The Advantages of Mobile Marketing

It’s no secret that people use mobile phones and tablets for a good portion of each day. Smartphones have become almost a necessity in today’s world full of QR code menus, Etsy shops, and the like. A majority of time spent online is spent on social media- a completely free and undeniably effective marketing channel. With the everchanging algorithms of apps such as TikTok and Instagram, it seems almost everyone gets their 15 minutes of fame. With consistency and quality content, any company can create an online marketing campaign that catches the attention of consumers.

There are a litany of benefits to using mobile marketing as opposed to traditional marketing. To start, there are a variety of channels to advertise through including websites, social media, email campaigns, text campaigns, and more. Because social media is so common, all the major social media sites have apps designed for mobile use. If a company is engaged and active on social media, this can be boost its ranking in the search engines. Although it may take time, organic advertisement through SEO is a classic and beneficial tool. When using mobile marketing, it’s also easier to target specific demographics, and with 35% of users wanting more personal advertisements, mobile marketing allows companies to create advertisements specific to each target market (Knezovic, 2023).

Another benefit is that mobile marketing can be narrowed down to one specific location. For example, if someone is searching for a gym near them, roughly 66% of people are more likely to choose a gym with mobile content tailored to their location. Mobile marketing is also less expensive than traditional marketing in the sense that creating content is free. Money can be put behind social media posts or the company can run a pay-per-click ad, but in comparison, mobile marketing is very inexpensive. Television, radio, and billboard ads can cost anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, while social media is significantly cheaper, having ad options available for as little as $5 (Knezovic, 2023). To give an example, let’s say a company’s marketing department wants to advertise a new event it’s hosting for the holidays with a budget of $250. On a small-market radio channel, a 30-second ad will cost between $100-500. However, with this budget on TikTok, a 30-second long ad can be advertised for $36 a day for 7 days and garner anywhere between 21,552 and 80,092 views. While the radio ad would attract attention, it’s undeniable that spending the budget on TikTok would be more relevant and draw more attention (Voice123… 2024).

There are many mobile marketing strategies that easily lead consumers to the point of sale. Some of these include using QR codes, personalizing ads to stay on top of trends and current humor, running SMS campaigns, implementing AI software for a more interactive experience, creating loyalty programs, and more (Forbes… 2022). All of these interactive methods of marketing gently guide the user into becoming a loyal repeat customer.

Although mobile marketing is clearly one of the most effective routes to take, it doesn’t come without its fair share of problems. Sometimes campaigns don’t take off the way they were intended to, sometimes problems arise throughout the campaign. The most crucial thing to remember is that no campaign is a failed campaign- it will either be a success or a learning experience. There are options to optimize your chances of efficient campaigns however.

The first option is to really define your target audience. You can’t advertise to people if you don’t know their mobile activity, their wants, their needs, their grievances, etc. Once a target market is established, it is essential to have the best website possible. The website is the foundation for every campaign- it’s where we intend for the visitors to land. Because of this, the website needs to be compatible with mobile devices and run smoothly. With a great website, the next step is to create engaging content. I run a few social media accounts as a freelancer, and I’ve learned to never post anything I wouldn’t watch myself. I’ve caught myself creating content that I skip through when making edits, and once I catch myself skipping I know it’s time to start fresh. Content needs to be informative or entertaining to the point that it drives traffic and convinces consumers that they need to engage with the brand (LinkedIn, 2023).

In conclusion, tradition and mobile marketing have many similarities and differences. However, with technology quickly integrating itself into everyday life, mobile marketing is clearly one of the fastest, cheapest, and most efficient ways to market a business. Although problems can occur as with any marketing strategy, these problems are easily combatable. With the constantly-changing algorithm and great content, I believe any business can be successful through mobile marketing.

Forbes Communication Council, E. P. (2022). Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2022/09/19/11-effective-mobile-marketing-techniques-that-can-drive-leads-and-sales/?sh=c3d16387862b

Knezovic, A. (2023). Retrieved from https://www.blog.udonis.co/mobile-marketing/mobile-marketing-vs-traditional-marketing/

LinkedIn. (2023). Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/advice/0/how-do-you-overcome-mobile-marketing-obstacles#:~:text=Another%20way%20to%20overcome%20mobile,as%20best%20practices%20and%20guidelines.

Voice123 Editorial Team. (2024). Retrieved from https://voice123.com/blog/marketing-trends-tactics/radio-advertising/#:~:text=30%2DSecond%20small%2Dmarket%20radio,%242%2C000%20to%20%245%2C000%20or%20higher.