Have you considered adding mobile to your marketing strategy? This is one of the first questions we pose to business owners and marketers in our 'discovery calls'. The responses vary from “our website is not good on mobile” to “we can’t afford it” or “that’s for the bigger businesses with more resources, we’re just a small team”. In more cases than not, business owners and marketers are quick to rule themselves out of the mobile opportunity.
Mobile Messaging and Marketing Automation Can Be Your Small Business Secret Weapon
Yes, our world has gone mobile, but that doesn’t mean businesses can’t use mobile to their advantage.
In fact, mobile marketing might be your secret weapon.
For day-to-day activities like shopping, browsing and socializing, your customers have put mobile first. Email is almost the last thing they check, if at all! To keep pace with this shift in customer attention, modern marketers must do the same.
It’s time for David to face Goliath.
But, here’s the thing… business owners are in a better position to use mobile for customer engagement. As a business owner or marketer, isn’t it all about connecting with customers as opposed to amassing fans and followers?
Since you may have a smaller customer base compared to bigger companies, you’re able to more actively engage with them.
For example, you can easily see how your customers respond to e-mail campaigns, Facebook polls, daily deals and even your mobile messages.
Based on this insight, your small business can segment customers based on preferences and deliver more customized offers.
This personal touch enables you to differentiate your offerings while engaging customers to become ambassadors for your brand.
Let Them Open Their Mobile Wallet
As your customers continue to rely on mobile devices for their shopping, your small business can take advantage of applications like Apple Passbook or Google Wallet to digitally connect with customers and even discover new ones.
For example, your mobile marketing campaigns can include loyalty cards, VIP offers, event ticketing, opt-in alerts on deals or new products/services as well as other exclusive content.
Don’t Shy Away From Mobile
Don’t be one of the many that wrote off mobile marketing because you perceive it to be complex or time-consuming.
I’m going to give you some tough love here and say that that’s just one of the 8 most popular excuses my team hear for not getting started with mobile.
What you need to keep in mind is that mobile is simply another channel for you to connect, engage and convert your customers.
For all the talk about email marketing and social media, don’t forget about text message marketing. Many customers are more active on the mobile channel than they are on email or social media. Heck, most millennials don't even know what email is!
Extend and Enhance What You’re Already Doing
Including mobile into your marketing mix allows you to extend existing traditional channels such as TV, radio, direct mail or print and add a layer of interaction that wasn’t there before.
Do what you’ve been doing in email and social media marketing but include mobile calls-to-action and create stronger and more personal ties to your customers.
You’ll be adding another layer to your engagement. A more personalized and targeted layer.
And don’t worry about having to learn a new technology, because applications like MOBIT allow you to reach customers on their mobile devices without having to be a technical ninja.
It’s as easy as sending an e-mail campaign.
Embrace Mobile Marketing In Your Small Business
Embrace mobile as a marketing vehicle and you'll be able to extend and enhance what makes your business unique and you’ll have a new ability to personalize your messaging to engage with customers in a way only your small business can.