Mobile is a major player in the omni-channel customer experience and it’s no small task for marketers to keep up with this added layer of complexity when it comes to reaching a target audience. It’s a no-brainer that marketers need to be mobile-savvy in order to create an omni-channel experience for customers, and they also need to be able to accurately measure the return on investment of a mobile strategy.
That’s why this whitepaper from the enterprise marketing management team at IBM recently caught my eye. Mobile marketing: The time is now explains some of the key tactics and technologies that can help brands connect with customers in ways that previously have been out of reach for traditional marketers.
The time for adopting a “wait and see” approach to mobile is long past. Although it’s a reality that for many marketers confusion over the technology available, budget restrictions, and a lack of understanding about the importance of mobile has been a hindrance to adoption.
Here’s some insight from the report that might prove helpful to you as you begin to lay out your strategies for 2016:
Mobile Analytics
The success of any marketing campaign depends on uncovering how and where consumers interact with you, and determining which approach works best. With the variety of devices in the marketplace and the resultant deluge of data available, marketers need an effective digital analytics solution to track and understand an individual’s overall reaction and level of engagement. Insights from analytics can add value to a mobile campaign in two key areas:
Mobile optimized websites. The ability to optimize mobile websites to deliver the most attractive content to visitors with an easy path to purchase.
Better functionality. Increased engagement by providing the functionality mobile app users value.
Customer Experience Management
Understanding how customers interact with a brand is vital for creating an easy-to-use and effective mobile service. Customer experience management technology exists, and can provide valuable insights. This can help help remove obstacles that might deter potential customers, ultimately increasing conversions and revenues.
Mobile Email
The IBM report identifies two frequently overlooked aspects of email:
Consistency across devices. People often check email on a mobile device. However, that same message may subsequently be viewed on a range of devices, like laptops, tablets, or PCs. To deliver desired conversion rates, messages need to look just as great on those devices as they do on mobile devices.
Emails marked as spam. IBM’s email benchmark data shows that one in five messages don’t even reach the inbox because it’s been blocked, quarantined, or treated as spam. An effective email rendering tool can be used to overcome both problems, allowing previews on multiple devices, as well as deliverability monitoring.
Mobile Apps
Push notifications are a useful way to increase engagement, revenue, and customer loyalty. Marketers can blanket all users with notifications, segment them to reach a particular target audience, or personalize notifications to the individual.
Mobile Web Push
Marketers can also use push technology to engage with people who prefer to visit a mobile site. Messages can be delivered directly on screen, or saved to a website inbox for later viewing.
SMS Text
While a broad SMS or MMS text message campaign can be costly—and potentially seen as spam—a more personalized and localized approach can mean success for a marketing team.
With GPS technology, relevant text messages can be delivered with an accuracy never before possible. People have a tough time ignoring text messages, which gives location-based delivery the potential to be very effective. Real-time messages to consumers as they research in store—or when they’re in a competitor’s store—can be a very powerful weapon. Shoppers want what they want when they want it, and a well-timed special offer or discount, just a block away, can be a smart call to action on the part of a retailer utilizing this kind of technology.
Smart marketers not only recognize that mobile marketing is the way forward, they’re also prepared to use the right data and tools to reach the mobile market in the most effective and personalized way possible.
Want to know more? Check out the full whitepaper at Mobile marketing: The time is now. I’ll also mention that while my partner and I do some work with IBM, this post is not part of a series I’m compensated to write. I’m just interested in all things omni-channel, and how marketers need to adapt in order to create great experiences for customers across multiple channels. I think the information here might be valuable to you as you develop your strategies for the coming year.
Additional Resources on this Topic:
15 Stats That Prove You Need Mobile Email Optimization
Mobile Marketing Automation: A Must for Businesses and MSPs
Mobile Email: The “New Normal” for Marketers and Consumers
Photo Credit: Franquia Consultoria Marketing Digital via Compfight cc
