Why Does Mobile Marketing Matter So Much?
Importance of mobile marketing in digital marketing can be understood from the fact that more than 80% people shop on mobiles. And the number of Internet searches made on mobile devices is even higher – above 90%. Advantage of handheld device search is that it saves time and allows people to browse through the web pages according to their convenience.
Transition to mobile started with decline of desktop sales it is when people switch to laptops that are more convenient than desktop computers. At that time, mobile was presented as future of marketing but in reality the era of mobile searches and mobile shopping has arrived. It is time businesses start thinking of mobile marketing.
Let’s have a look at some facts that highlight importance of mobile marketing
- 40% of Internet time is spent on handheld devices
- 80% of mobile device time is consumed by apps and maximum time is spent on gaming apps
- People browse 70% more web pages on handheld devices
- Number of mobile searches has increased 200% year over year in 2012
- Mobile marketing is predicted to surpass desktop searches in 2014
Handheld devices like Smartphones, tablets and phablets are here to stay. Desktops are no longer preferred for random search as people need sitting before the computer. But mobile allows doing search even when on the go. Mobile search is so convenient that people can even do searches when attending meetings. If you don’t have a mobile strategy yet then it’s time to get going.
Different mobile marketing strategies
It won’t be wrong to say that businesses can invent a strategy for mobile marketing after considering their needs and behavior of the targeted audiences. I’ve summed up some very important mobile marketing strategies in this discussion.
App-based marketing: With 80% of mobile searches done with apps, you need thinking of making an app for your business. And you need involving a professional apps developer to develop the best application for your business.
In-game mobile marketing: It is flashing advertisements within popular mobile games. The ads could be small banner pop-ups or full page image ads. Also the ads could be visual and they can appear between loading screens.
QR codes: QR code is a mystery advertisement as it takes the user to page about which no information is provided to the user. The codes are scanned by viewers.
Location based marketing: These ads are displayed within a specific demographic area like within 1 km radius of the business. Advantage of these ads is that they offer quick benefits to the targeted users and there are greater chances of targeted customers visiting those businesses.
Mobile search ads: These are Google search ads designed and developed for mobile devices. These ads come with added features like click-to call or maps.
Mobile image ads: These are imaged based attractive ads designed to targeted mobile customers.
SMS: It is the most convenient and the most effective way of targeting mobile customers. The process is to get phone numbers of customers and flashing bulk messages to those customers. The SMSs can be timed and targeted to suit to individual needs of the businesses.
Google has allowed integrating AdWords ad campaigns to mobile advertising with one click. These are called Enhanced Campaigns and they can be managed from one account.
Conclusion
Mobile market is expanding at a rapid pace and the mobile search has already surpassed desktop search. Mobile is good for many things including browsing through web pages and shopping. And when so many customers are using mobiles for shopping, it is good to start mobile starting before it is too late.
