2015 has ended. The year was packed with innovation. From smartwatches to Google’s newest ad introductions, we’ve witnessed the rise of a new marketing environment. Mobile marketers are preparing for the new year with fervor, seeking the business world’s soon-to-be paradigm shifts.
As your brand grows, it deserves a healthy dose of information. Check out the following tips guaranteed to prep your mobile marketing strategy for 2016. Quite a bit is about to change, and big-league decision makers have already started implementing killer strategies. Are you ready?
Tip One: Turn to Hyper-local Targeting
Location-based services might have been developed years ago, but 2016 will be the first year to witness “hyper-local” targeting. Smartphone beacons are getting smarter, making on-target marketing far more interesting. Relevant offers, now, can be tied to small spaces. Gone are the days of ambiguous location planning, sizeable beacons and unintelligible location tracking. In 2016, you’ll be able to bring consumers into small spaces with geo-technology, paving the way for scavenger hunt apps, parking space trackers and multi-purpose store direction cues.
Check out Star Bucks location-base mobile ad campaign:
Image credit: mobilemarketer.com
Tip Two: Plan for In-App Advertising
Apple is cracking down on Safari-based advertising with iOS 9. You’re in luck, however, because it’s enabling—even promoting—in-app advertising. Mobile advertising spend is expected to represent 72 percent of United States Digital Ad Spend by 2019. It’s growing, and it’s taking consumers by storm. Already, mobile advertising has overtaken desktop advertising as a marketing priority.
Tip Three: Get Automated with an SMS Sender
Automated text marketing services will be vital resources in 2016. Even big marketing teams have limited resources. Now, it’s important to consolidate every marketing dollar by combining nurtured leads with automated text senders. Nurtured leads are estimated to make purchases 47 percent larger than non-nurtured leads. If your company capitalizes on an automated SMS system, it’ll turn each prospect into a long-term consumer.
Image credit: alternativeto.net
Tip Four: Implement a Live SMS Voting System
2016 will be a year of integrated marketing maneuvers. Modern consumers like brand involvement, and they’re doing everything possible to reap deals and retain long-term affiliations. Loyalty programs will become big in 2016, and engrained SMS voting systems will be, too.
SMS voting systems allow marketers the chance to interact with customers instantly. By implementing such a system, you let the consumer engage in:
- Contests
- Live debates
- Live poles
- Advice forums
Check out Rock the Vote’s SMS program:
Image credit: mobilemarketer.com
Does it seem social? It is. SMS voting systems are likely to become one of 2016’s “hot trends” due to their growing appeal and the consumer’s love of everything social.
Tip Five: Streamline Your Page Speed
In 2016, seamless web and app experiences are expected. Smartphone users will be able to “swap” between browsers and in-app services almost instantly. Because of this, page speed needs to be a priority. Consumers reportedly have an aversion to slow page speeds, becoming distracted and forgetting about brands. Make sure your platform is seamless, and make channel entryways easy to engage.
Tip Six: Prepare for Mobile Video Ads
Google reports that 2016 will be a major year for video ads in search results. Recently, they’ve experienced with in-engine multimedia advertisements, and providers like Twitter and Facebook have, too. Auto-play videos, Vines and even in-app videos like those hosted by Spotify will soon become mobile marketing “cash cows.”
Check out Honda’s mobile video ad campaign:
Image credit: easyvideosuite.com
Tip Seven: Craft a Utility, Not an App
In 2016, we’ll see the rise of utility-centric app use. The app world’s future is becoming less about specific features. It’s becoming about daily use. Weather, fitness and health apps are dominating, and they’re being preferred to gaming and social media apps. The smartphone’s technology is constantly growing, and apps are rising to the standards. Motion detection, location-based technology and even augmented technology are expected to have major rolls in 2016 app creation. Assuming your brand is up to date with the shift, it should find a highly fertile environment for innovation.
This article is from a contributor and is not original Blue Ocean Principles content.
Author Biography
Sophorn Chhay
Sophorn is an inbound marketer specializing in attracting targeted visitors and generating sales qualified leads. Through Trumpia’s mass text messaging automation solution he helps businesses and organizations communicate effectively with their customers or members. Watch Trumpia’s 5-Minute Demo on how to execute an effective mobile marketing strategy.