Stop Waiting And Get Started With Mobile Advertising

In case you haven’t noticed, most people today are walking around with a mobile device in their pocket, purse or backpack. Mobile phones, smartphones and tablet computers allow your prospects and customers to browse  your store, shop your wares and make purchases from the comfort of – well, anywhere. If you have yet to begin a mobile advertising campaign, you are missing out on a massive opportunity to:

• Target an entirely new market
• Communicate with your market wherever they happen to be
• Sell your products and services while your customers are on the fly

Mobile advertising is a must for any business that wants to get ahead in today’s Internet-driven marketplace. Sure, people are still using desktop and laptop computers at home and in their offices, but they are also using smartphones and tablets. In fact, some people use both devices simultaneously. Wouldn’t you like to tap into your mobile using target market? Sure you would. Put the following tips into action and develop a mobile advertising campaign that gets results.

Mobile Website

If your business doesn’t have a mobile website, you are definitely losing business. According to Google, 80% of smartphone users look up local businesses prior to committing to a buying decision. If your customers can’t find your website or any web presence at all, they will go to a competitor. However, and this is a common mistake amongst newcomers to mobile marketing, do not just shrink your website down to accommodate the smaller screens.

For effective mobile marketing, the following rules should be put in place.

• Keep Options to a Minimum: This is a rule that you should put into place throughout your mobile advertising campaign. People with mobile devices don’t have time to search for a lot of options, nor do they have the attention spans. They usually visit your site for one reason and they had better find what they came for quickly or else they are going to bounce to a competitor’s site. Keep it simple, savvy mobile Advertiser.
• No Fixed Widths: Fixed widths should never be used when creating a mobile advertising campaign. Mobile phone and tablet manufacturers are developing devices with a wide range of screen dimensions. It is impossible to predict how your mobile website will look on the visitor’s device. Your website may look skewed or you risk having two-thirds or more cut off the screen entirely.
• The Fewer Images, the Better: Images should be used to complement, not impede the user’s mobile experience. Also, he fewer images you use the quicker your mobile advertising campaign will load.
• Expect Your Users to Have Plump Fingers: There is nothing more frustrating than pressing a button on a mobile ad or webpage only to have the device highlight a different button I didn’t mean to click. Keep your buttons spaced apart and large enough so that even fat-fingered visitors can browse and click-through without frustration. Your mobile advertising customers will stay on your site longer.

Opt-In Box

All mobile devices can accept SMS messages. Once you have a website set up, you can start sending out SMS messages. It is recommended that you collect both email addresses and phone numbers from your audience. That way you have double the chance to target them.

You can then start sending out regular emails and SMS messages.

SMS Marketing

SMS marketing is text message marketing that you can use to target your prospects and customers wherever they may be. Never send too many SMS text messages. This element of your mobile advertising campaign must be handled delicately.

Make sure your customers know exactly what to expect from signing up – the type of content and the frequency of messages. As long as you fulfill your promise, your subscribers will remain on your list.

Review and Location-Based Sites

You will want to claim your listing on FourSquare, GoWalla, Facebook Places, Google Places and other location-based services. Especially if you rely on local customers, this is a good way to control the information given and these sites are great for sending traffic your way. If your prospects are looking for local businesses just like yours on their mobile devices, this type of mobile advertising could help them make a positive buying decision in your favor.

Mobile Ads

Mobile advertising is taking the world by storm and thanks to popular ad sites like iAd, Millennial Media and AdMob by Google, creating your first mobile advertising campaign is now easier than ever. Sign up with one or more of these mobile advertising platforms and your account manager should help you set everything up.

These tips will help you get your mobile advertising campaign started and off the ground. We haven’t even begun to discuss app development, QR codes and other techniques that can take mobile advertising to the next level. Once you have the basics down, start branching out and you will soon experience the true lead and sales driving force behind mobile advertising.