by Marelise da Silva | Jan 26, 2017 | Mobile Marketing
A mobile-friendly website is an essential for all those business owners who wish to succeed in the world of digital marketing, therefore, mobile optimization must be a top priority. To get you started towards a responsive and adaptable online presence, here are some useful tips to keep in mind:
- Keep it Simple
Since mobile devices have smaller screens, bombarding your website visitors with copious amounts of text and large image files which take ages to download probably isn’t the best course of action. Instead, keep all content simple and to the point (you can always include expandable content for those who wish to continue reading) and stick to smaller-sized images.
- Keep Branding the Same
Your mobile site should resemble your desktop site in every way possible: keep all the fonts, images and text similar, if not entirely the same. You want your visitors to experience a sense of familiarity and loyalty every time they land on one of your web pages – regardless of the device that they are using to browse.
- Ensure Easy Navigation
Make sure that the tiles of your navigation bar are a good size and easy to click on, and be certain that mobile users can navigate effortlessly on your site.
To ensure that your website is fully responsive and that your mobile marketing is up to scratch, get in touch with the professionals for assistance: contact WSI OMS. With experience in both web design and mobile optimization, we will help you to increase your reach, improve your bottom line and, most importantly, keep all your customers happy!
by Francois Muscat | Oct 26, 2016 | Mobile Marketing
More and more people are spending the majority of their online time using their mobile devices, especially social media sites. Mobile users tend to share content twice as much as they do from a desktop computer. With this in mind, it’s no surprise then that social media marketers are focusing a lot of their attention on how to optimise their social posts for mobile users.
Here are some very interesting statistics on the trend of mobile usage:
- Mobile digital media time is now up to 51%, compared to desktop (42%)
- The percentage of customers using mobile devices to search the internet:
- 91% laptop
- 80% smartphone
- 47% tablet
- 37% games console
- Emerging devices used to search the internet:
- 34% smart TV
- 9% smart watch
- 7% smart wristband
- Apps vs mobile site usage:
- Mobile ad spending is still lagging behind, despite growth in mobile media time
The implications are crystal clear- if you’re not reaching your audience through mobile search or display, you will miss out to competitors who are. Mobile apps are also a growing business – companies now have to decide whether to develop mobile apps or restrict themselves to mobile optimised sites.
Some tips for mobile social marketing success:
- Make sure your pinned posts are relevant to mobile users.
- If you are aiming video at Facebook, target users connected via Wi-Fi.
- Make sure your content looks good in mobile feeds before posting it.
- Make sure your content is easily shared from mobile devices.
- If you post a link, make sure it’s to a mobile friendly page.
People don’t want stripped down content – they want quick and easy access to whatever they need, regardless of the device they’re using.
Technology is moving at a scary pace, with people happy to gallop along. If you’re finding it all a bit much, or need to take another look at your mobile marketing strategy, contact us. We’re keeping up.
by Marelise da Silva | Sep 29, 2016 | Mobile Marketing
The basic technique for lead generation is simple – you place an offer of sorts behind a form on a landing page and then promote it excessively through your social media channels, your blog and through email marketing. People check it out, fill out the form, get the offer and become a lead. A piece of cake, right? But then the use of mobiles as the preferred medium for internet usage happened, which makes things less straightforward. So you need to change your lead generation tactics slightly, because of the way people behave on their mobile phone – but it’s not that big a deal – you don’t necessarily need to create new content for the mobile market; you can use what you already have and just tweak it slightly.
When looking at what to tweak, you should consider the following 5 tactics:
- Use progressive profiling forms
One of the frustrations of filling out forms on a mobile device is that the fields are too small, leading to mis-clicks. The forms are also often too long, so users give up and turn to a competitor with shorter forms. Progressive profiling allows you to replace form fields that have already been filled in the next time a user visits your website. That way, you can have more space for the information you do need them to fill out and make your form shorter. By hosting progressive forms on your website content, you optimise your mobile presence for higher conversions.
- Provide mobile only discounts and promotions
Using promo codes, customer loyalty discounts or on-location specials encourage customer interaction. Placing a sign in-store offering something for free in return for a Facebook page ‘Like’ gets people digging out their mobiles on the spot, creating a loyal customer base that can be nurtured by a social media team.
- Create simple CTAs
Mobile screens are quite different to desktop or tablets, so you need to make CTA buttons that are clear with easy-to-read text, yet not that large they are distracting.
- Optimise your content
People often use their mobiles when killing time or standing in a queue – generally a short period of time. When writing for mobile, make sure you put your links for lead generation at the start of the text. Keep the content clear, leaving out filler words and fluff. Make your headlines bold, catchy and short (i.e. tweetable). Lists and bullet points are often easier to read than paragraphs.
- Make your phone number clickable
Get people to the point of conversion more quickly by making it easy for them to contact you. Having a clickable number eliminates the need to copy and paste or memorise numbers. People using their mobiles are more action-oriented than those on desktops, so it’s important to take advantage of this.
Generating leads through mobile is a relatively new marketing space; one that’s not that difficult to implement. For more on mobile marketing strategy, contact us – we have some pretty good ideas to get your business pulling in new leads.
by Marianna Muscat | Sep 13, 2016 | Mobile Marketing
The new location-based augmented reality mobile game by Niantic, only released a month ago, has taken the world by storm, for kids, teens and adults alike. Not only has it unleashed hordes of people onto the streets in search of game characters to catch, but has sparked a few business ideas, completely transforming some retail businesses.
