For the past 5 years, mobile marketing has been growing rapidly and changing tremendously with each New Year. In 2015, your company will really need to be on board with mobile marketing, because it is no longer a fad; it is a huge opportunity to reach new leads. Mobile marketing is any promotion or advertising message sent though a cell phone, usually a Smartphone. Here are 5 trends you’re sure to see in mobile marketing next year.
- Geolocation
Geolocation is the act of targeting consumers by their location and is possible with the rise of smartphone usage and GPS. According to Cyber Alert, geolocating “is now moving past traditional location-based applications and check-ins to embrace a range of mobile capabilities” such as local searches, push notifications and social media. In order to successfully use geolcation, you must ensure that your customer is going to benefit from it. Offering a coupon to customers who check in at your store or other value-added benefits will help geolocating work for you.
- Snapchat
When Snapchat first launched in 2011, it allowed a new way for users to share images with friends. The concept was that an image would disappear after a few seconds, resulting in an onslaught of silly faces and embarrassing photos. It wasn’t until a of couple years later that brands figured out how they could join in on the fun.
In 2014, brands have been actively using Snapchat to send deals and stay in touch with their loyal customers. The platform is now more business-friendly than before, and we suggest giving it a try in 2015! B2C companies with younger demographics can have a lot of fun interacting with their fans and offering special promotions in the New Year.
- Responsive Design
Remember responsive design? We have been touting this useful, modern design technique for 2 years now. However, in 2015, responsive design is not just a recommendation, it’s an absolute must! Google has begun rolling out a new mobile-friendly label which notifies people searching on their smartphones which sites are mobile-friendly. In other words, users will not even click on your site from their mobile devices without knowing that it is responsive.
- Mobile Payment
With Apple Pay rolling out in 2014 and other mobile payment options actively growing, we are likely to see a big uptick in mobile payment users in 2015. Mobile payment refers to payment services performed from or via a mobile device, alleviating the need for physical cash, credit cards, or checks. If you’re a retailer, consider adopting mobile payment methods in the New Year to streamline the checkout process for your customers.
- Programmatic Buying Platforms
Programmatic buying is defined by Econsultancy as “any ad space bought automatically on a web page, through either bidding for the space or buying it directly so it's guaranteed to be yours”. Mobile Real Time Bidding (RTB) offers superior targeting as marketers can target by location or app interest. If you’re looking for a new way to advertise in 2015, embrace programmatic buying.
Get ready to embrace mobile in the New Year! Try out some of these mobile trends as part of your 2015 digital marketing strategy to see what works for you. As always, if you need assistance with mobile marketing, contact Informatics.
Photo Credit: Sascha Kohlmann via Flickr cc
