Once upon a time we took pictures using cameras. Now, we take pictures using Instagram on our smartphones. We used to obtain news information once, maybe twice, a day. However, smartphones and tablets allow us to access information all day long; there is no limit to how much information we can consume. The way we process, gather, and embrace information has changed dramatically and mobile technology has been one of the factors to drive that change.
In the world of online marketing, social and mobile are no longer single entities. They are now one in the same. Internet users are increasingly using their mobile devices to access websites, Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms over their desktop computers. In fact, people check their mobile phones 150 times a day, according to Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers’s annual Internet Trends report.
If you are a business owner and you’ve yet to go mobile, then I suggest you start now. Based on the findings of Jamie Turner, co-author of “Go Mobile” and CEO of 60secondmarketer.com, this guide outlines the way businesses can simultaneously use social and mobile to promote their brand and reach customers.
Connect with followers via your mobile device: Humans are guided by emotions. When you show your customers that you care about them, they will more likely pay attention to your brand. Take a moment to share a photo or ask a question to your followers on platforms like LinkedIn or Google + while you are out. Whether you are at a conference or an event where you learn about a relevant topic, connect with them through these platforms as a means of being more personal. This shows your followers that you genuinely want to connect with them.
Use promoted tweets: You want to be one of those 150 views right? Then narrow the way you deliver your messages by setting a budget (doesn’t have to be expensive) for promoted tweets. This allows you to select the device you want to use to send a message: iOS, Android, Blackberry, and other mobile devices instead of desktop or laptop computers. This ensures that your message is delivered specifically to your customers’ smartphones.
Run a Facebook mobile ad: Facebook is all about mobile. Based on a Facebook report, 41 percent of its revenue in the last quarter came from mobile devices. This statistic suggests one thing: run a Facebook mobile ad and do it as soon as possible. There are two ways to do this:
-Run a typical ad on Facebook and select that you want it to be a Facebook mobile ad.
-Use Power Editor: Select “mobile only ad” as your story type.
Promote your brand on Instagram: People generally prefer images to text. Instagram is the perfect tool to communicate a message using pictures, as well as engage with your customers. Run a contest or encourage involvement by offering coupons.
-Example: Ask your customers to take a picture holding one of your products. Then, direct them to your store to receive the coupon. But first, they must upload the picture on Instagram.
And there you have it: customer involvement, brand promotion, and store visits at the same time. This is one of the many charms of using social and mobile to your advantage.
Use QR codes to engage prospects: Quick Response codes, better known as QR codes also build customer involvement. There are a number of ways that you can use this tool for your business.
-Example: Have your customers scan your QR code for a chance to win a discounted price on a product.
Competition and discounts naturally harness peoples’ attention. Show your customers you care by allowing them to participate in what you have to offer. It’s simple – be human!
Use Foursquare or Yelp as recommendation platforms: Mobile users want information instantaneously. Whether they are searching for a hotel or looking to make reservations at a restaurant, mobile customers are looking for the quickest information possible. If you own a restaurant, coffee shop, book store, or really any business then you should be using these tools. Foursquare and Yelp allow people to see where you’re located and what you offer. If you own a pizzeria, for example, then you should be driving people to your location while they are out searching “pizza place” on their mobile devices.
I’m going to leave you with one more statistic. According to research by 60 Second Marketer, there are more people around the globe who own mobile phones than toothbrushes. Think about it: people are more willing to have cavities than live without a phone. Thus, your business should utilize both mobile and social strategies.