Mobile Marketing Strategies for a Screen-Obsessed World

For better or for worse, we are all attached to our phones. We wake up in the mornings with our phones in hand, spend the day scrolling, and probably go to sleep within an arm’s reach of our phones. With this new mobile screen-obsession in an increasingly digital world, brands must cater their advertising and marketing accordingly. Gone are the days when print, billboard, and television ads were the primary focus, while digital marketing was an afterthought.

Now—more than ever before—brands are doing as much as possible to cater to phone users and find ways to grab their attention amidst all the noise. The evidence for this can be seen in data across various platforms: the increase in Instagram shopping, the TikTok ad brand craze, and more and more marketing campaigns solely targeting social media users. To better understand your position in this world, we have gathered some strategies to help you find your audience, including in-app advertising, mobile-friendly platforms, and data analysis. The world is constantly changing, and as a digital marketer, it’s key to change with it to keep your audience’s attention. Let’s dive in.

In-App Advertising

While the nature of advertising has changed over the years, paid ads continue to perform well on platforms where users come across posts with products or services they’re interested in. This is called targeted, in-app advertising, and it’s a powerful tool available to anyone interested in honing in on a specific audience.

One of the easiest ways to grab any user’s attention is to offer something exciting and visually appealing while they’re scrolling through feeds. Picture this: a user is going through Instagram stories filled with the same visuals; coffee, plants, selfies, and travel photographs that don’t particularly stand out. When they move to the next screen, your in-app ad can show them beautiful clothes with stunning Sicilian views in the background and curate the exact vibes they’re looking for. Instantly, you can transport them to a fantasy they want to buy. 

In-app advertising is also a great tool because of its ability to target your ads for an incredibly niche audience. Amazon advertising, in particular, is known for allowing brands to get hyper-specific about their audience. For example, you can recommend your clothing brand to Millennials who are burnt out from working and have been saving up for an Italian holiday. The more specific you are with your audience, the better the chances are of them actually purchasing your product or service.

Mobile Friendly Websites 

Have you ever gone to a mobile version of a brand’s website, only to find that none of the text and images align, and you can’t find what you’re looking for? Nothing is more unattractive to consumers than a brand that hasn’t thought through an effective, speedy mobile version. In 2023, there is no excuse for not having a mobile-friendly user experience.

Remember that “mobile-friendly” doesn’t just mean a website that works on your mobile device, but is actively considerate and conscious of its phone audience and has taken extra steps to make the journey quicker, easier, and more comfortable for them. This could include black-and-white background options, different visuals for the mobile version, embedded videos that are vertical instead of horizontal, and so on. 

Phone-friendly websites that instantly load are visually appealing and create a smooth journey for the user. Also, having intuitive navigation and toolbars lets the user immediately understand where to go, what to do, and how to buy your product or service. These mobile-friendly companies fare better than brands that copy-paste a desktop website into mobile dimensions. Ultimately, prioritizing your mobile website can improve engagement, convert users into customers, and create a thoughtful brand that excels in the digital space.

Differentiating Mobile Analytics 

Another great strategy for improving your mobile experience for consumers is analyzing mobile analytics. If you aren’t already changing your marketing tactics based on the difference between website and mobile analytics, you’re behind in the game. Every brand needs to understand how their users behave on their phones versus on the website. For example, perhaps there aren’t enough clicks on the shopping cart icon for phone users. This serves as a significant clue that you need to make the shopping cart button larger or more enticing, and incentivize your users to click on it. 

Understanding different demographics across devices can also help you target your audience better. For example, many website traffic could be coming from the East Coast while your mobile traffic comes from the West Coast. You can then decide to lean into this insight further (if it’s already resulting in good sales) by advertising on Twitter and Instagram for the latter.

Weather Targeting 

One strategy that many digital marketers forget about: the weather. How much do you consider the effects of weather on consumer behavior? If you don’t already spend time thinking about this, it’s time to start. Weather patterns, seasonal changes, and national developments directly impact user behavior. Suppose you are a beverage company, and half of your users are experiencing a heat wave. If you have the analytics data to track this, you can create some ‘summer drinks’ or ‘cool down with coffee’ social media campaigns to push to mobile devices in these specific areas. If you want to go the extra mile, add specific mobile discounts your customers can use if they buy drinks from your app!

Churn Out Content Constantly 

Lastly in our mobile marketing discussion: social media. Social media never sleeps. You often wake up with Twitter tags, Instagram comments, or TikTok likes, and with a global audience, these interactions and engagements never turn off. Suppose your social media content takes a break for even two days. In that case, the trend cycle will move on, and your brand will lose opportunities in which they otherwise might have seen great sales. As such, it’s important to keep your finger on the pulse of the internet constantly. Participate in trends, make memes, and find ways to connect with your online audience by taking the advantages of mobile marketing: the ability to be more casual, use user-generated content, and stay relevant as a brand. 

Don’t just put out your own content, but engage with other people from the platform as well. Everyone loves a good fast-food competitor showdown on Twitter! This is also your chance to engage with your customers meaningfully. Respond to negative comments with justifications, apologies, or humor. Equally, respond to positive comments by showing your customers the same love they show you! 

Mobile marketing is one of the easiest ways to connect with a large audience across the world, so even though you should plan your strategies carefully, remember to be authentic and human. Everyone can spot an insincere brand in this new digital landscape, especially on social media. Have fun, build a relationship with your followers and community, and watch your sales naturally increase through the love you show your audience by giving them a mobile-friendly marketing experience they’ll remember.

Always in your corner,

The Content Queens