Before the holidays we talked about a few things that are going to be important to think about over the coming year as you formulate your business strategies. Perhaps the most important thing out of everything we discussed is going mobile. So now that we’ve eaten all our gingerbread cookies and sucked down the last of the eggnog, it’s time to think about all the ways you can generate some sales using mobile.

Mobile is on the upswing! The latest mobile statistics done by comScore reveal that over 70% of American mobile subscribers send texts, and over 40% use apps and/or browse the mobile web. As of August, 84.5 million people in the U.S. own smartphones—keep in mind that that number pre-dates the release of the latest iPhone from Apple. It also pre-dates the holidays that just passed. We’re sure that number has risen substantially since then, so the rise of smartphone usage cannot and should not be ignored by any business owner hoping to grow in the coming year. 

This is one bus you cannot afford to miss, people. 

But what the heck do we mean when we say “you should go mobile!”  Well, it can take the form of lots of things. We’ve discussed with you the possibilities to be found with QR Codes and the absolute necessity of Responsive Web Design. We’ve also tempted you with the idea of creating an app, but there are other things you can do with mobile as well.

Text Message Subscription Campaigns

If you’ve been doing email marketing campaigns, here’s a cool new take on that same idea. In addition to collecting your customer’s email addresses, see if you can get their phone numbers along with permission to send them offers and notifications via text message. People read their text messages very soon after they’ve been received, so you can be sure that your customers are getting your message almost right away. Just think about your own behavior. If you’re as attached to your phone as most people are, you read texts almost immediately, don’t you?

But with a text message comes much responsibility. It’s a very intimate way to connect with people and you have to be very careful not to use it too much. If you’re as considerate as possible with your messages and only text folks when you have something truly wonderful to share with them, you’ll do very well and you won’t be a pest. 

Mobile Coupons

People LOVE coupons! Mobile coupons can be sent to a targeted group of your customers to help you lure them in to your business. For example, let’s say you own a ski shop that’s particularly quiet on certain nights of the week. You text a discount coupon to your customers that’s only good on those quiet nights and BAM!  Thursdays become so busy you have to hire an extra ski bum to help you take care of your customers.

Hang ten, dude!

Wait. That’s surfing… 

Mobile Ad Networks

A great way to get some attention is through mobile ads. The mobile ad industry is exploding right now because mobile advertising is amazing in two major ways: 

• Mobile ads are highly targetable because there’s a lot of information out there about smartphone users. This makes it easy to figure out the demographic you need to target.
• You can reach out to customers while they’re making purchasing decisions. Clearly, this is incredible as it gives you a chance to influence their decision while they have a product in hand.

Mobile is still brand new and there’s a lot of uncharted territory, but rest assured, it’s taking off in a big way and there could very well be some amazing new mobile advertising methods taking shape over the coming year. We’re pretty excited to explore the possibilities ahead.

Whatever you choose to go with for your mobile strategy, make sure it’s the best choice for your demographic so you get the best ROI possible. If you’re unsure about how to even start thinking about a mobile strategy, that’s okay!  That’s why you have us!