In the last 15 years, all businesses have been greatly impacted by a revolution that has radically transformed the way they work. The digital economy has changed our behaviour and opened up new growth opportunities that were previously unimaginable.
Big data has taken centre stage, along with marketing automation or programmatic marketing. Showrooms have gone virtual, social networks have reinvented the customer relationship, and smartphones have become the consumer?s weapon. Shopping, comments, shares, searches… mobile is everywhere, all the time.
The big brands are adapting and developing marketing campaigns that can target the right people, at the right time, in the right place, and on the right device. So as to send them personalized messages that are in tune with their current needs and wants.
If you have yet to make the leap, here are 6 good reasons which should help you on your way:
1 – Mobile Marketing is Here to Stay
Mobile marketing is not just a flash in the pan. It?s an underlying trend that will radically reshape the way brands and customers interact with each other. This is backed up by all the statistics, as you can judge for yourself:
- There are now more mobiles and connected devices in the world than there are people. A study has also shown that the number of mobiles and devices is growing 5 times faster than the population.
- In 2016, we accessed the internet more often from a mobile device than from a desktop computer. So, you need to be where your customers are.
- Companies are adapting accordingly: 58% of them have a dedicated mobile marketing team and 71% of marketers believe mobile marketing is core to their strategy.
Mobile is becoming the main point of contact between a consumer and a brand. Clearly, it would be a shame to miss out on this trend, as this is not just a strategic change ? it?s also a structural and organizational one for advertisers. Mobile marketing also brings with it a new culture and mindset: it?s about being more responsive, more agile and more flexible.
2 – Mobile Apps are Taking Over
The vast majority of our mobile browsing time is spent within apps (around 90%). The rest is done browsing the web and searching. So, creating a strong value-added app will help you engage more with your customers. It?s a way to establish close ties with your community and make the most of a powerful communication channel.
Your app should provide a specific experience: make shopping simpler, offer special content, or include features that make the user?s life easier. With a bit of planning and forward thinking, your mobile app could well become the main point of contact with your community.
3 – Generation Z is Coming!
While Generation Y lived through this mobile transition, Generation Z was born into it. Not having a marketing strategy simply means that you?ll be invisible to them and won?t be able to reach them.
This is another good reason to think ahead ? and it?s not too late to start.
There are many good practices that you can implement straight away, and most specialist agencies are now well geared up for this. Mobile marketing comes with its own set of codes, styles and habits which must all speak to Generation Z. Be direct, straightforward, honest, efficient, inclusive and interactive.
4 – Engaging on social networks
All the social networks, without exception, are accessed more often from a mobile device than from the desktop. So, if you want to engage your community, you?ll need to adapt your marketing strategy by thinking ?mobile only?.
Adjust the size of your posts and adapt your content, making sure it?s readable and consistent across all the social networks. You can also migrate your customer service to Facebook, Twitter or Messenger. You should be as easy to reach as possible.
Lastly, this also means having a fully optimized website to share your content: a responsive site that is designed for the mobile first and desktop second.
5 – Interactivity is Becoming the Norm
With Instagram Stories, Snapchat video, Facebook 360 experiences, Messenger and WhatsApp messaging apps and chatbots, and Periscope live video, it?s becoming the norm to use our mobiles to interact with a brand in a few simple steps. So, building your mobile strategy is about storytelling and creating your own universe to engage your community in an interactive way.
Produce short videos that can be played with or without audio. Focus on mobile-compatible content and organize activities that can be easily implemented on a smartphone, such as a photo contest. Use visually impactful and exclusive content to showcase your brand in style.
6 – Marketing Automation is Tearing Up the Rulebook
While companies are generating and processing billions of data points each day, automation is bringing new and more efficient working processes. Automation is essential for sending out notifications, personalized emails and discount coupons, and for developing effective apps. It enables you to go even further with mobile technology that will ever be possible the traditional way.
By using automation to enhance your mobile marketing, you?ll be able to fine-tune your approach and develop personalized campaigns for your community.
Mobile marketing is tearing up the rulebook. It involves fundamental changes to your organization and will affect the way you design your tools and campaigns. It provides so many opportunities to revamp your brand, stay in touch with a new market, and capture market share from your competitor, who may be less knowledgeable about mobile marketing than you are.