Have you noticed that everyone seems to have a smart phone these days? Or a fancy tablet or iPad? Look around and you are guaranteed to see people engaged with their mobile devices. Whether they are in the grocery store, waiting at the bus stop or walking down the street, people are constantly in tune with technology. Like it or not, the world is now able to access the Internet almost anywhere. Instead of being annoyed by this or simply accepting it, take a step back and look at this from a marketer’s perspective: How can you gain from this technology take over? Mobile marketing.
People everywhere are watching Internet videos in the elevator, reading blogs during lunch break, searching on Google before a meeting, and are constantly logged in to Facebook. According to the US Census, over 80% of Americans own a cell phone. This number will continue to rise and the use of smart phones will increase as the technology becomes more affordable. The rising number of smart phone and tablet users will increase the capacity for mobile marketing and advertising.
Here are a few things your business should be doing to take advantage of the growing mobile marketing opportunities:
- Make sure your web design is compatible to smart phones. You want viewers to see your website as it was intended, whether they visit from a laptop or a mobile phone.
- Implement mobile marketing as part of your overall marketing strategy and budget. This will ensure that you commit to building your mobile platform. Consumers are investing time and money into their mobile devices, and so should you.
- Provide consumers with a call to action. Incentivize customers to text you by offering a special promotion. Include QR (Quick Response) Codes in your print advertising to draw visitors to your mobile web site.
- Take advantage of mobile paid search advertising. While this is similar to normal pay-per-click ads, there are a few subtle differences to consider for mobile paid search.
- Mobile banner advertisements are also a great way to drive traffic to your site. Be sure to generate banner ads specifically made for mobile devices with a clear call to action. Using the same ads you have on your existing website can cause complications for mobile users.
