Mobile is more than just another marketing channel. It’s a behavior. Mobile has changed everything. It’s changed how we shop, how we find places, how we schedule appointments and reservations. Mobile has turned consumers into ultra tech-savvy, connected individuals. Though more and more business owners are jumping on the mobile marketing bandwagon, most are doing so without fully understanding the mobile phenomenon. These business owners probably won’t be as successful as those that do. Here’s a look at why many businesses aren’t successful with mobile.

A behavior, not a channel

The first mistake with mobile marketing is treating it like just another marketing channel. All other mobile marketing mistakes stem from this one. Mobile is more than just another channel, it has completely transformed the shopping experience. For example, a recent survey found that 79% of mobile consumers use their devices to shop. Furthermore, 84% said they used their devices while inside a store, many of them to assist with shopping.

Businesses that succeed with mobile marketing understand the ways mobile has changed the shopper’s experience and are looking for ways to cater to mobile consumers. Home Depot, for instance, allows customers who have downloaded their app to scan barcodes in store with their mobile phones to read customer reviews and check inventory. Shoppers can even use the app to locate where a given product is within the store.

Local relevance

Many business owners, under pressure to keep the mobile marketing messages coming simply send out the first message that comes to mind. But mobile consumers aren’t interested in random, they want locally relevant advertisements. Any message send via the mobile channel should be carefully crafted and should be part of an overall strategy to accomplish specific goals. Business owners should know their target audience very well and should make sure every mobile message is aimed to have a positive effect on that audience

Personalization

Mobile consumers value marketing strategies that are personal to them. An example of this is in-store beacon technology that allows businesses to know where a customer is within their store and advertise to that individual specifically. Rather than giving every customer the exact same offers, customers get personalized offers based on what part of the store they’re in. So if a customer is at an electronics store and is spending a lot of time in the video games section, a deal on video games sent at just that moment it going to be the most effective and getting that customer to make a purchase.

Keep it simple

Finally, mobile consumers appreciate mobile campaigns that are simple. Those that require consumers to do extra work to redeem a deal are less likely to be effective. On the other hand, mobile advertisements that are simple, intuitive, and make consumers’ lives easier rather than harder are sure to be more successful.

Source: venturebeat.com/2014/07/07/why-marketers-are-thinking-about-mobile-marketing-all-wrong/