Last Updated: Mar 27, 2017
Do you need to be using mobile marketing? More and more consumers are using mobile devices to connect with the places they do business. Here are four common misconceptions about mobile marketing that could cause you to lose valuable customers.
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If you own a small business or are responsible for marketing a nonprofit organization, you may have some reservations, doubts, questions, or possibly even concerns about whether or not you should be thinking about mobile right now. That’s understandable! You’ve put a lot of work into marketing your business and any change you make needs to be worth the time and energy that comes with that change. When considering what role (if any) mobile should have in marketing your business, you want to make sure you’re making decisions based on the right information.
Here are some common misconceptions about mobile that might make you reconsider going mobile:
“My customers aren’t using mobile.”
Without question, this is one of the most common reasons small businesses cite for not using mobile marketing. But while you may not think mobile is on the mind of your customers today, there’s a good chance that it will be sooner than you think. It doesn’t matter if you run a family-owned restaurant that just celebrated its 50th anniversary or a florist that just opened its doors, mobile already influences the lives of your customers and will have a greater influence in the years to come. Now is the time to get ready.
RELATED: How to Let Customers Pay with Their Smartphones
“It isn’t important in my industry.”
Even if you accept that your customers are using mobile, you may still have doubts about whether “being mobile” matters for your particular industry. It’s a fair argument, especially if you’re working in an industry that’s not typically known for being technologically advanced. But here’s the thing, regardless of whether or not you and your peers are ahead of the mobile curve, your next great customer probably is.
Think of one of the most popular tools consumers are using to find new businesses — online search. Did you know that searches on mobile devices are expected to surpass desktop searches by the end of 2013? It’s true. This means that regardless of what you do, more and more customers’ first contact with your business is going to be on a smartphone or tablet in the coming days, weeks, months, and years. You can hold on to the belief that your industry doesn’t need to change, or you can put yourself ahead of your industry peers and offer an experience that new and current customers will thank you for.
“Mobile marketing is another cost—I don’t have the budget.”
There are certainly expenses you may want to take on to improve the mobile experience you offer customers in the future, but a lot of the work that needs to be done won’t come with an additional price tag. When you’re starting out, mobile shouldn’t cost you a dime. What it will cost you is some time to think of ways to make marketing tools like email, social media, and search work better for your increasingly mobile audience.
“I’m not tech savvy.”
Without the right context, mobile can be a pretty intimidating word. But mobile is more about your audiences’ behavior than it is about the actual technology behind it. When we’re talking about a mobile-friendly email, what we’re really talking about is an email that looks good and is easy for your reader to consume when they aren’t seated in front of a laptop or desktop computer.
You might not know how to build a mobile app, but you can understand a few basic principles to help guide your design decisions.
Once you accept that your audience is becoming more mobile, you’ll be on your way to adopting a strategy to meet their expectations.
Related article: Six Ways to Provide Value with Mobile
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Ellen Williams, Constant Contact Regional Development Director, New York and Southern Connecticut
Ellen has over 20 years of technology and marketing experience and has presented to over 4,000 small businesses, nonprofits, and associations. Her advice on best practices help organizations understand how to build great customer relationships that inevitable grow their businesses.
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