Table of Contents
There has been such a turn in the way that businesses market themselves. The sheer amount of fads and trends that appear on an almost weekly basis leaves most a little lost for what to marketing activities to pursue their business.
I think it is worth saying that businesses as a whole can’t really take a wrong turn with the generic activities that are unlikely to ever change. Paid advertising, search engine marketing, email marketing, and of course social media. The y’ll remain the staple core for driving digital traffic, but there is an additional avenue that is becoming popular. Read: How to promote your Facebook Business page with these Awesome Tips
The future is mobile
A decade ago the mobile wasn’t a big thing. It was used to text, call, and at a push use up a little extra credit to send an MMS. But then everything changed when the iPhone came along, bringing forth better connectivity and of course, the app store. Since then things have changed and that same awesome technology is affordable for almost everyone.
I guess the point here is, everyone has a mobile phone that has the capabilities of that first iPhone, just costing a lot less. Alongside this, the connectivity to the internet has gotten faster, and faster, and faster. Meaning browsing the internet and getting connected anywhere is a reality, not a possibility.
But what does this mean for marketing?
Everyone has a mobile phone. From a young age, people are probably spending more time with their phones in their hands than anything else in the day. From those first moments in the morning to the late night internet browsing sessions in bed.
Now take a step back and think about the way traditional marketing has always worked, whether that be direct mail or an advert in a newspaper. It was a guestimated number based on circulation with little to no substance. Digital marketing is much more accurate taking data-driven techniques into the equation.
But the mobile is a step further. It isn’t a TV advert shown to everyone, this is someone’s device that contains all their personal information, location, and so much more. It isn’t something that is picked up and put down like a newspaper, it’s a direct marketing channel that is available for you to use 16 hours a day.
How do you tap into the mobile world?
First things first, you want to leverage the mobile world and get some traction for your brand. For those that are used to the traditional channels, it is worth ensuring that firstly you are visible on mobile. Read: Best smartphones you can buy right now
Ensuring you have a mobile friendly website is possibly one for the Best first steps to take. Make sure it is fast and perfect for every mobile platform. Next up, consider dividing your marketing activities down to a platform perspective, focusing your efforts on a single channel instead of as a whole campaign, E.g. Mobile & Desktop.
Breaking up all of your marketing activities is good practice for this new data-driven world but it also enables you to maximize your efforts on mobile.
Once you have done all of the above, it is worth measuring the results of any marketing activities then refining your strategy to suit mobile.
Dive into the world of apps
I know, this was an article about apps being beneficial to your business and we’ve wasted 500 words talking about the history and how to optimize, but now we can talk about the fabled mobile app.
There are a number of ways to get a mobile app, whether that be through a DIY app builder or a bespoke mobile app development company. However, you get an app built for your business the bottom line is this – they are a direct channel for you to market to your customers.
They create a frictionless environment
Possibly the biggest benefit of having a mobile app for your business is the frictionless experience that they can create for customers. I know, frictionless sounds rather weird, but in short, a mobile app is a fantastic portal for consumers to easily purchase and use a variety of services.
When kept simple and fluid from a UX point of view they can be a serious asset to your business. Whether a customer is wanting to submit a query in regards to their order or booking a table online.
Depending on your business type, the simplicity of a mobile app will often keep people coming back, again and again. This is why apps like Just Eat are so popular, it only takes a few steps to have food at your door! Read: How Cloud Computing Can Make Your Business More Successful
If your business has a process that is repeatable and scalable in this fashion? A mobile app could be a great choice.
They foster and build loyalty
Your most loyal customers are the ones who keep the lights on and food on the table. Loyalty is all about creating those repeat orders and ensuring consumers stick with you for the long-haul.
Mobile apps are a great way to foster the loyalty that your customers are willing to provide if carefully looked after. For example, a brick and mortar coffee shop could make massive strides in their marketing efforts with a stamp card! Read: Best Cheap Android Phones
Customers like the afterthought.
You can harness push notifications
One of the biggest advantages of the mobile app? Once installed on a users device you can send them to push notifications. Usually, an option is a good idea, but even without one, you can send a direct notification to a users mobile phone at any time, anywhere.
When it comes to marketing in the modern world there is a large amount of intent involved in consumer behavior, when harnessed alongside push notifications returns can be huge.
Data, data, data.
With a mobile app, there is a large amount of data collected, whether this is the location of an individual or the last time they logged on. With this data you can customize every marketing effort that you make, leveraging techniques like geofencing and even geo-conquesting.
At the end of the day, mobile apps are a great addition to an already existing marketing strategy, but they can also offer a stand alone solution that can ultimately run your business.
Author Bio
Jamie Fuller is a digital marketing executive at AppInstitute. He spends his days building links, creating content, and drinking far too much coffee at one of the world’s leading DIY App Builders (over 70,000 apps built).
AppInstitute regularly provides leading publications with app analytics, business data, case studies, white papers and statistics for established publishers across the world. They were named in the top 50 creative companies in England by Creative England.
Company Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/app-institute
Company Twitter: https://twitter.com/AppInstitute
Company Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AppInstitute/
Image source: Linkedin | Logistic Infotech