The rise of the smartphone
When smartphones were just gaining popularity, the young people were the biggest market. Today, over 50% of US adults have one.
Teenagers, young adults, the middle aged and even a big percentage of baby boomers are switching to smartphones and for good reason. Mobile technology is here to stay and it is changing the way people do just about everything. At the very least, it’s changing the way your customers interact with your business. It’s not an exaggeration to say that no matter what industry your business is in, mobile technology is changing it in some way
Because mobile technology is so prevalent, it’s important for business owners to at least have a basic understanding of it. Here are five things every business owner should know about mobile marketing regardless of the product or service they’re selling.
Know your audience
As a business owner, you might say your target audience is everyone. The more customers the better right? Wrong. If you advertise to everyone you advertise to no one. You need to first narrow down your target audience. What makes them different from everyone else. The more you understand your target audience the more likely you’ll be able to reach them.
Know how to reach your audience
Now that you know your audience you’re prepared to do some research about what your audience wants and when they want it. This is important as it will give you some clues about how to advertise to them. What kinds of offers are they most likely to jump on. What time of day is the most effective to send a particular offer.
Know what content to send
This is arguably the most important part of mobile marketing. This is the part where you create the actual content or message that you’ll be sending out. The previous two steps will help you tremendously when it comes to creating content. If you know your audience and how to reach them, you will be able to tailor a message that is perfect for them.
Know whether to invest in an app
Most of the time, a mobile optimized website is sufficient but every once in a while a mobile app is what is needed. If you’re going to invest the money into a mobile app however, make sure it’s not just another channel to advertise your business. In order for people to download it and keep using it, it needs to provide some kind of value for them.
Know how to measure ROI
Simply put, your ROI (or return on investment) is how effective is your mobile marketing efforts. Unless you’re tracking the effectiveness of your marketing strategies, you won’t know what’s working and what’s not. Whatever strategies you decide to use, you need to find a way to track how well it’s working.
When it comes to mobile marketing strategies, the possibilities are endless. But with these five basic principles to guide you, you’re off to a good start.
