10 Beginner Mobile Marketing Tips To Use in 2023
Wondering whether mobile marketing works or is worth it?
To answer, let’s start with a different question: How many hours do you estimate you spend on your phone per day?
If you don’t want to think about the answer, you’re not alone. On average, the typical person spends about 3 hours and 15 minutes a day on their phone.
Mobile devices are now an integral part of the shopping experience because prospects use them for online purchases. But a major part of the buying process is the research they perform beforehand.
And that’s where taking advantage of all that screen time comes into play with mobile marketing.
There are so many examples of companies that are using mobile marketing effectively. Small businesses are killing it on TikTok. Local ones are reducing the number of missed appointments by as much as 80% with SMS marketing. Companies like Hyundai use geofencing to reach almost 1 million customers.
Some mobile marketing techniques are innovative. Some are cost-effective and easy to integrate. Others have been around for a while and still yield a great ROI. So how do you know which ones to use for your clients, especially if you don’t have much experience with mobile marketing?
Here are 10 beginner mobile marketing techniques to target and engage prospects — at every stage of their journey.
This article will cover:
- What mobile marketing is and why it's important.
- 10 beginner mobile marketing strategies you can use to reach your customers.
- Examples from companies that are successfully implementing different mobile marketing strategies.
What Is Mobile Marketing and Why Is It Important?
Mobile marketing is a multichannel digital strategy that refers to any form of advertising that happens via a mobile device. This includes but is not limited to SMS, push, and in-app notifications.
The main mobile marketing channels include:
- SMS and MMS
- Social media
- Mobile responsive websites
- Content marketing
Mobile marketing is usually more convenient than traditional marketing. It works well because users are always connected to their devices.
Mobile marketing also makes it easy to connect the dots between online and offline. This strategy puts you in front of your audience anywhere, anytime. This means that it’s most effective when you go for short, attention-grabbing copy and graphics.
Below are 10 tips to help you make the most of traditional mobile marketing. Instead of focusing on channels, this guide will focus on strategies. That’s because a good marketing strategy should be multichannel.
1. Location-Based Marketing
Location-based marketing allows companies to connect with their audience on a personal level. Geotargeting and geofencing are the main forms of location-based targeting. They allow you to send offers based on a client’s proximity to your business location.
Geofencing uses radio-frequency identification (RFID), Wi-Fi, and cellular data to trigger marketing actions. These actions occur when someone enters the virtual geographic boundary (geofence). Geotargeting targets desktop users based on their location.
There are many ways to use location-based targeting. For example, you can correlate a client’s location with events and send offers that would be of interest. You can also send tailor-made discounts, offers, etc.
Here are three reasons why you should consider location-based targeting:
- 71% of consumers want a personalized experience.
- 92% of smartphones are compatible with geofencing.
- Geofencing ads have double the CTR of regular ads.
2. Voice Search Optimization
27% of the global population is using voice search on mobile devices. Why is that? Because voice search is instant, easy, and convenient when you can’t type.
Users speak to their phones to receive answers to their questions. Most companies overlook voice search. Here are some useful tips and tricks to help you get started:
- Use conversational keywords. Don’t keyword stuff or use complicated language. Check Google’s “Searches related to” field to find questions your audience asks.
- Optimize pages for long-tail keywords. Long-tail keywords are used by voice searchers because they are more reflective of how real speech works. They also provide higher conversion rates overall.That’s because people who use them know exactly what they want. 70% of online searches are longer and more specific.
- Use question-based keyphrases. Since voice searchers are verbally asking their phones to search something, their search inputs tend to use questions like “How do I optimize my website?” or “Where do I find sandals nearby?”. Take advantage of this by including question phrases that involve the words “what,” “where,” or “why” into your keyphrases.
- Try to get your content added as a featured snippet. Featured snippets are blurbs pulled from websites that appear in Google search results for common questions. These are important for voice searchers because they are likely to be the first answer to a query that the voice assistant reads out loud.
A streamlined mobile experience increases your chances of ranking for voice searches.
3. Text Message Marketing
Text message (SMS) marketing is often overlooked by companies. Texts reach clients instantly, open rates go as high as 94%, and the investment is minimal.
SMS marketing works very well with email marketing. That’s because it allows you to send personalized, noninvasive messages to customers. Business texting tools also integrate with other tools to automate communication.
How do you make the most of text-message marketing?
