The Essentials of a Modern Mobile Marketing Strategy

We love our phones. In the 32 years since the first text message was sent, our phones have evolved from merely enabling two-way communication to becoming the de facto way we do everything from banking, shopping, and browsing the internet, to booking doctor’s appointments, hailing taxis, and buying take-out.

Sobering fact — in one year, the average person currently spends 70 days engaging with their mobile phone, a number that increases significantly with each new generation.

With mobile usage skyrocketing by 40% over the past three years, it’s no wonder marketers are increasingly adopting a mobile-first mindset when it comes to driving retention, loyalty, and growth.

As younger, mobile-savvy generations lead the shift to emerging channels like WhatsApp, the message for brands is crystal clear: the time to weave mobile into your omnichannel mix is now.

Mobile marketing has evolved far beyond simply making sure content looks good on a small screen. Today, it’s about capturing attention within moments in an always-on mobile environment. The question is no longer “does my email look good on mobile?” but rather “does my content fit the fast, dynamic mobile experience, where I only have a 3-second window to engage the user?”

The statistics are undeniable. According to the SAP Emarsys 2024 Customer Loyalty Index, customers who engage with brands through mobile apps develop stronger loyalty. These consumers spend more and return frequently, highlighting the critical role mobile plays in building lasting relationships.

Mobile has transformed how we shop and interact with brands. From checking reviews to purchasing products, mobile is the gateway for today’s consumer journey. Whether on social media or shopping apps, mobile offers fast, real-time interactions that enhance the user experience and drive conversions. Brands must be ready to engage their audience in the moment through native mobile channels and AI-powered features that drive personalized experiences.

Mobile is revolutionizing e-commerce. Features like mobile wallet campaigns allow brands to offer digital coupons, vouchers, and loyalty cards directly to customers’ phones. These connect online and offline interactions, making mobile shopping experiences seamless and driving sales, especially during peak seasons like Black Friday and the holidays. Mobile wallets and geolocation-triggered offers create personalized experiences that meet customers wherever they are.

Mobile Marketing Is Not Just About Screen Size

It’s important to recognize that mobile is not merely defined by screen size; even though we often put the threshold at 414 pixels, it is much more about the nature of the experience. Almost everyone in the industrialized world carries their mobile phone at all times, often opting to leave home without a wallet.

Mobile marketing means engaging consumers through their phones, tablets, and other devices, and this goes beyond simply replacing email with SMS or in-app communications. Here are a few examples:

• Placing a poster with a QR code is considered mobile marketing because it prompts interaction via a mobile device.
• Offering discounts through wallet passes also exemplifies mobile marketing, driving real-world interactions.
• The selfie has emerged as a recognized medium; asking customers to send selfies with their brand interactions taps into their affinity for smartphones.
• Wearable technology, starting with devices like the Apple Watch, is also transforming brand engagement opportunities by allowing codes to be presented on various devices.

Mobile app marketing is beneficial but must be paired with website marketing. Very few businesses achieve 100% app coverage, and failing to align campaigns with web channel/push notifications means ignoring the many customers still engaging on mobile without using the app.

Optimizing websites, apps, and ads for mobile is essential. Emarsys empowers marketers with tools like personalized in-app messaging and mobile push notifications to deliver timely offers, driving engagement. With mobile inbox messages, businesses can also offer long-term promotions that customers access on their terms.

Emarsys provides a range of mobile options, including:

1. Mobile Engage: Deliver personalized notifications and in-app messages. 

Mobile Engage is ideal for businesses that already have a mobile app, allowing them to boost user engagement and unify their omnichannel strategy. Here is where SAP Emarsys stands out: it offers a unified tech stack that enables you to engage customers exactly where they prefer, all while delivering consistent messaging.

