If the internet was the platform for information, mobile is becoming the channel for accessibility (of content information). The statistics and projections definitely support this theory with a staggering number of mobile users. In 2009, 34 million U.S. consumers used their mobile devices to access the internet; and industry forecast projects this number will substantially succeed 106 million by 2014.
Seizing the advantages and benefits of mobile marketing and considering these figures are not only guaranteed to increase your company’s audience or consumer base. Still, they can be a huge factor in expanding knowledge and accessibility of your brand’s awareness. No matter if you’re an existing SMB or local business owner or big-brand decision-maker who’s currently utilizing any form of mobile marketing concepts for your company’s needs, there’s a major deciding difference between ‘just having a mobile marketing’ presence and driving the bottom line or P/L’s for your business. Ironically, it all begins with your mobile strategies.
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So, if you’re current initiatives aren’t just driving your business in these diverse channels, here is a “5-Step Guideline for Boosting Your Mobile Marketing Strategies” to ensure such returns for your business’ needs and to offer you a jump-start on developing your 2012 marketing initiatives.
Step 1: Pre-planning: This is the stage of information gathering and sound-boarding for your strategy setting areas. Consider identifying the: What? (…your business wants to accomplish with your mobile marketing efforts & consumers want to access.) How? (…your business wants to reach and gain such returns & thereby interact with consumers.) Where? (…which mobile platforms and devices you want to include in your marketing initiatives & what platforms are your consumers on.) Once you have identified a solid comprehension of these questions, you will then have a clearer and more tailored plan of execution for the next stages. You can insert those solutions for positioning your mobile strategies. Your business should strongly consider your mobile customers’ profiles and understand the varying behaviors of such users. Providing the “3: I’s” Interesting content, Instant retrieval, and Insightful information will ensure the mass majority highly warrants those mobile marketing efforts.
Step 2: Infrastructure: In this phase, consider those back-end or general housekeeping protocols for better empowering or boosting your developed mobile strategies. Consider claiming all of your local listings; delivering your business listings to all online, mobile, and data listing search engines. Claim your online social identity platforms, ensuring your touchpoints that mobile users will be accessing are in place. Think about various channels of integration via social and search media and building upon those created social signals. As we all know, Facebook users are more likely to recommend products and services to their friends, and that Twitter followers are more connected to their liked brands. Make sure you have the necessary systems for your business to handle the additional mobile traffic and implemented mobile strategies, whether in metrics, tech systems, or team/workforce. You want to have those components in place for all your developed services to yield repeat returns constantly.
Step 3: A Mobile Website: This can and should be the first stage in your mobile efforts. Redesigning your current website to be better compatible with any mobile device is extremely important. This is vital in ensuring that not only the design and aesthetics are intriguing, but your site can be viewed on any of the hundreds of mobile devices, smartphones, and tablets. Also, note having a mobile website can be a huge metrics machine for gathering mobile feedback and related user ability statistics of your consumer base and an effective tool for making better decisions and understanding what mobile users are gaining from your site and the how (devices).
Step 4: Diversified Integrated Platforms: Now that you’ve gotten your feet and knees wet a bit and maybe have gone a lot deeper in your mobile marketing areas, you can and should consider integrating diverse cross-channel into your mobile marketing plans. Having a robust multichannel approach opens up more returns and access, increasing your odds and sales, and traffic. Your current options are Text/SMS, Mobile Applications & Gaming, Proximity Marketing (opt-in services of Blue-tooth & Wifi), Location-Based Services Networks, Video Marketing and other (MMS) Multimedia Marketing Messages, and QR codes. Learn more about Integrated Marketing.
Step 5: Constant Promotions & Updates: Taking all the mobile marketing areas and structures that your company has implemented and executed here is where you will begin to expand/broaden that word and mobile awareness to increase users to your mobile sites constantly. Letting them know that you’re using mobile marketing, QR codes, or other components by marketing this on your company’s website, adding to email and other print marketing or PR releases. If you have a web application, use an outside consultant to boost your marketing initiatives to get the usage higher on those mobile devices or even consider using a mobile ad platform like AdMob. Constantly updating and improving your current mobile initiatives will help you keep your mobile strategies fresh and highly appealing. Ideally, these improvements should be built around and from the reporting metrics and analytics that any of these digital (mobile) platforms all provide. This is the phase where you can and should leap of becoming a mobile marketing maven and hopefully setting standards with your efforts, like Apple, Chase or Bank of America, Urbanspoon, and those prominent other successful brands of today who are shaping the landscape for mobile marketing.