- Get to the point right away — the 160-character limit doesn’t leave room for long, boring explanations
- Shorten your URLs to save characters for the body of your text
- Highlight key info using uppercase
- Add value with discounts or special offers
- Keep it actionable — integrate calls to action, promote opt-ins, and offer incentives
- Instill a sense of urgency — time-limited offers
- Mind your timing — send texts when clients are out of the office and more likely to respond
IMPORTANT! Always ask written consent for your communications. Do not reach out to people who have not requested to be in your subscriber list. Also, always give users the option to unsubscribe.
4. Increased Layout Responsiveness
In 2022, the number of smartphone users reached 6.648 billion. This translates to 83.32% of the world’s population. Do you need more reasons to optimize your website for mobile?
Google also takes mobile optimization into consideration when it ranks your domain. Here are some actionable tips to help you improve layout responsiveness:
- Keep your website layout simple and intuitive. Intricate designs affect the processing power of older devices.
- Assess your LCP (largest contentful paint) in Google Search Console.
- LCP is one of the three core web vitals metrics. It is also the most common reason websites receive failing scores on loading speed.
- LCP represents how quickly the main content of a page loads. You should keep LCP under 2.5 seconds to have a good page experience.
- Unfortunately, there is no quick fix for LCP. Share this resource with your developer if you are struggling to improve it.
- Make important info stand out, and place it at the top of your page.
- Compress images and use next-gen image formats (like WebP).
- Bypass screen pinching. Make sure your content display size is not too small and unreadable.
- Keep videos short and embed them whenever possible. Long videos and gifs will make your site load slower.
5. Social Media Ads
Social media ads help you reach new customers globally. You can create ads that raise awareness, capture leads, or improve loyalty. To create impactful ads, you need to do the following:
- Know your target audience
- What platforms do they use?
- What are their pain points?
- Who do they trust on social media?
- What do they buy online?
- When do they make purchases?
- Post ads on the platform your audience prefers
- Create memorable branding experiences
- Create videos or dynamic content to grab the user’s attention
- Optimize content and ad format
- Analyze campaign performance and make regular adjustments
- Follow up with warm audiences on other channels
Leads go through many touch points before converting. Social media is particularly effective during the awareness stage. Always re engage warm social media audiences on other channels. Here are two ideas of how to engage customers via social:
- Convince. Create retargeting audiences based on your website traffic. For example, retarget visitors that came from Capterra or G2 with customer testimonials. You can do this with Google Analytics. Retargeting ads should display social proof or reviews to convince a lead to convert.
- Explore. Reach completely new audiences that are relevant to you based on demographic data. Or target prospects based on lookalike audiences and competitor audiences.
Social media platforms to promote on:
- Facebook. Ideal for prospecting, community building, and brand engagement.
- Instagram. The best place to go for collaborations, brand awareness, and community building.
- LinkedIn. Ideal for networking, company news, and B2B promotion.
- Quora. A great place to find questions and answers from your target audience. Quora recently introduced video ads.
- TikTok. The place you want to promote as a small or handmade business. Bigger companies like Duolingo or Ryanair are also promoting on TikTok. To be successful, you need to follow trends and use popular sounds.
- Twitter. Good for awareness and networking. Twitter is going through a weird phase since Elon Musk took over, so maybe hold off on this platform for a while.
- Reddit. Great for community building and conversations with customers.
- YouTube. A combination between video search engine and social platform. You should use it to post video testimonials, product demos, and tutorials.
6. Google My Business Updates
Google My Business is a function that allows your local physical business to appear in searches conducted by local searchers.
Many local searches are done on mobile devices — think about how many times you’ve tried to find a restaurant nearby on your phone vs. on your desktop. Odds are, you’re a lot more likely to do a local search on your phone when you’re moving around and trying to find something right then and there.
Creating a rich Google My Business profile will make it easier for local mobile users to find you and improve your local SEO.
To improve your local rankings and authority, Include social proof and encourage reviews from existing customers. You should also fill out your profile using the following tips:
- Include all information relevant to your business.
- Perform keyword research and include relevant phrases in your descriptions. Use Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or Semrush to uncover relevant keywords. Don’t be afraid to optimize for low-volume keywords.
- Real images make your profile more engaging. Stay consistent with your social media pics, and mix them up with photos of your staff.
- Check competitor profiles on Google My Business and replicate successful ones.
7. Augmented Reality
How does augmented reality (AR) give your company an edge over the competition? By making the buying experience more authentic.
