The importance of mobile marketing in current times
The number of smart phone users have multiplied manifold in the last decade. They remain glued to this device for close to 4 hours everyday and use it for buying a product, booking a cab, renting an apartment and staying in touch with family and friends through social networking sites. If offers a better opportunity to the marketers to promote their products through this medium.
Marketing a product or service through the use of smartphones has increased drastically in the last 5 years. It happened because of the increase of mobile phone users among people of different age groups. Major business groups such as Amazon and e-bay have shifted their base towards mobile digital space by creating mobile apps for their business.
What exactly is mobile marketing and what are its benefits?
Mobile marketing not only concentrates on the simple promotion of products and services. Rather, it conducts a deep research to understand the nature of the smartphone users. Mobile marketers develop a customized strategy according to different mobile platforms and adapts to different techniques offered by marketing platforms. They ensure that people remain connected with each other through the use of SMS, MMS, Emails and other modes of advertisements.
How Mobile Marketing works?
Mobile marketing promotes a product or services in the form of ads that appear on different digital devices of individuals for ex smartphones, tablets and iPad. These ads vary in style and format and are customized, depending upon the brand they are representing or the platform on which they would be displayed for ex a website, a social networking or bookmarking site or in the form of apps.
Different forms of mobile marketing to stay ahead in present times
1. SMS marketing: It is the oldest form of marketing campaign in which the marketers send short text message to their prospective customers. It was quite popular in the 90’s and only offered the option to send and receive text messages.
2. MMS marketing: Instead of sending text messages in the form of SMS, some companies even use MMS, which includes the use of images and videos along with the text.Today smartphone offers several features for the successful digital marketing of a product or service.
3. Bluetooth mobile marketing: This strategy includes the use of blue tooth technology for delivering free SMS or MMS to potential customers within a defined geographical location. It is highly popular in business oriented places. A major disadvantage of this marketing strategy is that it requires the users to accept messages, only when they are proximate to a bluetooth enabled computer. It is also known as location based marketing,
4. App based marketing: Companies are developing different applications for the benefit of their customers. It helps them to stay connected with their customers. While some of the applications are entirely free, the others are chargeable. Today, we find a number of applications on Android Play Store and iPhone App’s Store.
5. QR codes: Scanned QR codes work as an intermediary and take the potential customers to a particular web page.
6. Mobile Search ads: It offers users option such as click to call or click to download and generates a link for the same.
7. Mobile site links: It enables the users to straightaway jump to specific links of a website.
Why mobile marketing is important for the growth of your business?
According to a survey, around 79 % people hold their mobile phone for close to 4 hours every day. When they are not holding it, it remains on their working table, sofa or bed. They use it throughout the day to check their mails, update their social networking status, post their latest pictures, buy their favorite product or service and even for sending money to family and friends. Teenagers love to watch movies, games and chat on smartphones.
It is easy to approach a customer through the use of a mobile device. Marketers utilize this platform to communicate and interact with their customers 24/7.
The importance of mobile commerce in today’s world
Mobile optimized websites and mobile friendly web pages have opened the gates of opportunity for online shoppers across the world. Pinterest’s “Buyable Pins”, Google’s " Buy button and Instagram ads with “shop now” buttons are the latest trends on social media platforms.
People are increasingly using their smartphone devices to buy their favorite product or service. These days, online buyers check the product review of a brand or service before ordering it.
Mobile marketing holds an important role in the growth of a business. Its correct usage can increase the revenue of a company and can lead to desired business growth.
