What is mobile marketing?

Online advertising in itself has many different aspects to it, causing different choices to be made during the process of an advertising campaign. Mobile marketing is a way to achieve a multi-channel marketing strategy. 80% of internet users own a smartphone, therefore targeting those on smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices, through websites, emails, social media and apps is the smartest way to go.

There are many types of mobile marketing, figuring out which are right for your business can be difficult. We’ve picked out just a few of our favourites below…

App-based Marketing

Apps are a massive part of online life, with over 80% of our time online being spent on some kind of app. The worry from some advertisers, is that you have to build your own app in order to be advertising on them; this is not the case at all. For example, the Facebook app allows advertisers to show ads that are designed to  look like part of the platform, so that users often don’t even realise they are viewing an ad.

Location-Based Marketing

These ads appear based on a user’s location to a specific area or business. For example, if a business has requested display ads to be shown to certain users within a 3-mile radius, this would be a typical example of location-based marketing.

Mobile Search Ads

Mobile search ads work in the same way as basic google search ads on desktop, and will often feature call-to-actions. Mobile search ads in particular use call to actions such as ‘click to call’ or maps, so that the user can incorporate aspects of their smartphone into gaining information from the advertisements make for much higher click rates, as the user is not having to find information for themselves, it is being made as easy and simple as possible for them to find out about the company, product or service being advertised.

Mobile Image Ads

Mobile image ads work similarly to search ads, but are (as the name suggests) image based. The images appear based on searches, and are shown as display adverts with heavy emphasis on being eye-catching to draw attention.

With mobile marketing, it is important to remember the size of a mobile phone, in everything that you do. Using ads that are very text heavy will put users off simply because they won’t be able to see the text on your ads. Use words sparingly, keep it simple and clear.

Another consideration to make, is that 1 in 3 mobile searches are with local intent- for example- “where is the nearest shop”. Optimising your campaign for local will really help in this way, so you can make sure your ads are being shown to local people who are more likely to use your product or service.

Finally, always think about the end user- your customer. Where online would your customer be spending most of their time- Apps? Google? There’s no point showing the majority of your ads on mobile-friendly websites, when you know your target audience are more likely to be using apps on their phone.

Marketing is all about experimenting with what works for you. Don’t be afraid to try things out, experiment a bit to see where your ads get the most interest. Experiment and learn from it, that way you’re sure to have a successful mobile marketing strategy.

SeeLocal is an online marketing platform, specialising in local, online advertising campaigns for businesses of any size and any industry.