Why mobile marketing is becoming even more important for brands

Mobile marketing is simply marketing your brand to mobile device users. It can be done in a variety of ways, such as SMS marketing, app-based mobile marketing, in-game mobile marketing, location-based mobile marketing, QR codes, and mobile search ads. Mobile marketing is already happening, with projections that 72% of marketing budgets to be spent on mobile advertising in 2019. First I’ll go through the reasons why you should invest in mobile marketing this year, then move to the different ways that you can carry out mobile marketing.

Why it’s time to focus on mobile marketing

1. Almost half of all web traffic in America is on mobile devices

Far gone are the days that a phone was simply used to make calls. Today, consumers carry mobile computers in their pockets all day, with Americans dedicating about 10 hours a day interacting with them.

Mobile has become an integral part of our life and the consistent use of smartphones in daily life brings forward an idea for the development of this type of marketing. Not only are consumers using their phones, but according to research from Statista, in 2018, 52% of all web traffic was generated on mobile devices.

2. Mobile Marketing is trusted by consumers

Yes, desktops have been around longer than mobile devices, and ads on desktop computers are something we’ve been used to for decades. But, since customers are so attached to using their mobile devices, rather than disrupting their browsing experience, ads can compliment them. Mobile marketing in the form of SMS marketing is the most obvious way to do this.

3. You Have The Audience’s Attention

What more could you want as a business? Since we’re always being flooded with marketing messages from every direction, we tend to tune the majority of them out. But, within the first 5 minutes of receiving a text message, 82% of consumers will read it. Currently, there is not a better channel to grab your audience’s attention.

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Exploring the different types of Mobile Marketing

Mobile marketing is the catch-all term for marketing any type of mobile devices -but there are many ways that you can go about it. The first step is to diagnose where you believe your potential customers are, and what the goal of your mobile marketing campaign is. For example, if you’re a B2B company, it’s probably better to target through mobile search ads rather than location based or in-app mobile marketing. Whereas if you’re targeting teenagers, or announcing a new pop up shop, those two options would suit. Let’s break down the different types of mobile marketing.

Location Based

Location-based mobile marketing refers to ads that appear based on your location or based on your search query. These ads act as a reminder to try a product near you through a previously downloaded app or in Google search results. I’ve been targeted by apps like Yelp, alerting me of new restaurants opening up in my area. Here’s an example from the Sephora app.

mobile marketing

Location-based marketing also intersects with mobile search section. I was craving Thai food the other day for lunch, so searched “Thai restaurants Dublin” and as you can see, my SERP page was filled with advertisements matching my query. Notice in the example below, how the advertisment has the option to call right from the search page, as well as the distance.

QR codes

This sounds a bit out of the box, but hear me out. If you’re reading this blog from North America or Europe, most likely you’ve seen QR codes around but it’s unlikely you’ve fully adapted to using them. However, in many Asian countries, QR code adoption has been growing year on year, with over 34% using them at least once a year. It’s estimated that more than $1.65 trillion of transactions in Asia used QR codes and almost a third of all mobile payments in China. On top of that with Apples iOS 11, QR codes became native to the camera- meaning every time you take a picture of a QR code, it will ask you if you’d like to visit the site. This eliminates the need for a third party app to read QR codes. To create QR codes, you should consider using a link management system so you can track the success of your campaigns. With a tool like Rebrandly, you are able to create a QR code for every single link you shorten. You’ll be able to access (in real time) detailed analytics about any interaction with the code.

They can be added as the link between outdoor advertising, like in this example by M&M’s.

In-game

If you’ve ever played a game on your mobile device (in the free version at least) you’ll get ads. Sometimes they are related to other games by that company, or to make in-app purchases. External advertisers can also place their ad’s at the bottom of live mobile games. Check out this example of a telecoms provider advertising on an Angry Birds game.

In-game advertising is great if you’re in this niche market.

Mobile search and image ads

You’ve seen search ad’s all over Google search result for years. These same ads appear on the mobile version of Google as well. Check out this example of ads that appeared after a search for Red Sox tickets.

SMS marketing

SMS marketing is one of the most used and trusted forms of mobile marketing. In fact, 80% of US consumers said that SMS marketing positively impacted their customer service experience. You’re able to slyly target your customers with updates and reminders in the form of an easy and fast to read SMS. The difference between SMS marketing and the rest of the mobile marketing examples we discussed is that with SMS marketing, is that consumers must consent to give you permission to text them, as well as offering the option to opt out.

Since consumers are accepting of this type of marketing, it’s important to create the best experience, creating trust. I recommend using a branded link in your SMS marketing efforts. First, because that link can act as the CTA to the text. This is important as space is limited in SMS marketing. Another benefit to branded links is that they are more likely to be clicked on, in fact, they boast up to 39% higher click-through rates when compared to traditional generic short URLs. this is because the user is able to see where the link will lead. Here’s an example that I received from my mobile phone provider, Three, reminding me to renew my plan.

Wrapping up

The reasons to add mobile marketing to your strategy this year are very clear, I mean the proof is in the numbers. Since this type of marketing offers such a variety of tactics, it’s easy to find the one that will suit your business the best. Have you tried mobile marketing? Have you run into any trouble or triumphs? Let me know in the comments below!