It offers three key channels:

• Mobile Push: Send personalized push notifications to app users, delivering timely updates and offers that increase engagement.
• In-App Messaging: Show embedded messages within the app, guiding users with product recommendations and promotions while they browse.
• Mobile Inbox: Deliver important updates or long-term offers directly to the app’s inbox for users to access on their terms.

With Emarsys Mobile SDK, you can integrate push notifications, in-app messages, and product recommendations for a seamless experience. It also captures user browsing behavior and links mobile data with email campaigns, coordinating cross-channel efforts to create consistent, personalized experiences across devices.

2. Mobile Wallet: Offer digital coupons, loyalty cards, and tickets directly to customers’ mobile wallets, enhancing online-to-offline interactions.

Mobile Wallet is a powerful feature that connects online and offline interactions, allowing marketers to create digital passes that customers can easily download to their mobile wallets (Apple or Google).

Key use cases include:

• Bridging the Online/Offline Gap: A wallet pass links an online contact record to a real-life person, making it a simple and effective way to encourage customers to visit physical stores.
• Loyalty Programs: Digital loyalty cards are a popular use case, allowing customers to easily track loyalty points and status without logging into an app or website. It also helps identify customers in-store for seamless loyalty point collection.
• Mobile App Lite: For brands without a mobile app, wallet passes offer a lightweight way to engage customers on mobile. They require no development resources and can be easily updated to gauge customer interaction.

3. Conversational Channels: Engage with customers through message platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, offering real-time support and personalized promotional messages.

These channels let you connect with customers through their preferred messaging apps without needing your own mobile app. Here’s how it works:

• Reach Customers on Popular Messaging Apps: Engage customers through platforms they already use, like WhatsApp, for order updates, abandoned cart reminders, and customer service, creating a seamless experience.
• Build Stronger Customer Relationships: Messaging apps create a more personal connection, helping build deeper relationships and increase customer lifetime value (CLTV).
• Stay Ahead of Trends: The landscape of messaging apps is constantly evolving, but SAP Emarsys stays ahead by partnering with companies like Sinch. This allows us to remain plugged into what’s trending and ensures you can always engage customers on the latest and hottest platforms.

Conversational Channels may have some added costs, but they offer powerful engagement, helping you deliver real-time support, promotions, and more personalized customer interactions.

Let’s explore how companies like Babbel and Runtastic have harnessed the power of mobile to transform their customer interactions and achieve outstanding business growth.

ADIDAS Runtastic

Challenges

Solution

• Using Emarsys’ customer intelligence, Runtastic is able to provide fully personalized fitness plans for app users at scale—optimizing resource, time and accelerating time to value.
• Agility in using their customer data with fully integrated data, Runtastic can create complex conversion programs that seamlessly blend event capture with response execution.
• Deliver consistent personalization across mobile and email with automated conversion scenarios built around health and fitness for 90 million+ customers.

Impact

Challenges

Solution

• Used customer insights from Emarsys to understand customer engagement and intent to learn a new language.
• Personalized content, learning plans, message frequency, and preferred channels to their users based on intent being high/med/low.
• For high-intent, engaged power learners, they were able to send push and email reminders twice a day and proportionate that to their medium and low-level users.

Impact

Mobile is no longer just an extension of your existing marketing channels. It has become the foundation for how consumers engage with brands. The focus has shifted from simply optimizing for screen size to delivering seamless, personalized experiences that capture attention instantly. To thrive in today’s mobile-first world, brands need to adopt a comprehensive mobile marketing strategy that goes beyond aesthetics and embraces the always-on mobile experience. Are you ready to capture your audience’s attention in just a few seconds? With the Emarsys mobile-first tools, you can.

Is your brand mobile-ready? Explore how Emarsys can help you deliver seamless, personalized mobile experiences across channels. With options like Mobile Engage, Mobile Wallet, Conversational Channels, and WhatsApp, Emarsys provides the tools you need to meet today’s mobile-first consumers where they are. Schedule a one-on-one with our experts today and learn how to enhance your mobile strategy for long-term success.