A few years back, a business owner might have told you to get off of your phone and get back on the computer. Not anymore. Thanks to the ever-evolving world of mobile marketing, now is the perfect time to be on the move. The lines between desktop, tablet, and mobile marketing have blurred. This is fantastic news for business owners, marketers, and sales people alike. Mobile apps can help you generate more leads, sell more products, and grow your business.
Here’s how.
1. Product discovery
Whether you’re planning to purchase a new product or service or are just browsing for info about a topic, you’ll usually find what you’re looking for on a mobile app. It’s the perfect place to research products and find details about them. Sometimes, all you need is a quick explanation or video to know what something is or does. Apps can also connect you with businesses, subject matter experts, and other people who can help you figure out what you need.
On the flip side, if you’re planning to sell a product or service, you can create a landing page for the app where interested parties can learn more about what you have to offer. They can also easily purchase it from the app. Your sales are likely to follow.
2. Customers and shoppers
Depending on what you sell, you’ll have different customer segments. You may have certain individuals who buy your products regularly and enjoy interacting with you via email, while others who use your products on a very basic level and prefer to stick to online searches.
Your customer segments will determine your target audience and the methods you use to attract them. If you have a specific type of customer you want to reach, you can create custom experiences for them, incorporating elements that make your product or service special. For example, if you’re a car dealer, you might develop an app that offers special discounts for customers who scan in their license plates. Or if you’re a real estate agent, you could create an app that shows all the details of previously listed properties, including photographs and video snippets of the inside of the homes. In this case, the app would serve as both a discovery tool for potential customers and a way to engage with them once they’ve discovered your product or service.
3. Engagement and acquisition
You’ve probably heard the saying, “a picture says a thousand words.” This is especially true when it comes to marketing and sales. If you want to engage with an audience and possibly turn them into customers, you can use various tools on mobile apps. You can use a QR code to link to websites, social media accounts, emails, or phone numbers. You can also use buttons, icons, or text to link to other websites, social media accounts, emails, or phone numbers. For example, if you want to get in touch with a customer service representative, you can create a link that takes them to a phone number or email address right on the app. Customers can also share content via Twitter, Facebook, or other platforms with the tap of a button.
Once you have an audience, you can use various engagement tactics to attract, convert, and retain them. You can use SMS texts, emails, or social media to gently persuade them to return or to stay engaged.
4. Brand loyalty and evangelism
Your customers are likely to be more engaged with your brand if they feel that what you have to offer is relevant to them and that their interests and those of your brand or company are aligned. For example, if you’re a fashion brand and you know that your customers are mostly women, you can incorporate fashion themes and style into your marketing and communication strategies, including your apps.
If a customer finds that what you offer suits their interests and lifestyle, you’ll gain a loyal fan who may even tell others about your app. Your customers’ recommendations are often the best way to gain new fans and to grow your business. If your product or service is relevant to your audience, you’ll be able to build a relationship with them and gain their trust. This is especially beneficial if you’re trying to pitch a new product or service to them since they already have a relationship with your company.
5. Research and analysis
Your customers come from a variety of backgrounds and industries, so it’s important to understand their needs and motivations. If you can, you can tailor your products and services to fit their needs. For example, if you’re a service provider who wants to attract more clients to your business, you can develop an app that provides various tools for researchers to find answers to their questions. This could be in the form of a Q&A database or a glossary that explains various terms and definitions.
If you want to know more about your customers, you can use various tools on mobile apps to collect demographic information, such as the region where they are located, the gender of the user, and their age.
6. Mobile wallets and gift cards
Many marketers and business owners forget to consider the mobile wallet when planning their marketing strategies. A mobile wallet is a digital wallet that can be used to make purchases in stores and online through an app. If you’re planning to use mobile wallets and gift cards in your marketing, you must make sure that you develop an app that can easily integrate with the major mobile wallet platforms, namely Apple Pay, Android Pay, and Samsung Pay. Integrating with these platforms will ensure that your app can easily accept the payment method.
If you don’t have the resources to build your own app from the ground up, it’s important to choose an app development company that has a proven track record and that can handle any integration tasks. You don’t want to run the risk of having an app that doesn’t play well with the major players in the industry.
7. Cross-platform effectiveness
If you’re a business owner or marketer looking for ways to cut costs, you can develop an app that runs on multiple platforms. For example, if your target audience is largely made up of Android users, you can build an app that works on both Android and iOS phones (iPhone or iPad). It’s also not uncommon for users to switch between operating systems, so your app needs to be cross-platform, ensuring that it functions the same regardless of whether the user enters the app via Android, iOS, or the browser.
If you want to build a successful app, you must make sure that it’s available for download on the Apple App Store, Google Play, and the Amazon App Store.
8. Location-based marketing and advertising
If you’re a business owner or marketer who wants to get in touch with individuals who are in a certain location, you can use various tools on mobile apps to target the right audience. For example, if you’re a real estate agent and you want to attract potential customers in your area, you can incorporate the U.S. Geological Survey’s mapping tools into your app to show various places, including homes for sale, nearby businesses offering the services you offer, and other properties that could be used for lodging or as a shooting range.
If you don’t want to limit yourself to real estate customers in your area, you can utilize various resources, including the Yellow Pages and online directories, to reach out to possible customers in other locations. You can also use your app to promote and advertise various local businesses that could be of interest to your potential customers.
With the right strategy, marketing tools, and a little bit of luck, you can put yourself in the driver’s seat of your marketing efforts, turning your smartphone into a mini-office, a laptop, an iPad, or a PDA. The opportunities are endless.