September 05, 2013

Mobile Marketing: This Year's New "It" Trend

2013 is certainly shaping up to be the year of mobile marketing, which should come as no surprise. The traditional flip-phone has been replaced by a pint-sized super computer capable of performing almost any task from paying a bill to ordering a late-night meal. From banners to apps to SMS to MMS, the mobile revolution has given marketers unprecedented opportunities to reach consumers on a level never seen before. 

With more than one billion smartphones users throughout the world, mobile marketing has become the most dominate player in digital marketing. In fact, the mobile Web is expected to reach nearly 2 billion users by 2015, outpacing desktop Internet usage. 

Recently, HighTable, a startup social website for processionals, released an infographic exploring the growth and power of mobile marketing, which includes some pretty convincing statistics that may help turn mobile nay-sayers into mobile advocates.

Who’s Online?

According to the aforementioned infographic, mobile Web users are almost evenly split between male (51.3 percent) and female (48.7 percent). Contrary to popular belief, mobile Internet use isn’t just for younger generations, evidenced by the fact that 50 percent of users are over the age of 35. And, while there are endless uses for mobile, the majority of users (74.3 percent) use their mobile phones for text messaging, photos (60.3 percent) and e-mail (40.8 percent).

So, what does this mean for marketers? With the majority of users turning to text messaging and e-mail to communicate, it is critical for marketers to integrate text messaging and e-mail campaigns into their mobile marketing strategy.

M-Commerce

Consumers are increasingly turning to their phones to purchase and research products. In fact, nearly one-third of consumers cite mobile as a preferred shopping method. Moreover, in 2012, $32 billion was spent through m-commerce up from $23 billion in 2011. However, this is where men and women differ. While women tend to make their mobile shopping experience social, men prefer to use their phone to find product information.

With consumers increasingly turning to their phones to make purchases, companies must make the buying process seamless and easy. Otherwise, consumers are more likely to abandon their purchase and opt for a competitor’s site.

Now more than ever, it’s critical for companies to take their marketing strategies mobile to remain competitive. However, navigating through the mobile maze isn’t as easy as it may sound. Mobile marketing has its own set of rules, do’s and don’ts and best practices.




Edited by Allison Boccamazzo




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