For the unenlightened few, the game makes use of the GPS and camera of compatible devices, allowing players to capture, battle and train virtual creatures, called Pokémon, who appear on device screens as though in the real world. The game is free to play, although it supports in-app purchases of additional gameplay items. It has a real social aspect, bringing unlikely people together.
The simplest way to actively engage in Pokémon Go marketing is to establish a Lure Module purchase for the physical retail location. This will capture the game characters in the geolocation for about thirty minutes. The cost works out to around $1.19 per hour. Food establishments and convenience stores are obvious choices, with one restaurant raising their business by 75% in one night by using Lure Modules. Another quick pop-up business, offering smartphone charging stations to Pokémon Go players, has proven to be a remarkable opportunity to generate new sales.
Pokémon Gyms, set in locations usually in or near a park or street corner, cannot be purchased, but can be located. Food vans set up around a Pokémon Gym saw a 7000% increase in business, about 200 hundred people per hour, with trade running on well into the night.
Soon, advertisers will be able to buy sponsored places in Pokémon Go, according to Niantic CEO. Large national retailers will most likely sponsor elements like Pokéballs, and see big organic growth.
With this game already being the most popular in history, in the first week of its launch, it’ll be around for a while. It will be most interesting to observe the Augmented Reality marketing ploys that emerge and impact different business. As always, business opportunities are for the bold and the quick to act.
Can you think of a way to harness the enormous following of Pokémon in your business?
by Marelise da Silva | Jun 23, 2016 | Digital Media Marketing, Mobile Marketing
There are a number of reasons that mobile advertising works better than traditional digital marketing. The biggest and most obvious reason for mobile marketing is the fact internet usage via a mobile device has overtaken the desktop, with over 60% of online activity conducted on a smart phone or other mobile device. This percentage is likely to grow over the next year or so, so it’s a market you need to be in!
If you are not yet active in promoting your business on mobile, chew on these six examples and see if you change your mind.
- Accessibility
Most mobile phone owners are never more than an arm’s length away from their devices, at any given time. Conversations are possible, anytime, anywhere. This means your customers can almost always be reached.
- Up to date
The always-on nature of mobile devices provides a speedier communication channel. The use of SMS/MMS and micro-blogging tools supports a more spontaneous response or reaction than other channels.
- Location awareness
Knowing a person’s geographical location allows the use of location based services to engage with customers on a more personal level.
- More personal
Mobile devices often form part of the identity of their owner, with people becoming quite attached to their mobiles. Mobile marketing may be perceived as friendlier or more familiar, allowing two-way communication, that can result in high levels of engagement.
- More targeted
Having a phone number gives marketers a core delivery address for their transmissions, allowing them to reach a highly targeted audience. It also offers the ability for marketers to reference previous interactions, making the process more personable.
- Cheaper
Mobile marketing has a much lower CPM than other traditional marketing channels. Set up and campaign costs are lower because you can easily integrate with other media channels to promote your mobile marketing campaign.
If you’d like to find out more about the mobile marketing game, contact us. We’ll work with you to create a mobile marketing strategy specifically geared to reach your target audience.
by Marianna Muscat | Jun 7, 2016 | Mobile Marketing, Mobile Solutions
In a report published by eMarketer, it was predicted that online spend via mobile devices would account for more than 60% of all online spend in 2016 (in the US). While that seems like a neon arrow for marketers looking for advertising platforms, there are a few problems that marketers face:
- The need to develop creative specifically for mobile and the mobile viewing experience
- Accurate cross-device attribution and frequency management
- Allocating optimal levels of budget to mobile
There are big rewards and opportunities for marketers willing to invest in tools needed to succeed at mobile marketing, but the key is to realise that mobile requires different creative, expertise and measurement systems from other channels.
Some things to remember when developing material for mobile marketing, is that most mobile phones are held in the vertical position, so videos should mimic that orientation. Another factor is the need for cross-device measurement technology – a third-party technology platform that tracks, weights and measure the role of mobile across all devices is a necessary investment for those wanting to understand the impact that mobile has on the consumer buying decision. Difficulty in measuring ROI has been a major factor holding back the growth in mobile ads.
Email, in addition to being the top mobile activity, is the third biggest driver of revenue on tablets and mobile phones. Marketing emails should be mobile-friendly, as well as being short and to-the-point, encouraging the reader to find out more at a later time.
Geotargeting – a phone’s location service is used to send geo-relevant content to consumers – is a trend worth considering. Many retailers have adopted the location-aware apps and beacons, which allow them to send relevant information and promotions based on the consumer location.
Creating and deploying mobile apps is another way to drive interactions and engagement with customers. Push notifications, relevant updates and gamification are ways to keep customers engaged once they have downloaded the app.
SMS marketing tools still work well, allowing you to reach smartphone users with targeted deals. These can have engagement rates up to eight times higher than email marketing.
With the right mobile marketing strategy, tools and team, marketers can really succeed in this segment of the market. For more on mobile marketing and developing a marketing strategy, contact us – we can craft a varied approach to reach your customers and maximise your budget.
