In a world of ever-evolving technology, it’s no surprise that marketing has had to adapt along with it. Today, that means being able to reach consumers where they are, which more and more often is on their mobile devices. And that’s why businesses in Spokane need to be thinking about how to best utilize mobile marketing.
With more than 80% of Americans now owning smartphones, it’s clear that this is where many people’s attention is focused. And when it comes to making purchasing decisions, mobile devices are playing an increasingly important role. In fact, according to Google, “92% of smartphone users search for local information on their phones.”
That means if your business isn’t optimized for mobile, you could be missing out on a lot of potential customers. But what exactly is mobile marketing? And how can you make sure you’re doing it right? Keep reading to find out.
What Is Mobile Marketing?
In its simplest form, mobile marketing is any type of marketing that reaches consumers on their mobile devices. That could be through SMS (short message service) messages, responsive web design, or even apps and other digital platforms specifically designed for mobile devices.
Essentially, it’s about making your marketing efforts more accessible to those who are increasingly using their phones and tablets to go online. And with more than half of all web traffic now coming from mobile devices, it’s clear that this is a trend that businesses need to pay attention to.
Why Is Mobile Marketing Important?
There are a few key reasons why Spokane businesses should care about mobile marketing:
1. Mobile Devices Are Where People Are Spending Their Time
As we mentioned before, people are spending more and more time on their mobile devices. In fact, according to Comscore, the average American spends nearly three hours per day on their smartphone. That’s a lot of time that could be spent interacting with your brand!
2. Mobile Devices Are Used Throughout the Consumer Journey
People don’t just use their smartphones for leisurely activities like browsing social media or checking email. They also use them for things like research and comparison shopping when they’re looking to make a purchase. In fact, Google reports that “61% of users said they are unlikely to return to a website onmobile if they had trouble accessing it and 40% visit a competitor’s site instead.” So if your site isn’t optimized formobile, you could lose out on valuable sales. 3 . Consumers Expect A Seamless Experience Across All Devices According To Google Machina Research , “77% of consumers expect companies tobetter understand their needs and expectations.” That means they expect a consistent and cohesive experience across all devices—and that includes mobile. If your site isn’t optimized formobile or if you’re not utilizing SMS marketing or other strategies specifically geared towards reaching consumers ontheir phones, you could end up frustrating potential customers and losing them to a competitor who is doing mobile marketing right.. 4 . Mobile Marketing Can Help You Reach Local Customers Mobile devices are location-based by nature , which means businesses can utilize this to their advantage when tryingto reach local customers . For example , let’s say you’re a restaurant in Spokane . You can use GPS tracking toreceive notifications whenever someone in the area searches for “restaurants near me .” Then , you can sendthem an SMS message with a coupon or special offer . This helps you reach potential customers who might nothave been aware of your business otherwise.. 5 . Mobile Marketing Is Cost-Effective Compared To Other Forms Of Advertising Not all businesses have the budget for extensive television or print advertising campaigns . But with mobiledevices becoming increasingly commonplace , there are now more opportunities than ever before toparticipate in cost-effective forms of digital marketing , like SMS marketing .. 6 .. It Helps You Build Lasting Relationships With Customers Felix Velazquez , CEO and founder of LA – based agency Moore & Scarry Advertising , believes oneof the most important benefits of using SMS marketing is that “it allows [ organizations ] the ability tobuild long – term relationships with clients by sending real – time updates pertaining toyour product or service .” By providing valuable content and helpful updates directly toyour customers ‘ phones , you can create loyal fans who will stick with your brand formore extended periods of time .. How Can You Do Mobile Marketing Right ? Now that we ‘ve gone over some of the benefits of utilizing mobile marketing , let ‘s take a look atsome tips for how you can make sure you ‘re doing it right : 1 Make sure your website is responsive A responsive website is one that automatically adjusts its layout and design depending on the device beingused . This ensures an optimal experience for users regardless of whether they ‘re accessing your site froma desktop computer , laptop , tablet , or smartphone .. 2 Develop value – rich SMS campaigns One of the most effective ways to reach consumers on their mobile devices is through SMSmarketing .. This involves sending text messages directly toyour customers ‘ phones with helpful information or promotions .. 3 Use QR codes QR codes ( quick response codes ) are those funny – looking black -and – white squares that looka bit like barcodes . When scanned with a smartphone camera ,they take users directly toyour website or landing page .. You can place QR codes on thingslike print ads , business cards , packaging , etc … 4 Create engaging apps Apps can be extremely useful for businesses as they provide another way toyour customerscan interact withyour brand while also givingyou valuable data about customer behavior patterns .. 5 Utilize push notifications Push notifications are those little messages that pop upon phones from time totime from various apps .. They’ re typically usedto notify users about things like new content being publishedor special offers beingavailable .. 6 Think about location – based services Location – based services use GPS trackingtonotify users about thingslike nearby eventsor special offersat specific locations.. This type oftargeted marketingcan be extremely effectivein getting potentialcustomers intoyour store or business.. 7 Pay attention tomobile SEO Just like with traditional SEO (search engine optimization), thereare certain optimizationstrategies you can utilize formobile search as wellin order toraise your rankingin search engine results pages(SERPs).. 8 Advertise within apps One way toyour brand infrontof potentionalcustomersisonby placing adswithin popular appswhichthey may already bethese days… 9 Use social media platforms Platforms Social media likeFacebook Twitterand Instagramhave all developedwaysfor brands tomobile usersthese days… 10 Make sureyour emails aren’ t goingstraighttospam Many peoplenow accesstheir emailsonly throughtheir phone… ConclusionMobile marketingisn’t goinganywhere anytime soon soit’s importantthatSpokane businessesmake surethey’re preparedto take advantageof this growingtrend… Utilizing mobilespecific strategieslike responsiveweb design,, QR codes,, location-basedservices,, etc …can helpyou ensureyou’re reachingpotential customerswhereverthey maybe…