Benefits and Advantages of Mobile Marketing: What You Need to Know in 2024

With over 6.7 billion people in the world owning smartphones, it’s easy to see why many businesses consider mobile marketing integral to their overall marketing strategies. Long gone are the days when mobile marketing was dominated by big brands like Google and Subway. These days, even SMBs have jumped on the mobile marketing train. In fact, survey results indicate that over 70% of small businesses have optimized their marketing efforts for mobile.

To help shed light on the popularity of this marketing strategy, this article lists some of the most important benefits of mobile marketing. We also provide some of the best examples of mobile marketing platforms in case you want to try this strategy for your business.

Mobile marketing has come a long way since the first mobile ad was shared through SMS in 2000. With rising smartphone usage and the availability of broadband cellular networks, it seems only natural for marketers to take advantage of this marketing channel. Research shows, for instance, that more advertisers are choosing to invest in mobile ads each year.

Specifically, worldwide spending on mobile advertising achieved a 23% year-on-year growth in 2021. Mobile ad spending is also expected to exceed $330 billion by the end of 2022.

Mobile marketing can be an effective addition to any marketing strategy, especially for businesses looking for new ways to engage with their customers. It can also be a useful tool for providing improved customer service and converting more of your target market into paying customers. The following sections provide a quick overview of mobile marketing and how it works, along with the top advantages of using mobile marketing.

What is mobile marketing?

Mobile marketing is a set of digital marketing strategies developed to reach a target audience through their mobile devices. While the first instance of mobile marketing was shared through SMS, the strategy has evolved over the years to include websites, MMS, social media, and even email. The latest mobile marketing trends now also include the spreading use of augmented reality and user-generated content.

In many cases, businesses use mobile marketing to deliver time-sensitive, personalized information that promotes goods and services to their customers. For instance, some businesses use it to send customers notifications or reminders of upcoming appointments. Other companies use mobile marketing through in-app mobile ads for their products and services.

Some commonly used types of mobile marketing are:

• SMS marketing – SMS marketing is popular among businesses today because SMS can be sent to any mobile phone, even without mobile data or WiFi.
• App-based marketing – Businesses can create ads that also appear in third-party mobile apps. Companies can also create their own mobile apps to provide information about their products and services.
• Push notifications – Many mobile apps also have the ability to deliver push notifications to devices, providing relevant information to mobile phone users.
• Location-based marketing – With location-based marketing, ads appear on mobile devices once the user is within the vicinity of a business.
• In-game marketing – Many businesses choose to invest in mobile games so their products can be mentioned in these games.

Benefits and Advantages of Mobile Marketing

Listed below are some of the most important ways mobile marketing can improve your overall marketing strategy and business performance.

1. Accessible and immediate

There are many advantages of mobile marketing, but one of the most significant is that it enables accessibility. With mobile marketing, you can reach your target audience anytime, anywhere. After all, people are always on their phones, spending a record 3.8 trillion hours on mobile devices in 2021 alone.

And since your customers are always accessible, mobile marketing ensures the immediate delivery of your message. This comes in handy for sending time-sensitive information to customers. For instance, businesses can use this mobile marketing strategy to provide information on limited-time discounts on their products and services.

Moreover, this immediate delivery holds particularly true if you opt for SMS marketing. According to the latest SMS marketing statistics, SMS marketing has an open rate of 82%. This means your target market is likely to consume your message as soon as they receive it.

2. Multiple marketing strategies

Another benefit of mobile marketing is its versatility. As mentioned above, businesses have the option to choose from various types of mobile marketing. Aside from using SMS marketing to promote products and communicate with customers, marketers can also use QR codes and mobile apps. These marketing strategies help improve brand awareness and make shopping more convenient.

Meanwhile, businesses interested in app-based marketing can develop apps of their own to promote their products and services. Marketers can also opt to instead have ads displayed in third-party apps to increase traffic to their websites.

However, the possibilities provided by mobile marketing can be overwhelming. Businesses can dip their toes into mobile marketing by ensuring that their websites follow best practices for website marketing, which include responsive website design. Such websites are easier for users to browse; this is important because, as of March 2022, 59% of web traffic comes from mobile devices.

3. Various ad formats to choose from

The benefits of mobile marketing also include the option to choose from various ad formats. These ad formats include banner ads, interstitial ads, and native ads. Banner ads are typically displayed across the top or bottom of the mobile device’s screen. Meanwhile, interstitial ads take up the entire screen. While interstitial ads practically guarantee attention for your ad, these also interrupt the user’s mobile experience. Native ads are similar to banner ads, though native ads are designed to be less intrusive to mobile users.

