Taking a step into the wondrous and complex land of mobile marketing for the very first time might feel a tad bit intimidating, but by keeping the helpful tips listed below in mind, you will soon find yourself marketing on par with some of the best marketers in the field.
Only add telephone numbers from customers choosing to receive messages to build your mobile marketing database carefully. If you add telephone numbers of customers who have not elected to receive mobile marketing messages, you are likely to see a high volume of complaints and requests to be removed from your list.
Try not to add files to your message. If possible, you should only include a link. Adding large files, like pictures, to a message will only frustrate the customer, because you are adding to the download time. Also, you may be costing them extra money just to be able to view what you have sent.
Never copy someone else’s mobile strategy. Just because they may be doing well does not mean it is the right method for you. Customers like innovation, and if you are sending out similar messages or styles as your competitor, they may not be interested in making a change to you.
Avoid anything in mobile marketing that seems too easy. If it seems like it may be really easy to implement, you can be sure that something’s wrong with it. Of course, we’re talking about mobile-specific things here, like apps and formatted sites. A lot of ads and email techniques are universal, so don’t fret on that front.
One of the best ways to be a successful mobile marketer is simply to be a successful social net-worker. Getting people to follow your blog or social site links to a destination site is much more effective than attempting to send out ads and emails to various people who aren’t your customers yet.
Offer your mobile marketing customers a little red carpet treatment to make them feel special. If you do this, they will spread the good word about you! The most effective measure of any campaign is sales, and providing your mobile customers with unique discounts will spur them to make purchases and exponentially promote your positive reputation!
Make it very easy for your customers to unsubscribe from receiving your text messages. Many times having the option to reply with the word ‘stop’ will be the easiest way. This will lower any frustration if a customer no longer wants to receive texts. Remember that just because they don’t want a text does not mean they do not want to be a customer.
Sending a reminder message about an upcoming sale or release of a new product is an excellent way to get your customers excited about what is going on. Try to send the reminder a couple of hours ahead of time. Doing this many days in advance creates a higher chance that the customer will forget.
Keep in mind that mobile marketing is targeted for keeping your current customers, not acquiring new ones. Current customers know your product, and are much more open to getting texts from you and trust your website. New customers will probably find you using a regular computer, though it won’t take them long to sign up for texts.
To improve your mobile marketing, remember to use search engine optimization techniques on your mobile websites. A good place to begin your mobile SEO is Google, as most searching done through mobile devices happens through Google.
Consider adding advertising to your website that specifically built for the mobile environment. Your traditional web banners are not going to cut it on a mobile device. In fact, if you have optimized your site for a mobile experience, those banners are no longer even visible. There are a lot of great mobile advertising platforms out in the market, including AdMob, iAd and MobClix. Investigate them and choose the right one for you.
When you are thinking of adding SMS to a mobile marketing strategy, let people opt in or out and tell them how many texts you’re going to be sending out. It is very easy to screw up an SMS strategy because of how it notifies consumers. It can feel like it’s invading peoples’ privacy. Limit the texts you will send. Give an honest schedule and remember the opt-in feature. Only send to those who are accepting of your messages. Honesty will build trust and loyalty for your brand.
To encourage people to check out your products, advertise them in a free app! Many customers regularly seek out free applications, and are happy to look at some advertisements in order to use them. Try picking an app that has something to do with your services. For example, if you sell beauty products, offer a makeup tips application.
Failure to make your mobile marketing cross-platform capable, will cost you dearly. The variety of mobile devices available is staggering, and there are multiple platforms to be compatible with. Your ad campaign should target iPhones, Android devices, Blackberry, Windows mobile and tablet devices.
Avoid sending mobile messages on holidays and weekends if you can help it. Although you have access to people’s cell phone numbers, be very careful about when you use it if you want them to respond favorably. Sending business messages on holidays is widely seen as inappropriate, so don’t do it.
So, after reading and applying the helpful tips listed above, you should feel a bit more at ease in the land of mobile marketing. You have the tools; it’s time to use them. You should feel empowered and ready to begin your mobile marketing journey to help better promote your business.
