In many ways, the invention of the smartphone is one of the best things to happen to businesses and marketers of all types in quite some type - possibly ever. Even as recently as five years ago, getting the attention of your target audience and cutting through the noise to really make an impression was an uphill battle that marketers fought each and every day. Now, you essentially have a direct line to your customers at all times thanks to a device small enough for them to carry with them in their pocket. While mobile marketing is undoubtedly effective, it still requires the right approach to help truly unlock its potential. There are six key mobile marketing tips for businesses in particular that should not be ignored.
Privacy is Key
According to Mobile Marketing Magazine, privacy is the top concern facing all mobile users today and as a business owner this is something you need to be respectful of. Create a business-wide policy governing the type of information that is and is not stored about your customers. You can keep their phone number on record, for example, but should make sure that any behavioral data that you obtain that isn't being used to further your campaign is deleted immediately by an employee or automatically.
Opt-In
Another one of the keys to mobile marketing success involves allowing customers to choose to become active participants in your campaign. If a customer has given you their phone number, do not assume that this means that they want to receive your text messages. Create a website where your customers can "Opt-In" to your text list to respect their preferences.
Rewards
Mobile users are also incredibly active users - Geekwire.com reports that the average American spends 162 minutes per day on their mobile device. One of the best ways to use this high level of activity to your advantage is to reward users who spread the word about your brand, your product or your service. You could allow people to unlock a unique coupon if they get five of their friends to sign up for your e-mail list, for example. You could also provide some type of coupon or other code if a person shares a piece of content you post on your site or "Likes" your business' Facebook page. These are all great ways to engage your mobile audience through rewards programs.
Location
Just about every smartphone, tablet or other type of mobile device that has shipped in the last several years has a GPS built inside. For maximum success, you should be making use of this GPS information in your campaigns. You could send a coupon automatically whenever someone drives within a certain distance from your business, for example. If your store is in a mall, you could use iBeacon technology to offer a coupon whenever someone walks in front of your store.
Social Media
By increasing your social media presence in your marketing campaigns, you suddenly have a much more natural and organic way to become a part of the existing conversation. You should be posting content to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and similar types of social media sites on a regular basis - at least a few times a week, if not more. Doing so will not only help spread awareness of your brand through mobile marketing, but it will help your search engine results on Google at the same time.
Responsive Design
Remember that not every one of your customers owns an iPhone. Smartphones, tablets and similar types of devices come in a wide range of types and sizes. As a result, all of your mobile marketing content should be created with responsive design in mind. This allows you to design a mobile site one time, for example, that will then automatically resize and optimize itself based on the screen size and resolution of the device that it is being viewed on.
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