Let’s navigate the smartphone universe.
As a member of Gen-Z, I grew up in the world of electronics. Don’t get me wrong, I still grew up outdoors and often with a book in hand. But, my generation knew an iPad just as well as we did a coloring book. Even being surrounded by technology the way I have been, it still can be overwhelming to stay up to date on all the happenings and utilize them effectively.
In the era of online shopping, social media, and constant text messages, we rarely have our smartphones out of reach. Smartphones are reaching a new height daily, with new social media platforms, features, and apps coming out faster than imaginable. With smartphones being such an indispensable part of our lives, their dominance changes the way we find out new information, communicate, and shop. Therefore, in today’s fast-paced world, mobile marketing has emerged as one of the top tools for businesses to connect with an audience that is constantly on the go. Mobile marketing has become a priority for keeping businesses relevant and engaging with an audience that scrolls. It has become crucial for marketers to tap into this mobile landscape and leverage its potential.
Hand-in-Hand: Smartphones and Mobile Marketing
As of 2021, 97% of Americans own a cell phone of some kind and 85% of those users have a smartphone. In the last decade, the amount of users with a smartphone has severely increased—from 35% to 85%. With an audience accessible at the touch of a button, marketers have to capitalize on virtual content.
Moreover, mobile internet usage has witnessed an exponential surge in recent years. People now spend more time browsing the internet on their smartphones than on computers. From cat videos to finding a new dinner recipe, the answer is often just a click of a button away. And let’s be honest, it’s so much easier to use your smartphone than it is to lug out your laptop. This shift in consumption makes a shift in marketing strategies a necessity. After all, Great Marketing Starts with a Great Strategy. By focusing on mobile platforms, companies can effectively engage and communicate with their target audience.
Key Benefits of Mobile Marketing
There are a plethora of benefits to making marketing mobile. Ease, reach, personalization, and feedback are only the beginning of what mobile marketing can help you accomplish.
- Reach and Accessibility: With mobile marketing, businesses are able to reach a vast and diverse audience. With smartphones becoming more and more affordable and accessible, marketers can target a wide range of customers, expanding their reach and potential consumer base like never before.
- Personalization: Goodbye, cookie cutter marketing; we don’t need you anymore! Mobile marketing allows for each individual’s experience to be tailored to them, their interests, and their needs. Whatever your company is offering can be crafted to make the experience more meaningful for your customers. By letting your users be part of the story, you place importance on them.
- Integration: Cross-platform mobile marketing can seamlessly blend with other forms, such as social media, email marketing, and SMS (text) campaigns. By combining efforts across various platforms, businesses can amplify their brand message and create a cohesive customer experience.
- Engagement and Feedback: If mobile marketing is utilized, real-time feedback can give companies fresh and relevant engagement. Through instant messaging and interactive mobile experiences, businesses can be active in their online presence and give consumers a voice through the platform. Real-time feedback can help to adapt and improve any company’s marketing strategies.
With these elements in mind, your mobile marketing can open doors to optimize your content significantly. By adding just a few new features into your already existing marketing strategy, the possibilities are endless.
New Techniques
Now, you don’t have to go viral on TikTok for dancing in order to have an effective online presence. You can put your Cha Cha Slide away (for now). In order to be effective in the realm of mobile marketing, businesses should follow a few basics.
- Ensuring that your website is mobile-friendly is one of the first steps in mobile marketing. If a potential customer is searching online and your website is making their experience unenjoyable, more times than not, they’ll head elsewhere. A one-second delay in a website’s loading time can cause a 7% loss for companies. A concise, easy to navigate website will make all the difference.
- Mobile advertising can also make a huge difference. In-app ads, mobile search ads, or mobile display ads can give companies the opportunity to target precise audiences. Advertisements can help expand a company’s reach and start a conversation with potential or existing customers.
- GPS is such an incredible tool, and it can work in your favor. You’ll want to utilize location-based marketing so your audience can receive relevant information based on their location. Whether this is notification for local deals, recommendations for places to visit, or personalized offers, target messages can make the customer feel important and make their experience that much better.
With smartphones and technology becoming a pillar in marketing, it’s time to adapt, if you haven’t already. The transition to mobile marketing may seem daunting, no matter how familiar you are with your smartphone. But take it from your resident Gen-Z marketing intern, our electronics aren’t going anywhere. It’s time to use them to your advantage with a clear mobile marketing strategy.
