In this expert interview, we ask mobile marketing specialist, Franco Beschizza, how businesses can get started with mobile marketing.
There are lots of examples of big brands doing big things with mobile marketing, but what about small businesses and agencies? Is the opportunity there?
Absolutely. As consumers move towards a more mobile ecosphere, and new low-cost cloud-based marketing platforms for mobile are becoming available, it will in effect level the playing field for small businesses and agencies.
Mobile is changing the way that the majority of purchasing decisions are made and opens up a real opportunity just by starting to think and employ some simple mobile strategies and tactics.
What is the biggest challenge preventing companies from getting serious about mobile marketing?
One of the great benefits of mobile marketing is that it can actually make your other marketing initiatives more effective. Linking it to social is a key benefit. Keeping up with all that is happening and developing in this area can be daunting and confusing.
The mobile industry has often viewed mobile as something unique that should be treated separately in marketing. Labeling mobile marketing as distinct and separate means it often falls lower on the priority list for companies, especially for small businesses and agencies that are managing multiple tasks at once. The positive side is that mobile is not really different or hard; you just need to consider it carefully to see good results.
Are there any steps that you feel are particularly helpful in overcoming this challenge?
Knowledge is key and an understanding of what role mobile can play within your company. This will require a clear strategy that can be taken in small steps, quick wins, gaining confidence in what mobile can deliver.
To my mind, and research studies supports this, there is no doubt that a connection exists between what happens digitally before, during, and after a shopping experience.
A recent report from Deloitte showed that digital channels influenced about 33 percent of in-store retail sales in the UK, which was nearly £100bn in 2014. The impact of mobile on in-store purchases grew quickly as more customers used their phones, increasing nearly four times over the same period. Now, mobile accounts for more than half of digitally influenced sales.
To take advantage of this rather than trying to deliver the whole nine yards experience just focus on what you can do well and test and learn to start with and build on this over time.
What’s your top tip for businesses looking to implement a mobile marketing strategy on a small budget?
The biggest step any small business or agency can take is to think of mobile as an enabler, fully integrated and supporting the other digital channels to purchase.
Mobile is about making your customers’ lives easier and establishing how you can support them at the key mobile moments in their customer journey. For this, you need to start thinking about what role mobile has within your business, whether you are a B2B or B2C.