One of the most popular mobile ad formats marketers use these days is video ads. According to advertising trends, mobile-first video advertising has gained popularity recently, especially on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. Additionally, the majority of video marketers believe that the format has encouraged visitors to spend more time on their websites.

4. Instant transactions

Mobile marketing and advertising strategies also pave the way for easier conversions and instant transactions. For instance, businesses can publish ads on third-party apps and social media to ensure top-of-mind awareness of their products and services. This is especially effective since smartphone users spend nearly 5 hours each day on mobile apps.

Additionally, ecommerce businesses can more easily benefit from the instant transactions mobile marketing provides. Customers can browse products wherever they are and pay right there and then for the items in their shopping carts.

5. Location-based targeting

Since mobile phone owners bring their devices wherever they go, mobile marketing lends itself well to location-based targeting and hyperlocal marketing. With mobile marketing, you can take advantage of a customer’s location to provide relevant or personalized ads or offers. This can improve click-through rates and conversion rates.

Businesses can also use location-based targeting through geo-fencing. This involves using GPS and IP addresses to set a virtual fence around a location. Then, users who cross the virtual fence get relevant, location-specific ads. Aside from ads, users can also get push notifications on special offers like discounts.

Another example of location-based mobile marketing is geo-targeting. Geo-targeting allows marketers to be more specific about the consumers they’re targeting. For instance, if you sell athletic gear and accessories, you can use geo-targeting to deliver push notifications to the devices of people who have recently been to the gym.

6. Easier personalization

Another benefit of using mobile marketing is that it makes it easier for marketers to deliver targeted, highly personalized messages. This has already been explored in the above section on location-based marketing. However, businesses can also use other demographics and customer behavior such as purchase history, in-app behaviors, and preferences to deliver effective marketing-oriented content.

Such personalized content can include push notifications and emails with recommendations based on their past purchases or even based on what users with similar demographics are buying. Businesses can also use customer data to deliver relevant content to customers in any phase of the buyer journey. These strategies can make customers feel more valued, resulting in a potential boost in conversion.

7. Shareability of content

Additionally, mobile marketing makes it easier for content to go viral online. This is largely due to the fact that it takes only a few taps on the screen for users to share interesting or engaging content. The fact that content on mobile is immediately delivered and consumed also boosts the content’s potential to go viral. Once that happens, you can increase exposure for your brand and products without spending extra on marketing.

For instance, one notable example of a mobile marketing campaign that went viral is Burger King’s “Burn That Ad” campaign. For a free Whopper, users could download the Burger King mobile app and use an AR tool to virtually burn down the ads of Burger King’s competitors. The campaign resulted in 400,000 ads burned and a 55% increase in in-app sales.

Burger King’s viral Burn That Ad mobile marketing campaign

8. Integration with social media marketing

Mobile marketing also provides the benefit of being easy to integrate with social media marketing strategies. Effectively harnessing social media for mobile marketing can also be easy, especially since 67% of smartphone users report checking or posting on social media through their phones.

However, there are many important considerations in integrating mobile marketing and social media marketing efforts. For instance, marketers need to create marketing content and ads with mobile users in mind. Doing so ensures that the content looks great on mobile devices. It also helps to create content specially made for mobile users’ preferences. For instance, mobile users tend to appreciate short video content more than lengthy videos.

9. Cost-effectiveness

One of the most important benefits of mobile marketing is its cost-effectiveness. The smaller screen size of mobile devices requires smaller ads, which are typically less expensive and faster to create. The immediate access and diverse strategies provided by mobile marketing also make it a worthwhile, sound investment.

Mobile marketing also tends to be lower in cost because it’s more tightly targeted compared to other marketing strategies. And if certain mobile marketing campaigns aren’t working, marketers can just easily halt the campaigns to stop wasting money.

The cost-effectiveness of mobile marketing makes it a great option for small and medium businesses that might not have a sizeable marketing budget. Sending bulk text messaging campaigns and optimizing websites for mobile viewing, for instance, tend to be more affordable compared to other marketing strategies.

10. Easy-to-track results

Lastly, the results of mobile marketing campaigns are typically easy to track and measure. This is especially true if you use tools like automated mobile marketing platforms. Through such tools, marketers can easily track metrics such as paid and organic website visits, click-through rates for ads, customer engagement, and customer opt-ins.

