Why should you take mobile marketing seriously?

Why is mobile marketing important?

Until recently, we talked about digital marketing as if it were distinct from marketing as a whole. These days, we tend to assume that the vast majority of marketing activity will at least have a digital element to it. The same applies to mobile marketing. We talk about it as a separate discipline from other forms of marketing, but effective modern marketing must have a mobile element to succeed.

So why is mobile marketing important? Well, 81% of time spent online is on a mobile or tablet device according to Ofcom’s Online Nation 2020 report. Not only that, but another Ofcom report – this time from 2018 – found that we also spend one day per week using mobile devices. That’s a little under 4 hours every day, giving marketers near-endless opportunities to put their products and services in front of attentive potential customers.

What’s clear is this: a mobile audience is an engaged audience and failing to consider a robust mobile strategy in any marketing campaign is a big mistake.

Here are just a few of the reasons mobile marketing is so important, and so useful for marketers:

Accurate location data

Mobile devices present a huge opportunity for personalisation, both in terms of individual consumers (more on that later), and in terms of geographical location. GPS and mobile signals can accurately pinpoint users, delivering location-based marketing messages quickly and efficiently.

A broad, targetable audience

Given that 40% of UK adults – increasing to 65% of under-35s – look at their phone within five minutes of waking up (and that’s not taking into account checking the clock or turning off their alarm), and you have an audience that’s eager to consume almost from the minute they wake up until the second they go to sleep.

Personalisation

The data-gathering potential of mobile devices means that hyper-targeted, hyper-personalised messaging is possible. Delivering personalised emails or SMS messages at the exact time of day they’re likely to be opened and engaged with, is a massive step forward from the mass mailout, ‘hit-and-hope’ strategies that some still employ today.

Instantly shareable

With access to messaging and social media apps, mobile phones offer their users the ability to instantly share to a huge array of platforms, increasing the viral potential of your messaging manyfold.

Instant transactions

With 32% of all online purchases made through mobile wallets in 2020, according to research by UK Finance, one-touch payments significantly increase the potential for impulse buys and for customers to convert at speed and at scale from your mobile marketing activity. No fumbling for credit card details, or being put off by drawn out checkout processes means that consumers using mobile payment wallets or online payment providers often spend significantly more than those using traditional payment methods.

Greater opportunities

Mobile marketing is a vast subject area, with numerous platforms to experiment with in order to reach your audience. Get it right and you can steal a march on your competitors and use myriad innovative messaging solutions to reach new consumers in ways your competitors may not yet have discovered.

Mobile marketing is arguably the most important, fastest-growing marketing opportunity of all. Creating an effective strategy is crucial, but first-mover advantage is also key. Ensuring you’re the first in your market to offer a compelling mobile proposition, or to explore a new commercial avenue or technology, will pay dividends both now and in the future.