With the mass adoption of smartphone technology and the rise of mobile commerce, the digital marketing landscape has evolved remarkably in just a few short years. As marketers seek out new avenues to advertise and look to create a long-term strategy, they will likely discover that the best way to do so will be to go mobile, particularly for the newer generation of tech-savvy consumers.
But how to market effectively on mobile? Here are 10 examples to learn from, whether you’re new to mobile marketing or a savvy veteran:
Social Media
Use social media strategically on mobile. Reaching young consumers is the Holy Grail for mobile marketing, and it’s important to be aware of what kids are latching onto today. The latest example of this is Snapchat, the popular photo app which recently advertised Universal’s latest film “Ouija.”
Customer Loyalty
Companies are using mobile devices as another form of customer loyalty rewards. Instead of signing up for a new card, customers simply sign up for a smartphone app to gain rewards with each purchase. In addition, businesses can use Foursquare or Passbook for mobile loyalty rewards. For instance, Starbucks has rolled out an array of apps, including a pre-payment app, barista tipping and reward points
Discounts
Customers can find discounts off their purchases if they simply opt-in to the mobile marketing campaign. Although the discounts aren’t immense, this $5 reduction is creating a huge return on investment for a plus-sized women’s clothing retailer. Avenue reported a whopping 6,600% ROI from their MMS campaign!
Mobile SEO
Retailers have been maintaining a focus on their mobile optimization because an organic mobile effectiveness can better enhance a company’s place in search results through search engines such Google and Bing. Doing so makes it easier for customers to spot the brands. Also, remember that locality and timeliness is more important to mobile searchers compared to those searching on PCs. It might be smart to create dedicated landing pages for terms mobile searchers may input, like “24-hour Starbucks” as opposed to simply “Starbucks.”
Email Marketing Revolution
Email marketing has been rejuvenated thanks to enhanced mobile capabilities. Retailers can now provide customers with full HTML email support and various technologies similar to push email, which assists users to receive notifications of new messages wherever they may be. Think of it as a more detailed version of Twitter.
Video Consumption
Approximately 200 million YouTube views take place on mobile devices everyday. This is why marketers are expanding their digital marketing budgets, and why YouTube is mulling over premium content to engage with premium advertisers. Don’t just dump every corporate video on your page though; be savvy about the type of clips mobile users generally consume (read: short, shareable, punchy).
Location Content
Targeted advertising based on a user’s profile or radius should be a tool in every marketer’s arsenal. A majority of smartphone users seek out local information and most of those individuals take some sort of action. This form of mobile marketing is direct and intimate, so much so a major brand is getting on board: Apple’s new mobile operating system last month offers marketers the ability to retarget ads based on users’ in-app browsing behaviors.
TV Advertising
Brands have adapted to mobile content and have created ad campaigns designed specifically for mobile viewing, such as on Twitter, Hulu or Netflix. Experts say that once companies understand how to sync messaging from television viewing to mobile consumption then the marketing landscape will greatly expand.
Second Screen Experience
Consumers use two screens to watch a show or sports. Via their TV and their mobile devices, predominantly on social networks, millions of viewers tweet comments about a live game, for instance. Being active on hashtags relevant to campaigns can permit television marketers to expand their reach beyond the boob tube.
Movie Theaters
Patrons are encouraged to turn off their phones once the film begins. During the pre-show event, however, customers are urged to participate in mobile-enabled ads for product sales. Advertisers and cinemas also inform visitors to take pictures of interactive ads in lobbies and on the screen, play games or check out specific details of the film with their mobile phone. Visitors will then be shown a call to action or be immediately redirected to shopping websites. “Let’s all go the lobby” is now “Let’s all go that app you just downloaded.”
Flickr photo via Anne Worner