Tracking these metrics also provide marketers with a deeper understanding of how audiences consume their content. In turn, the insights help marketers finetune their messaging and ads to improve reach and ROI.

Furthermore, what’s great is that businesses have a wide variety of mobile marketing tools to choose from, as we’ll list in a section below. These tools make it easier for businesses to launch and track mobile marketing campaigns.

Challenges of Mobile Marketing

Of course, like other marketing strategies, mobile marketing presents its own set of challenges as well. Here are some of the most common challenges associated with mobile marketing.

• Potentially disruptive to customers – Since mobile marketing provides direct, immediate access to consumers, this strategy also has the potential to be disruptive. This is why, like with email marketing, best practices for SMS marketing dictate that businesses must collect opt-ins from customers before sending them marketing messages. This protects unwilling consumers from being spammed.

• Accessibility or navigation issues – Despite your best efforts, you may find that not everyone in your target audience will be able to view your ads or mobile-optimized websites. Such users may not have the smartphones needed to view your content. Such limitations pose a challenge to marketers to find new ways to reach all segments of their target market.

• User costs – There are certain types of media that will cost users money to view on their mobile phones. For instance, your customer might have to pay extra to watch a video on their mobile phone without a Wi-Fi connection. Texting charges also apply when you use SMS marketing to communicate with customers.

Examples of Mobile Marketing Software

SearchAdsHQVISIT WEBSITE

Offered by SplitMetrics, SearchAdsHQ is a web-based mobile marketing software specifically designed for Apple Search Ads campaigns. Users will be glad to know that the platform is an official Apple Search Ads partner and provides tools such as CPA bidding and advanced reporting.

MobileVISIT WEBSITE

Mobile Text Alerts is a business SMS service that lets marketers reach target markets in 30 seconds or less. Subscribers are automatically added to lists through text-in shortcodes, and marketers have the option to send MMS to improve engagement among customers. The platform also guarantees a 99% read rate for the messages it sends.

Messente

Through Messente, users can send bulk SMS to over 190 countries. The software makes this possible through partnerships with over 800 mobile networks. The app also uses smart routing algorithms to ensure prompt message delivery, along with an online dashboard for tracking message performance.

Maropost

Maropost Marketing Cloud is a marketing automation platform that can centralize marketing efforts into a single platform. The software allows users to segment target audiences before sending scheduled text messages. Using the software, marketers can also set up push notifications and in-app messages to deliver personalized content.

Trumpia

Trumpia is an advanced mobile marketing platform that helps businesses organize their SMS campaigns. The software helps users discover the right keywords for their campaigns and supports dedicated shortcodes and toll-free numbers. Moreover, users can create automated SMS workflows so they can focus on more important tasks.

How can you measure mobile marketing success?

Measuring mobile marketing success is crucial for optimizing strategies and ensuring effective results. Here are key metrics to track:

• Click-Through Rate (CTR): Measures the percentage of users who click on your mobile ad or message. A higher CTR indicates compelling content that resonates with the audience.
• Conversion Rate: Tracks the number of users who take a desired action, such as purchasing or signing up. High conversion rates signal successful targeting and messaging.
• Customer Retention Rate: Calculates how many users return to interact with your mobile marketing efforts. Strong retention rates mean your content or service continues to engage users.
• Average Session Duration: Indicates how long users engage with your app or mobile site per visit. Longer sessions suggest higher engagement levels and valuable content.
• Cost per Acquisition (CPA): Measures how much you spend to acquire each new customer through mobile marketing. A lower CPA means more efficient ad spending.
• Bounce Rate: Tracks how many users leave your mobile site or app without interacting. Reducing bounce rates often requires improving user experience and content relevance.
• Return on Investment (ROI) Measures the overall effectiveness of mobile marketing in generating revenue compared to its cost. A positive ROI confirms that your strategies are paying off.

How to Choose the Best Mobile Marketing Software

You have plenty of choices when it comes to mobile marketing software for your business. The truth is that the best mobile marketing platform for your business depends on your unique marketing needs. If you’re on the lookout for such software, though, below are some important features to consider:

• Audience segmentation – With this feature, the software lets you drill down into specific audience segments based on demographics, user behaviors, and events for more personalized messages.
• A/B testing – This feature lets marketers test and measure marketing campaigns while tweaking different elements such as timing and content. In this way, you can launch campaigns that have the best chance of making the most impact on your target audience.
• Analytics – This feature makes it easier for you to measure the effectiveness of your mobile marketing campaigns and provide insights into metrics such as conversion and click-through rates. You’ll also be able to generate easy-to-understand reports on these metrics.

