What mobile marketing strategies do you use and find most effective? Please share your thoughts.