When it comes to mobile marketing for small business, it’s really not a matter of “if” you should add it to your marketing efforts, but “how.” Did you know that more than 70 per cent of Canadians are mobile subscribers? Out of 24.7 million subscribers in Canada, 86 per cent have a smartphone.
One of the distinct advantages of mobile marketing is the ability to reach customers whenever and wherever they are.
Start with mobile search – According to Google, one in three mobile searches have local intent and 54 per cent of users who researched online and bought offline used their mobile device to conduct their search. First and foremost, ensure your business listing is claimed and up to date on Google Places, Bing Local and Yahoo Local, as these are very popular mobile search platforms and are also used to populate the results of many geolocally based apps.
To get serious about mobile search, consider a mobile pay-per-click marketing campaign in Google AdWords or Microsoft adCenter. Mobile campaigns aren’t yet completely saturated, so competition may not be as fierce as it is for regular online search. Remember to keep your mobile campaigns separate from your other campaigns; because search volume tends be lower, you may want to bid for more broad keywords than you would with online search.
Be mobile friendly – It goes without saying that you want your customers to enjoy their experience on your website. Same applies to those customers who are visiting your website from a mobile phone or tablet.
When pulling up a website that has already been formatted specifically for mobile devices, customers have a much easier time navigating, and are more likely to stay longer. Customers who have to resize traditional websites on their smartphone will get tired of having to work so hard to see your website. Try popular services such as Mobify.com , Mofuse.com , Zubibu.com or the Google initiative GoMo at howtogomo.com .
Another important consideration that should not be forgotten is e-mail marketing. More and more users are opening e-mails on their mobile devices so it’s important to know how your campaigns will look on an iPhone, BlackBerry or Android. E-mail marketing services such as MailChimp.com and CakeMail.com make testing for mobile browsers easy.
Use geolocation services – Mobile geolocation works similarly to the GPS system used in your car to give you your location for navigation purposes, so imagine the potential for small businesses to target people nearby. This is one of the most popular and effective ways to implement a mobile marketing campaign. Using applications like Foursquare and Facebook Places is not only a fun way to connect with customers, but also can give you an edge on your competition. It’s important to not only claim your business listing on these platforms, but also personalize your business profile and add check-in specials. These services can set your business apart from the rest in your area. When someone nearby uses one of these applications on their phone, your business will come up, so put your best foot forward.
The most popular geolocation services include: Facebook Places, Foursquare, Google Maps and Yelp.
Do you need a mobile app? – With millions of mobile-based applications available, to say they are popular would be a severe understatement. But, unless you have a unique idea that really calls for something beyond what your mobile site can offer, developing an app can be pricey, and takes a lot of marketing to launch.
If you do have a unique idea for your clients, such as a personalized dictionary of flowers or offering push notification birthday or anniversary reminders, you’re going to need to hire a mobile developer or find a company that will work with you to develop a unique concept. You could always try out services like MyAppBuilder.com to test the market first too.
Consider SMS marketing – Mobile texting, though hardly new, can offer some pretty unique ways to directly target even your non-smartphone clients. Nearly every mobile user is capable of receiving text messages; businesses that can nail down their SMS marketing strategy can open up a number of opportunities. A mobile phone is the most personal piece of technology we have, so mobile texting is about intimacy and immediacy. Having the right information, for the right person, at the right time, will make all the difference. Rather than sending out a text blast, treat your messages like a conversation with each of your customers.
Of course, there are limitations. An obvious one is that most text messages are still limited to 160 characters. You’ll need to get a shortcode (usually a five-digit number) and software to manage these messages. Check out such companies as MyMobileMarketing.ca to explore your options.
Georgiana Laudi is a web marketing consultant with a passion for local businsess and social marketing. She has deep roots in the flower business as the third generation and long-time manager at Terrafolia Flowers in Montreal. She helps businesses of all sizes and can be contacted at
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