If you’re looking for more marketing tools and strategies for your small business, check out our guide on the best marketing software for small businesses.

Key Insights

• Widespread Adoption: Over 70% of small businesses have optimized their marketing efforts for mobile, reflecting the increasing importance of mobile marketing across all business sizes.
• Diverse Marketing Channels: Mobile marketing encompasses various strategies, including SMS marketing, app-based marketing, push notifications, location-based marketing, and in-game marketing.
• High Engagement Rates: SMS marketing boasts an impressive 82% open rate, making it a highly effective channel for immediate communication with customers.
• Versatility and Flexibility: Mobile marketing offers multiple ad formats and strategies, such as banner ads, interstitial ads, native ads, and video ads, allowing businesses to tailor their approach to their target audience.
• Instant Transactions: Mobile marketing facilitates easier conversions and instant transactions, particularly beneficial for e-commerce businesses.
• Location-Based Targeting: Utilizing geo-fencing and geo-targeting, businesses can deliver highly relevant, location-specific ads, improving click-through and conversion rates.
• Cost-Effectiveness: Mobile marketing is generally more affordable than other marketing strategies due to its smaller ad sizes and targeted nature, making it an excellent option for small and medium-sized businesses.
• Easy to Track: Mobile marketing campaigns are easy to track and measure, thanks to various analytics tools that provide insights into campaign performance and audience engagement.

FAQ

1. What is mobile marketing?
   Mobile marketing is a set of digital marketing strategies developed to reach a target audience through their mobile devices. It includes SMS marketing, app-based marketing, push notifications, location-based marketing, and in-game marketing.
2. What are the benefits of mobile marketing?
   Mobile marketing offers several benefits, including accessibility, immediacy, versatility in marketing strategies, various ad formats, instant transactions, location-based targeting, easier personalization, shareability of content, integration with social media marketing, cost-effectiveness, and easy-to-track results.
3. How does SMS marketing work in mobile marketing?
   SMS marketing involves sending text messages to customers’ mobile phones to promote products or services, provide updates, or share important information. It is effective due to its high open rate and immediate delivery.
4. What is location-based marketing?
   Location-based marketing uses the geographic location of mobile users to deliver targeted ads and offers. Techniques include geo-fencing and geo-targeting, which provide relevant, location-specific content to users.
5. Why is mobile marketing cost-effective?
   Mobile marketing is cost-effective because it typically involves smaller ad sizes, which are less expensive and faster to create. Additionally, the targeted nature of mobile marketing ensures that ads reach the most relevant audience, reducing wasted ad spend.
6. What challenges are associated with mobile marketing?
   Common challenges include the potential to disrupt customers, accessibility or navigation issues for some users, and costs associated with media consumption for the users.
7. How can businesses measure the success of their mobile marketing campaigns?
   Businesses can measure the success of their mobile marketing campaigns using analytics tools that track metrics such as paid and organic website visits, click-through rates for ads, customer engagement, and customer opt-ins.
8. What is the role of personalization in mobile marketing?
   Personalization in mobile marketing involves delivering targeted messages based on demographics, customer behavior, and preferences. Personalized content can increase engagement and conversion rates by making customers feel more valued.
9. Can mobile marketing be integrated with social media marketing?
   Yes, mobile marketing can be easily integrated with social media marketing. Creating mobile-friendly content and ads for social media platforms can enhance engagement and reach among mobile users.
10. What are some examples of mobile marketing software?
    Examples of mobile marketing software include SearchAdsHQ, Mobile Text Alerts, Messente, Maropost, and Trumpia. These platforms offer various features such as audience segmentation, A/B testing, and analytics to help businesses optimize their mobile marketing campaigns.

By Nestor Gilbert

Nestor Gilbert is a senior B2B and SaaS analyst and a core contributor at FinancesOnline for over 5 years. With his experience in software development and extensive knowledge of SaaS management, he writes mostly about emerging B2B technologies and their impact on the current business landscape. However, he also provides in-depth reviews on a wide range of software solutions to help businesses find suitable options for them. Through his work, he aims to help companies develop a more tech-forward approach to their operations and overcome their SaaS-related challenges.