Current Mobile marketing industry updates, growth strategies, and tips

CThe number of smartphone users in India was around 748 million in 2020 and is expected to hit a billion in 2026. This gives a clear picture of how important mobile devices have become and the critical role they play in everyday life. Is it any wonder that mobile marketing has become a vital part of digital marketing as it is the device that is most likely to be used by the target audience?

• Did you know that over 90% of customers in the US prefer to receive text messages over calls?
• Over 87% of the population surveyed used the internet on their smartphones
• Over 43% of the surveyed people used their smartphones to research products before a purchase
• Over 40% of the total transactions are done on the mobile phone

(Source: Chattanooga Trend Mill for Business)

This clearly shows that the population is veering towards the smartphone as their go-to device for making purchase decisions. There are several industries that are seeing a pickup due to mobile marketing. They include restaurants, beauty and clothes and electronics.

What attracts customers to mobile marketing?

If you take successful mobile marketing examples, you are bound to see one or more of the following playing a vital role in its success.

Brand familiarity – Well-known brands have the edge over newbies when it comes to mobile marketing as more customers tend to engage with known brands.

Engaging content – When content is exciting and eye-catching, customers are more likely to pay attention to it on their smartphones.

Promotional offers – When promotional offers are advertised on mobiles, they attract more viewing and engage the audience better. 

Moment Marketing – When brands get their timing right and make the best use of the moment, Mobile marketing yields good results.

What are the new insights on mobile marketing?

Mobile marketing is the new normal – After March 2020, the world hasn’t been the same again. Consumers have changed the way they shop, learn, do business, entertain themselves and transact. The use of smartphones along with cheap internet has seen a sharp upsurge, and this has transformed how customers access information and use it. 

Mobile video content is seeing a rise –  The amount of video content consumed has grown immensely since the pandemic. The younger generation consumes over 90 minutes of video content on a daily basis, as per studies. Brands are therefore using mobile video advertising to reach out to their target audience.

The visible uptick in voice search – In a fast-paced world, where everyone is in a tearing hurry, typing out words on the google search bar has been replaced by voice search. Increasingly, consumers are using voice search to find what they are looking for. Digital marketing agencies would do well to note the fact that voice search optimisation can yield better results.

Visual search on mobile picking up pace – The future of google search is clicking a photo on the phone and using it to search for information. It is a scientific fact that visual information is processed faster than text information. Optimising content for visual searches is bound to yield faster results, and this is definitely going to be a trend changer in the future.

Shoppable Links – Shoppable posts on social media sites are an interesting way to engage customers. If someone likes the item and wants to buy it, they can just click on the link provided and purchase the item directly. This has already been introduced on Instagram and will soon become popular on other platforms as well.

Augmented reality – This is an emerging technology that can easily change the way we perceive online shopping. For example, IKEA offers an option where you can see how a piece of furniture fits in your room using augmented reality. This is a powerful way to optimise purchase decisions and can impress customers. This will encourage better decision-making, eliminate post-purchase dissonance and reduce returns.

Superior Instore experience – Mobile app integration is a great way to provide an enhanced omnichannel experience. Consumers can complete their product research and more on the app and complete the transaction at the physical store or vice-versa to get home delivery. It gives consumers more flexible options.

Increase in data speed with 5G – The issue of the digital divide needs to be addressed to increase mobile data usage. People from the poor and lower middle-class sections lack digital literacy skills to use mobile and may not be able to afford one despite broadband coverage in their area. 5G is likely to be introduced soon in India on mobiles, and this should speed up things going into the future.

Mobile Streaming – People spend long hours watching video content on their mobile phones. This craze increased during the pandemic when people were locked indoors with no scope for external entertainment. It has been observed that consumers enjoy both long-form videos like movies as well as short reels. Brands would do well to reach out to new audiences using the video format for better engagement.

User-generated content – Over time, people have realised that paid ads cannot be wholly trusted while making purchase decisions. They prefer customer reviews and are more likely to trust information and opinions shared by other users. This is an aspect that digital marketing agencies can explore to create more credible content that can powerfully influence new customers.

Mobile games – It is a known fact that the younger generation spends a lot of time playing mobile games. According to Statista, mobile gaming revenues are expected to reach $116.4 billion by 2024, which tells you the size of the market that is available to be tapped. This audience can be engaged by building social network components and getting the player community to bond with each other.

Wrap-Up-

Mobile marketing has to be an integral part of your growth strategy and form a vital part of your digital marketing plan. There are enough mobile marketing examples out there which have been runaway successes and are proof that mobile marketing will need to be an important part of your marketing arsenal.
Team Pumpkin is a full-service integrated digital marketing agency with a decade of experience and several prestigious brands. It specialises in being ahead of the curve by staying in line with the upcoming trends and making them a part of its digital marketing strategy. To know more about their offerings, you can visit their website.