Adjust Your Marketing Strategies for a Mobile-Oriented World

Mobile media consumption is growing rapidly. In fact, mobile devices have now officially overtaken PCs as the most common way for people to access the Web.

A study by Nielsen found that over ninety percent of us keep a smartphone within arm’s reach at all times. This is an unprecedented level of contact with the consumer – there’s probably no other marketing channel that can claim such a close connection.

This high level of growth and potential is a definite red flag for all companies to start adjusting their marketing efforts for a mobile-oriented world. Let’s break things down and take a closer look at the most important facts to consider.

1. Mobile search is on the rise

At the moment, mobile devices are the source for about 30 percent of web searches – and the number continues to grow. In case you ever wondered, that is the reason why Google has begun rewarding websites that are mobile-friendly and penalizing sites that do not read well on small screens.

Also, take into consideration that an average mobile user searches for products and services for approximately 15 hours a week. This makes mobile an important potential market to capture.

2. Mobile sites have high conversion rates

One of the biggest benefits of a mobile site is the ability to capture leads. About 93 percent of users who research products on mobile devices buy them, and 55 percent buy something within an hour of visiting a business’s mobile website. But it doesn’t stop there. The number climbs to 80 percent within a 24-hour window!

The easy accessibility of product information is the key to these numbers. Users can learn everything they need to know about a brand and their services or products, and make a purchase anywhere, at any time.

3. You can run mobile ad campaigns

There’s a broad variety of ads that work in mobile – banners, interstitials, rich media, video, and so on. They’re usually purchased by cost per click and cost per thousand impressions.

At the moment, many companies are still missing on this marketing opportunity, which means there are relatively few competitors for the eyeballs of mobile users.

The best part is that mobile ads perform approximately five times better than traditional Internet ads, and users are becoming increasingly accepting of their presence.

4. SMS marketing has high engagement rates

Do you know how many times an average mobile user checks their phone a day? About 221 times. This is probably the reason why text messages are read in almost 100 percent of cases – making SMS marketing a powerful channel.

The open and engagement rates are far higher than similar channels like email or direct mail, and the potential for mass distribution makes SMS an incredibly cost-effective form of advertising. Considering how easily customers can move from seeing an SMS ad to purchasing, it is hard to justify not having an SMS campaign.

5. Proximity marketing is the future of advertising

What exactly is proximity marketing? Proximity marketing is a type of mobile marketing. It refers to tailoring ads to a customer’s location, such as giving digital coupons for a product as a customer passes them in the aisle of a store.

There’s a technology called iBeacon that makes this possible. They get personalized and valuable coupons on their mobile phones when they are already in the mindset of spending, so the coupons are maximally effective. Plus they work just like regular ones, so there’s no extra legwork for the customer to redeem them.

Proximity marketing can be applied in a variety of ways, depending on the type of business you run. Digital coupons are just one of the most widely used features.

6. Mobile holds the key to reaching the consumers

Competition for all sectors is heating up, and in addition, customers are developing immunity to advertising. The most effective way to give ads more impact is to make them customized to the individual user – and mobile works like a charm for that. Every kind of mobile marketing campaign can be customized in a way to vastly increase engagement and brand awareness.

Mobile marketplace developed pretty quickly and many businesses are still struggling to grasp its importance. But cold, hard stats show that mobile has grown together with users to such an extent that it’s fundamentally redefining the way we communicate.

Failing to adapt business strategies to the mobile-oriented world can leave a business limping behind competition. Harnessing the power of mobile, on the other hand, can open up a whole world of new marketing opportunities.

About the Author:

Taylor Moore is a freelance marketing writer interested mainly in small business and retail. Follow me on Twitter @taylormtweets.