Create engaging and effective campaigns to reach your target audience and drive results.
Digital marketing leaders continue to leverage mobile-connected channels to enhance customer engagement—and rightfully so. Considering that 85% of people in the United States use smartphones regularly, your marketing strategy must consider these users when developing and optimizing content, promoting it, and tracking its performance.[1]
With that data in mind, it becomes apparent that mobile marketing should be among the top ways marketers engage with consumers. The most cutting-edge organizations are even moving these experiences off mobile devices, focusing on virtual reality, wearables, and the internet of things (IoT).
Whether creating your first mobile content marketing strategy or leveling up based on your customers, market, and industry maturity, consider key marketing strategies and best practices.
What is mobile content marketing?
Mobile marketing is more than a channel—it's a connector of engagements. Email, social media, and other apps are all available on consumers' devices.
Mobile content marketing is a multichannel strategy that uses visual, technical, and conceptual elements optimized for mobile engagement. This approach is becoming increasingly important, as mobile devices remain the leading portals for internet users seeking articles, media, answers, and products.
Benefits of mobile content marketing
Investing in a mobile content marketing strategy has many benefits, chief among them the sheer number of mobile users; it's a compelling rationale for expanding your mobile marketing strategy.
Need more reasons to make the switch? Here are some of the core benefits of mobile marketing to consider:
The amount of time people spend on their mobile devices is increasing. Data shows that Americans check their phones 144 times daily, with 55% saying they have never gone longer than 24 hours without their mobile phone. Screen time on mobile devices in 2023 increased by 30%, hitting four hours and 25 minutes daily—compared to two hours and 54 minutes in 2022.[2]
SMS messaging is instant, helping you benefit from time-sensitive notifications that are more likely to convert when acted on quickly. Consumers will also appreciate the option to take immediate advantage of a hot deal or limited event. You could increase business revenue by sending a catchy, engaging text with an appropriate call to action. While this may sound intimidating, plenty of SMS marketing platforms are available to help you automate your campaigns.
Personalization matters, and mobile marketing is an excellent way to provide relevant audiences via customer segmentation. You can take this approach further with location-based targeting and other location intelligence software.
Compared to other traditional strategies, mobile marketing will allow you to reach many people for a fraction of the cost. As you grow, this cost-effectiveness can be a major advantage for smaller businesses with limited resources or tight budgets.
Mobile content marketing best practices
Developing a strategy for mobile content marketing requires the same amount of planning, research, and consideration as desktop-based content. To maximize your mobile marketing budget, be aware of best practices and implement them accordingly.
Create mobile-friendly content
Content created with mobile in mind should be short, catchy, and engaging.
As Caleb Dueck, director of marketing at Sperry Honey, said, "When it comes to mobile content marketing, be aware of the user's attention span. Someone's likely more patient to sit and read a blog post or watch a longer YouTube video from their computer, but today's mobile user is much more acquainted with short-form content. Make sure your mobile content is eye-catching and quick because you have less time to capture and retain a mobile user's attention than a desktop user."[3]
Choose the right content formats
Focus on creating mobile-specific content formats based on the devices' unique capabilities and features. You can then experiment with content that uses push notifications, QR codes, voice search, or geolocation. Also, experiment with formats like infographics, stories, podcasts, and interactive quizzes—the formats that capture a mobile audience's interest.
Use calls to action
When creating mobile marketing content, be sure to include a strong call to action (CTA). This button or link should encourage action without coming off too strong or being too generic. Use language like "Download now" or "Get your free trial" instead of vague language like "Click here."
To ensure the strongest ROI, test and optimize your call to action. Varying devices, audiences, and contexts will respond differently to your CTA, so use heatmaps and A/B testing to see what works and what doesn't.
How to develop an effective mobile content marketing strategy
Are you ready to start crafting your mobile marketing strategy? Take these steps.
Define your goals
Before you create content, you must know what you want to achieve. Is your goal to generate leads? Increase brand awareness? Improve customer loyalty? Knowing what direction you want to take will help you align your content strategy with your mobile marketing goals. You can then pinpoint the metrics that will be most important for your campaigns. If your goal is brand awareness, consider metrics like social shares, reach, and impressions.
Understand your target audience
As a business owner or marketer, you likely spend most of your day on a desktop or laptop computer—but that may only be true for some of your audience.
Americans are increasingly connected to the digital world while on the go, with 15% being "smartphone-only" internet users. However, the age of your audience matters; as many as 28% of adults ages 18 to 29 fall under this category. [1,4] This example showcases the importance of knowing your audience's key demographics—for the type of content you should create and your approach.
Optimize for mobile
When creating content for mobile, you need to take a different approach than desktop. Consider UX design, mobile SEO, mobile-friendly content, and load time to ensure the best user experience. Blog posts should be mobile-optimized and formatted for small screens. Readability matters, as does mobile-friendly functionality and a responsive design.
Track performance
Tracking performance will be crucial in achieving a higher ROI, as you'll know if and when you need to pivot your strategy. As discussed, there will be key metrics to watch, and those metrics will depend on your objectives.
What are some easily accessible key performance indicators to track? The top metrics include leads generated, click-through rates, cost per acquisition, and sales revenue. Plenty of free mobile analytics software options can help guide you in your analysis.
Ready to start creating content for mobile devices?
When taking the next steps to implement your mobile content marketing strategy, focus on best practices and your unique business goals. If you require guidance moving forward, be sure to check out the following Capterra resources: