Own a smartphone or iPad? Great! Welcome to the marvelous mobile marketplace. But before you congratulation yourself on having a brilliant strategy, consider this, It takes more than a hardware purchase, or a new app to create an effective strategy, it requires an intimate knowledge of flow. During a recent lead acquisition project, one of my automotive clients was surprised to learn that over 20% of their web traffic started on a mobile device. We were able to track the shopping pattern of one new client and found a mix of mobile and home computer web visits over a one week period leading to the sale. The most valuable insight we learned is how much the two paths differed. The home user conducted initial research, was methodical, conducted a broader search and invested time to aquire detailed information. The mobile user was spontaneous, in a hurry, focused on local resources and completing an immediate goal. Our analysis revealed that a mobile marketing strategy requires more than simply scaling a web page to fit a small screen.

Five Steps for Developing a Mobile Marketing Strategy

Mobile marketing requires a different approach. Here are some tips you can use to create an initial mobile strategy.

1. Find your mobile prospects and follow them around. We used Google Analytics to zero in on visitors who were using mobile browsers. Identify mobile users and document the flow of their visits. Were they standing in line at the post office, were they responding to an ad during the Superbowl?
2. Switch to your customer hat and use mobile technology to view your marketing message. My clients use a mobile WordPress Theme to adjust the display to match their technology. I use MailChimp for my email broadcasts because they support, HTML, Text and Mobile formats.
3. Develop lead acquisition campaigns that build on the strength of mobile marketing, "hear" and now, local, instant gratification.
4. Adopt a mobile mindset. It's easy to imagine a prospect viewing your marketing while sitting in front of a computer. Get up from the desk, break the tether and go outside. Imagine how a mobile prospect will move through your marketing.
5. Use mobile technology appropriately. Effective QR code campaigns are highly structured. Follow the Print + Mobile + Mobile strategy. Print the code and present as a written invitation. Present the code in a mobile environment. Deliver the content in a mobile format for immediate consumption.

As with all digital marketing, the key is not technology, it's connecting with people. By focusing on how, when and where your prospects use mobile technology, you deliver what they need, build a loyal following and dazzle them with your savvy marketing skills.

Resources

Want to know more? Check out the Summit Strategies from the Mobile Marketing Strategies Summit, December 2011 San Francisco.

What Do Your Think?

Are you using mobile marketing in novel ways? I invite you to share your brilliance with my followers.