A simple example would be that you can place QR codes on your business cards. Clients scan them with their phone camera and access animated, dynamic experiences.
AR is not limited to shops, real estate, or virtual dressing room experiences. It works on:
- Social media
- Product presentations
- Customer support
- indoor navigation
- Medicine
- And more!
By 2025, analysts say that the AR market will reach an astounding $198 billion. So how do you integrate the immersive AR experience into your business?
- Retailers can create 3D shops that simulate the buying experience.
- Trainers can provide a multisensory AR experience. This is more engaging than traditional learning methods (textbook, flashcards, etc.)
- Automotive companies can use AR to identify problems and perform repairs.
- B2B companies can use AR to help clients visualize the end result of a project. This works best in construction.
Now, here are a few examples of companies using AR:
- IKEA allows shoppers to visualize products in their own living space.
- Home Depot allowed customers to paint their homes. Their AR technology considers shadows, objects, and lighting.
- Sephora made it possible to test products with AR.
- Netflix launched an in-person AR experience for Stranger Things.
- Social media filters are popular for promoting game and movie launches.
8. User-Generated Content
User-generated content (UGC) demonstrates a product’s value using the most reliable source: your customers. 79% of consumers say that UGC impacts their purchasing decisions.
UGC can include stories, reviews, and testimonials. Keep track of all user-generated content with Google alerts. Or set up brand mentions in SEO tools.
If you want to increase website conversions, add UGC on your site. Encourage customers to create content for you with giveaways or events. Collaborate with microinfluencers that are relevant to your brand. Showcase and reward loyal customers to turn them into brand advocates.
Here are a few examples of UGC for mobile marketing:
- Retailer Monsoon used photos from customers for its product pages. The click-through rate (CTR) increased by 14% and revenue by 3%.
- The social media page of LaCroix features UGC and fan art content. The company used interactive displays to encourage submissions.
- Companies like Fenty and Aerie are promoting women with all body types. They use hashtags like #AerieReal to spread body positivity.
9. QR Codes
We already mentioned QR codes but only in relation to AR. QR codes are ideal for companies that want to offer digital experiences.
QR code data is transmitted to the user instantly. It can contain your site’s URL or any type of info. Companies use QR codes to:
- Offer discounts
- Improve branding
- Track product info in the supply chain industry
- Connect social media platforms using a single code (social media QR)
- Share networks or grant access to direct Wi-Fi for their clients
- Provide more details about product ingredients, including recipes
- Link menus to a code
- Launch advertising campaigns
- Enable clients to make cashless payments
A great example of QR code usage comes from Mountain Dew and Taco Bell. Both companies joined forces in 2011 when they added QR codes on drink cups. The code gave access to free music and select videos from Mountain Dew’s Green Label Sound.
This label featured one emerging recording artist per week. There were more than 200,000 downloads during the campaign.
10. Push Notifications
Send instant push notifications to your customers through your app. Or add the option to subscribe to push notifications to your website.
In-app notifications do not need an opt-in, so you can target your entire user base. Use these notifications to remind customers of upcoming events, webinars, discounts, and more.
Push notifications are a great way to collect user info. Use them to segment audiences and send targeted campaigns.
Here are the main benefits of push notifications:
- Higher buy intent. Push notifications, which lead to subscribe forms help segment your audience. This allows you to target prospects that have a genuine interest in your product.
- Engage prospects at every stage of their journey. Time push notifications with customer needs.
- Capitalize on low-intent traffic. Have visitors of your blog subscribe for new updates. This makes it easy to promote new content and educate your audience.
- Increased brand visibility. Send promotional materials, giveaway reminders, product release details, or promote podcasts.
Conclusion
Mobile marketing is cost-effective and offers quantifiable results. It is also the only viable option for businesses that want to succeed in a mobile-first world.
The key to mobile advertising and marketing done right is data. Start off with extensive research on your target audience. Check your prospects’ activity using analytics. Adjust your messaging and ads to fit your ideal customer profile.
Optimizing your campaigns is an iterative process — you must continuously ideate, experiment, and measure your strategies. Repeat the cycle with new data to reach better results in the future. With the right info at your disposal, you’ll breeze right through it.
About the Autor:
Alexa Lemzy is a customer support advisor at TextMagic. She is passionate about helping businesses grow through the use of technology. You can keep up with her latest articles and updates on Twitter. In her spare time, she likes to read and travel.
