Mobile marketing – reaching the growing number of mobile-users

To reach the largest audience and targeted consumers, it’s always been important to stay on top of marketing trends, moving with the times and responding to demand.

Mobile marketing has been of growing significance with research suggesting that it is now taking precedence over more traditional means.

If your business isn’t switched on to mobile marketing, you could be handing your competitors the edge, leaving you trailing in their wake.

The digital revolution

It has long been essential to have a digital presence, managing your marketing online and optimising your site for mobile users.

However, research suggests that the tipping point has now been reached where the amount of time online by mobile users outstrips the time spent by consumers using desktop computers.

The digital revolution has firmly entered into a new phase where mobile marketing is the dominant force and if you’re set up for this market, you will have the advantage. Underestimating the relevance of mobile access could be a fatal mistake; by reaching mobile consumers you can ensure that your brand is always accessible and one of the first they see.

Understand mobile habits

Understanding how consumers access the internet is key for your marketing strategies and allows you to create the most effective campaigns for your target audience.

Although laptops remain a very popular way to get online, around eight out of ten users own a smartphone. Other methods also include access via a games console, tablet, smart TV or increasingly, a smart watch.

A recent Google survey revealed some interesting statistics for mobile usage, and the way in which products are researched.

As expected, many users began with a general search engine, around half, but a third of users began from branded websites and around 20% of users began from branded apps. This shows the importance of having branded apps or a well branded site for the purposes of mobile marketing.

Understanding when mobile devices are used could also be key in devising the right strategies for your marketing. Expect to see a peak in usage during commuter hours and also in the evenings, and at weekends. Having this knowledge means it’s possible to create a far more tailored marketing approach optimised especially for mobile users.

Some studies show that sales conversion rates for mobile users are lower than for desktop access, so it may seem questionable about the true value of investing in mobile marketing. However, some studies have suggested that as many as eight out of ten users rely on their mobiles to first research any purchases, with the results influencing the final decision to buy. In addition, between 8-9 out of 10 shoppers said they used mobile devices to help them make a purchase while they were in a physical store.

The future

According to a GSMA report revealed at the Mobile World Congress in 2015, there’s expected to be a billion new mobile subscribers by 2020. That translates as around 60% of the world’s population subscribed to mobile services.

In Europe the figure had already reached 80% by the end of 2014, with mobile usage predicted to climb even higher, in line with global trends by within the next five years.

If you don’t have a mobile marketing strategy, that’s an enormous portion of the market you could be missing out on. Although at the moment, mobile users do still use desktop connections too, there’s an increasing reliance on mobile devices as either the primary or sole means of getting online.

Conclusion

Whatever your business is, by neglecting mobile marketing, you’re missing out on a whole market of users which is becoming increasingly dominant. Whether it’s to make a physical purchase or to simply promote brand awareness, mobile marketing is a strategy that you simply can’t afford to ignore.

Image Credits: Jason A. Howie and M01229