Mobile Marketing Solutions for Small Businesses
Filed Under Social Marketing
Another powerful social media marketing tool
According to Network Solutions and the University of Maryland’s most recent Small Business Success Index (March 2011), small business owners are, for the most part, aware of the wide variety of mobile marketing tools available. The better known mobile marketing activities are promotional text messages that are sent to customers and having their company listed on location-based websites.
There are many other promotional applications for businesses to utilize, such as starting a mobile website, making ads for mobile websites and creating their very own business apps.
Even though businesses are very aware of mobile marketing tools, these applications are not being used to their fullest potential. Small business owners should always consider what their business can gain by going mobile when deciding on their marketing strategy. And, it’s just another avenue to boost your social media campaign.
How a Small Business Uses Mobile Devices
- Be available for customer calls at any time (standard cell phone plan)
- Be able to check email from anywhere (Smartphone with email plan)
- Search the Internet, check websites and social networks (Smartphone with data plan)
- Make changes to website or social networks (Smartphone with data plan and apps)
How Customers Use Mobile Devices
- Search for businesses or products. In order to make your company more readily available to customers, you need to have a mobile website that can be found through search engines. It should be able to load on all mobile devices.
- Location-based social networks and mobile ad services, like FourSquare, Facebook Places, Gowalla, and Google Hotspot.
- Sign up to receive special offers via text message
- Use credit cards to make payments. Small businesses that are on-the-go can use an app on the iPhone or Android phones to process payments. Some apps come with a card scanner attachment that will swipe credit cards.
- Some companies- Network Solutions, Square, and Intuit, to name a few- offer a mobile payment service
- Scan QR codes. When scanned by a Smartphone, a URL will be brought up, giving information like product details or contact information for a company. Including QR codes in your marketing materials can help customers easily access business information from their phones.
- Field Communication. This is a new technology that allows a mobile device to communicate with other nearby devices and exchange information. In the future, when more devices have this technology, phones can be used for easier payment and purchases.
Companies like Network Solutions provide useful tools to small businesses to help solve mobile marketing dilemmas that business owners may face.
With today’s technology, more and more customers are looking for the easiest access to a company’s information and product details. Going mobile as a marketing strategy could greatly increase the amount of new and repeat customers to your business.
Have you found some useful apps or devices that help make the most of your business? What is your mobile marketing strategy for your small business?
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Dawn Pigoni, IVAA Member
