It’s a given these days that a truly comprehensive mobile marketing strategy is one that falls in line with a greater, multi-channel marketing plan. According to a recent study from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, mobile web use has doubled since 2009, with two-thirds of Americans who own cell phones now using them to surf the internet and check their email.
Their concurrent finding that many consumers are now turning to phones as their primary means of accessing the Web makes it clear that mobile marketing is something your business can’t afford to ignore. But before rushing into mobile application development, it’s important to take a step back first, and carefully plan your approach.
To that end, we’ve assembled a step-by-step guide to crafting an effective mobile marketing strategy.
1. Identify the concrete goals of your mobile marketing efforts. As with any other marketing medium, mobile application development should not be planned in a vacuum. It should be fully integrated with your other marketing activities, and its goals should align seamlessly with your overall business goals. That being said, determine what it is specifically that you want your mobile app to accomplish. Driving traffic to your stores? Developing customer loyalty? Your choice here will decide what form your mobile app will take, so it’s vital to get it right.
2. Define your target audience. Again, this step should not be undertaken without considering the whole picture. First of all, which demographic does your company already market to? By stepping into mobile application development, are you hoping to widen your audience? Or narrow your focus to just one segment of it? Once you’ve determined who it is you want to reach, the next step is to find out about their online behavior. And what better way to do that, than to look into their activity on social media? What type of content engages them? What leaves them cold? Getting this information is invaluable in developing your mobile strategy.
3. Be true to yourself, but let those creative juices flow. A major contributor to the success of any mobile app is its creativity and uniqueness. It’s also important, however, that your app maintain the voice and feel of your brand, to provide a consistent customer experience across all channels. And make sure that whatever you come up with, it calls for customer interaction, rather than being strictly a one-way street. But within those bounds, feel free to let loose. The more surprising, funny, or singular an app is, the more people will be drawn to engage with it, and even tell their friends about it.
4. Make sure it’s solid. Perhaps most importantly of all, you’ve got to be positive that your mobile app not only works with nary a glitch, but is useful and of real value to your target audience. You can, and in some cases, should, incorporate games and fun, no question there – but give your app a practical, real-world twist, as well. Maybe it gives customers special discounts, or maybe it helps them select the product that’s right for them. Whatever benefit you want to provide for your customer, make sure it’s something they will actually value.
Mobile app development is an integral part of any comprehensive business marketing plan, but it’s also a complex and specialized process. If you’d like an experienced hand to guide you through it all, give 7T a call. From initial strategy to app development to ongoing support, we can help you begin to integrate mobile into your current marketing strategy.
Based in Dallas, 7T maintains regional offices located in Chicago and Houston. To discuss your development project, contact the team at 7T today!
