Mobile Marketing: Why You Can No Longer Do Without It

Do you know why companies, which invested most of their marketing funds yet again this year in traditional media advertising and little or nothing on mobile, have missed a great opportunity? It’s simple: while they are still focused on traditional ways, consumers are heading in the opposite direction and mobile marketing might be where you should turn your attention.

According to data released by Flurry, the world population that uses mobile devices increased by 38% this year with 280 million Mobile Addicts, that is to say people who use apps more than 60 times a day, with an increase of 59% compared to the previous year. Super Users, who use apps from 16 to 60 times a day, are 590 million, with an increase of 34%, while Regular Users, those who access the app from one to 16 times a day, increased by 25%, for a total of 985 million people.

What do people look at when they are on mobile? Basically everything. 75% of emails, 60% of Facebook posts and 90% of tweets are displayed via smartphone or tablet (source: Business Insider). Disregarding these data and the presence of mobile in the daily lives of people means giving up being with them every time they connect.

Up until a few years ago, when there were still so many technological variables to take into account and fewer mobile users, the absence of some companies on mobile was justified. But in 2015 saying “Our customers don’t use smartphones anyway!” cannot be an excuse anymore: by 2020, 70% of the world population will have a mobile device (source: Ericsson Mobility Report). Certainly, among them are consumers of all brands, whether big or small, global or local.

Mobile marketing is not only important due to the number of users!

People’s behaviors and expectations towards mobile have taken on special features which are unprecedented compared to traditional channels of communication. In order to understand why mobile marketing is beneficial and strategic, you have to find out what new consumers want, applying the “what-when-where-how” mobile mix.

#1 What – a personalized experience

Smartphones and tablets are one-to-one devices, so people expect personalized communications that reflect their habits: some are social, some prefer websites, others download apps and some surf using browsers, some people love receiving offers and then there are those who perceive them as an intrusion. Segmenting the target until reaching the desires of the individual is not an easy task but you must try: companies who knock at their client’s door (through an email optimized for mobile, push notification or other) to offer them their favorite chocolates during tea time have already found the way into their hearts.

#2 When – the importance of instant value

People appreciate it when the brand is in sync with their daily lives and they willingly respond to promotions that have contextualized benefits for them. Coupons sent to customers’ mobile phones while they are in the store or an offer of free tickets in exchange for a film review that they have just seen are simple but effective ways to seize the moment and turn it into a business. A particular case? A yogurt chain in New York, 16Handles, have implemented a very original campaign of time coupons: customers inside the yogurt shop could send a picture to the official Snapchat account of the brand to receive a discount coupon that was only valid if scanned at the cashier’s desk within 10 seconds.

# 3 Where – proximity strategy

Search engines are the most visited sites on mobile. People often seek information about local activities and this is a great opportunity for smaller companies as well; an interesting data shows how in 70% of the cases, research is turned into action, from direct contact with the company to visiting the site or pages on social networks.

Some brands have already known for some time the effectiveness of proximity: let’s take for example the marketing campaign carried out in the UK by L’Oreal to promote INOA, the new line of hair color. Clients could find the nearest salon through apps and GPS and once they were there, they could capture colorful bubbles with an augmented reality game and win a special pack that could be picked up in the salon. The redemption of this operation was 20% against 8% of the previous campaigns, made with traditional media.

# 4 How – the integrated path

Shopping experience is increasingly mobile and integrated between online and in-store. People use smartphones not only to make purchases on various e-commerce, but also in the store to look for more information about products, compare prices with the competitors, and visit websites and social pages of the brand. But it is also a multi-platform experience, where both PCs and mobile devices are used in the purchase path in 57% of the cases (source: ComScore).

People expect to find the brand on all channels, that’s why you must be present, visible and recognizable: from web page to social networks, contents must be optimized for each device and consistent with each other. To give a concrete example, promotional e-mails should also be re-proposed at the same time and in the same manner in the store, on Facebook and on the website. Multi-thinking is positive thinking.

What is the first step in a mobile marketing strategy?

Once you understand the importance of mobile marketing, the first step must be taken from the starting base: a perfectly functioning mobile site is a decisive element for the success of future mobile marketing activities. Building one is now within everyone’s reach, even non-programmers or those with limited budget because there are platforms on the web that enable the creation of mobile sites and apps without special technical skills. Having a mobile site is not just a technical matter, but also a strategic one: clients or potential clients with little time could turn to the competitor if a site does not load properly within a few seconds. So it is crucial to have a mobile site that is fast, easily navigable and immediate in providing information.

And always dare and as much as possible, without fearing change or anything new: small and medium-sized companies are still waiting for the big ones to test these novelties, to ride the wave of innovation, thinking they would risk too much time and budget on them. But what they have not realized is the fact that the world has changed: trying new ideas and tools on mobile can be done with low investment and less design time, and in return customers are offered their presence in this platform as well. There are more opportunities than risks when it comes to mobile marketing and this time the starting line is the same for everyone: who will get there first?

By Silvio Porcellana, CEO and Founder of mob.is.it