We see new marketing strategies launching every day. They create hype around the latest bright and shiny mobile application or site, but miss the mark to become integrated into consumers’ daily lives. This ‘roar to a whisper’ is a result of marketers forgetting to account for user engagement when developing their mobile strategies, and how this factor fits into their larger marketing plan.
Mobile marketing must engage users, add value, and integrate into consumers’ everyday lives, eventually leading to ongoing usage or purchases.
If mobile engagement is an afterthought, or simply forgotten, you risk growth opportunities and will likely gain angry users who disengage and eventually find a competitor who can offer a more engaging experience as they move between sites and stores to research potential purchases or actually buy.
Pitfalls of Weak Mobile Engagement Strategies
In your marketing strategy, you need to understand how users will interact and use your app and mobile site. Mobile engagement as an afterthought will result in the following failures:
No transactions seven days after install
Our data shows an average of one week between app download and first purchase. This critical time is your opportunity to encourage mobile engagement by expanding automated messages to cover email, push notifications, and in-app messages. This will maximize the number of engagements and boost first-time purchases.
Lots of app downloads and mobile site traffic, but not a lot of usage
According to a Nielsen analysis, smartphone users in the U.S. accessed an average of more than 25 apps per month in 2014. This is only going to increase. Now is the time to ensure that your app and mobile site are poised to be successful, by keying into how your shoppers engage and initiate and what the next interaction will be.
Poor push messaging opt-in rates
Ask for permissions when it is relevant to the user’s action. Always offer a value proposition for sharing that piece of data. It could be permission for push notifications or user location. Just make sure the shopper understands what you have to offer, or you risk scaring them away.
Strengthening a Weak Mobile Marketing Strategy
The good news is that it is not too late to boost your mobile marketing strategies. The challenge, however, is that the mobile landscape and consumers’ preferences for using mobile device are constantly evolving. You can still create a mobile engagement plan after the app and your mobile site have gone live.
For your strategy, start with the basics and then create goals tied to revenue-driven checkpoints. Here are some sample goals to consider:
- 50% of user visits result in 5-10 product page views.
- 50% of active users have visited the mobile shopping cart.
- 75% of registered app users opt-in to promotional emails.
- 75% of active users share a product on social media.
- 5% of users complete a purchase.
Automation can help you meet these goals. Test content and timing to find what will give you the best results.
I always recommend putting some thought behind your new mobile launches. Simply launching something because it’s new and has buzz may not lead to you meeting your goals. Mobile is the only medium that spans all ages, geographies, and socio-economic boundaries. One solution is often not the only solution you need to find success.
If you find yourself with a mobile presence but not much mobile success, it may be time to evaluate how the channel can be developed more on its own, and how you can start to incorporate your mobile marketing into a robust multi-channel, multi-device plan that will engage customers and boost your sales.
Learn more about how Emarsys can help you.
