I honestly cannot believe I actually have to write this but
this just in, pretty much entire world is on a mobile device on pretty much the
whole time they are awake. In other words, the world of mobile marketing and
its ridiculously enormous benefits should come as no surprise to anyone.
I have written countless articles on the topic of mobile
marketing going back years. I don’t say to imply I am some sort of soothsayer
or anything like that. I merely bring that point up to highlight the fact that
mobile marketing is not something someone in the marketing world should just be
waking up to.
Ok enough about that.
I’ve put together a high-level list for CMOs or any marketer
for that matter to consider when looking at their mobile marketing strategy.
1. Mobile App or Mobile Website?
Many companies rush forward and create an app just because
their competitors have one. But not every company needs an app. Often a
mobile-optimized site will meet most requirements. Mobile apps, however,
generally allow for more creativity, and better interaction with your targeted
users.
According to Janna Badalian, Director of Marketing at
MobileSmith, “When it comes to customer engagement, native mobile apps can give
your website a run for its money.You can engage various groups of customers and
offer them a superior user experience – even without a reliable Internet
connection.”
2. How Are Your Customers Using Mobile?
Use analytics to understand how your target audiences are
using mobile. Are they transacting or using it to gather information? Are they
mostly on Android or iOS; smartphones or tablets? Translating this data to your
IT will help them make the right decisions and prioritize development plans.
However, sometimes requirements can get “lost in translation.” Marketers
usually know best what their customers expect from a mobile app, and they can
get their idea to market quicker if empowered with the right app prototyping
and development tools.
3. Get to Know ASO
What is ASO? App Store optimization. The App Store can be a
great source of new customers or it can be a competitive nightmare where your
app never sees the light of day. Getting to understand ASO is a critical part
of gaining traction and maintaining traction in the App Store. Sites like
apptamin.com offer great information on the subject.
4. Get to Know Your Competitors
Download your competitor’s apps. Not just you, but everyone
on your team should get to know what’s out there and how the competition
operates. Not only will you get some ideas, you will find out what they are not
doing well which will give you an opportunity to identity ways to beat them.
5. Check Cost Per Download
This is a fundamental issue that hits the business side of
marketing your company with an app. It’s one thing to develop an app, it’s
entirely another to motivate customers or potential customers to download the
app.
6. Consider In-App Advertising
CMOs should look at the app landscape and focus on popular
apps with frequent usability. Popular apps like Twitter allow in-app
advertising or mobile advertising, and that’s one way to quickly distribute
your app.
7. Use Social Media to Acquire Users
You should consider every distribution point that you think
is efficient, but certainly use mobile social media platforms. The technology
offers an almost immediate access to download your app. Your creative plan to
drive consumers to download must be spot on, or your app will fail.
8. Double-Down on Mobile
The future of marketing is mobile: Mobile is the most
personal device we possess, which makes it the best device to market to. In
addition, time spent in mobile apps has already surpassed time spent on desktop
Web, and for some parts of the world, mobile devices are the first and only
computer people possess.
9. Use Mobile App Marketing Automation
CMOs are already familiar with marketing automation on the
Web; however, mobile apps present a lot of unique challenges and opportunities.
On the Web, marketing automation is predominantly a B2B market, whereas apps
are primarily for consumers. Also, the primary use case for marketing
automation on the Web is lead nurturing, whereas with mobile apps it’s about
engagement, retention, and lifetime value. Therefore, CMOs responsible for
mobile apps should adopt marketing automation solutions specifically designed
for mobile.
10. Take Advantage of Real-Time Location
Location is one of the great opportunities for marketers on
mobile. CMOs should experiment with iBeacons and geo-fences, not only to be
able to segment users based on where they’ve been in the past, but also to
design marketing interactions for users as they enter or leave certain
locations. For example, switch the user experience in the app to “in-store
mode” once a user passes by the iBeacon at your storefront, or send a survey to
hotel guests as they leave the geo-fence of the hotel.
11. Be Lean!
Mobile holds tremendous promise, but it’s also uncharted territory
for a lot of CMOs. We can’t rely on gut feeling of past experience to build a
successful mobile app. Instead CMOs should adopt a culture of data-driven
decision making and build their app incrementally. That involves relying on A/B
testing and analytics for optimizing both the in-app experience and all
marketing interactions, such as push notifications.
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