According to a report by comScore, consumers create 60% of all online traffic on their mobile devices (smartphones and tablets).This number is an increase of 10% from the previous year’s figures. This means businesses looking to gain ground in the online arena must make a push toward mobile marketing.
You already know you need a custom website design that features responsive architecture to auto size pages for optimal viewing. This is true regardless of the device customers are using. You might even have a mobile version of your site to create a better customer experience for mobile consumers.
The next step is to focus on a mobile marketing strategy that makes sense for users and your company. Ideally, you already have mobile-centric pieces in place like social media accounts and premium SEO services.
Now you have to figure out which of the latest marketing trends are going to show the best conversion results. Here are a few mobile marketing trends you can’t afford to ignore.
Video Ads
Marketing services experts can wax poetic about the value of video advertising in the mobile space, but why does it work? Studies show that video actually is more engaging that text, graphics, or infographics. According to Invisia, consumers watching a video retained 95% of the information presented compared to just 10% of data provided via text.
Even more compelling for many businesses, however, is the fact that videos not only increase engagement, but that they are more likely to draw and hold attention. According to Mist Media, video marketing can increase click-through by up to 90%.Visitors spend as much as 88% more time on websites featuring video content. In addition, Invodo reports that 92% of videos users share is on a mobile device.
Still not on board with video marketing? There’s more. These days, Google and other search engines incorporate videos in their rankings. Forrester Research reports that using videos makes it 50 times easier to get first-page ranking on Google for targeted searches (as compared to text or other content, for example).
The takeaway here is that video is quickly becoming a mobile marketer’s best friend.You should jump on the bandwagon before your competitors pass you by.
E-commerce and Apps
The overlap between these two platforms is deepening as businesses realize that consumers want the convenience and utility offered by mobile apps while browsing and shopping online. The latest proof of this trend can be seen via the collaboration between Facebook and Shopify.
Now that the social media giant has teamed up with online-store builder Shopify, professionals seeking to socialize, advertise, and make sales all in one place can utilize their Facebook accounts for exactly that purpose. Expect more overlap like this between e-commerce and mobile apps moving into the future and plan your mobile marketing strategy accordingly.
Integrated App Features
At first, access to apps that help consumers with their daily activities like tracking food and exercise, checking the weather report, and managing a schedule was exciting enough. Now that such apps are taken for granted, mobile users are clamoring for greater practicality through integrated app features that allow them to collate information and make decisions based on that information without having to open and close a slew of applications.
You’ll have to think about what this means for your business, in particular. Are your products or services compatible with popular applications that already exist? Can you team up with companies in adjacent industries to create apps that maximize value for your users? If you can find ways to integrate what you have to offer into other apps, you’re only going to increase your appeal to mobile users.
Geo-targeting and Notifications
Geo-targeting has proven highly effective in terms of lead generation and conversions over the past couple of years.When you apply these strategies for mobile users you can add push notifications, too. Teaming up with location-based apps is a great way to attract both locals and visitors to your area.
From a user standpoint, receiving notifications about nearby businesses offering products, services, or deals that you may want to take advantage of can be desirable, especially when visiting new areas. As for mobile marketing, this is the virtual version of sandwich boards stationed on sidewalks to direct foot traffic into your store.