If you are not using mobile in your lead generation strategy, now is the time to think about how you can take advantage of the year-on-year growth of this channel. Mobile continues to grow, locally here in South Africa and on a global scale. Mobile devices have begun to overtake desktops as the primary means to access the internet. According to Statista, the number of mobile users around the world is set to reach 4.78 billion by 2020. Google, meanwhile, states that consumers today have double the number of interactions with brands on mobile than any other channel, including television and in-store promotions.
For businesses wanting to connect to their audiences and nurture leads effectively, mobile offers a highly versatile platform. Done right, a smart mobile campaign can add huge value to your lead generation strategies, helping you target your audience in real-time through a number of interactive campaigns. With that said, not all mobile lead campaigns were created equal. Simply assuming that a few mobile ads or an SMS campaign or two will reap the same rewards as an integrative mobile strategy will not deliver much in the way of results. A carefully planned strategy that uses mobile holistically will have a far better chance, on the other hand.
Using Mobile in Your Lead Generation Strategy
There is no doubt that mobile marketing offers a number of benefits. Used as part of a multichannel lead generation strategy, mobile has the power to reach your audience quickly and easily. It is also affordable, direct, and versatile, making it possible to create a wide range of campaigns to suit your needs.
Whether planning SMS campaigns at trade events or rich mobile campaigns that effortlessly flow between your web and social media campaigns, you first need a solid mobile foundation to make this channel truly useful for lead generation. Here are some of the most important criteria to ensure a successful mobile-based lead nurturing strategy:
Mobile-friendly website
Trying to incorporate mobile into your lead nurturing campaigns without a responsive website will end up wasting a great deal of time and effort, let alone leads. Your website will need to be fully optimised, with lead forms that are also fully responsive on every device. The easier you make it for leads to sign up, the more chance you have at conversion. Test your website and your forms to make sure that they can easily be read and accessed, whatever device your leads may be using. Regularly check and improve your website and forms, too, so that they remain functional and user-friendly. The easier you make it for leads to get into your lead funnel, the more chance you have at turning them into sales.
Mobile-friendly emails
Your emails also need to be responsive and optimised for every device – smartphone, tablet, laptop, and desktop. Emails need to be accessed easily, with images, links, CTAs, unsubscribe buttons, social media icons, and content that displays clearly, whether viewed on a small screen or a large screen. Say goodbye to the text-heavy newsletters of the past and embrace the future of short, punchy emails that engage readers and entice them to your lead pages. Don’t forget to offer an online version of your emails to further make it easier for your readers to enjoy your content if they cannot read it within the email.
Geotargeted mobile ads
Geotargeting is another way that you can get more from your mobile lead generation efforts. This type of ad goes hand in hand with your social media strategy, targeting leads in the moment when they are already primed to purchase or convert. By targeting specific audiences within specific locations with deals that are unique to your target audience age, persona, interests, and demographics, you can ensure that the right people see your ads at the right time. Facebook and other social media channels offer the ideal platform for highly targeted ads, reaching potential leads in the moment. According to Statista, the average mobile social media penetration rate in 2018 was 27%, while the global average was 39%. As mobile usage continues to grow, more people use mobile devices to access their favourite social channels. The rise of mobile apps has also helped to increase usage. Not taking advantage of this growth means losing out on the chance to connect to potential leads in real-time through highly targeted ad campaigns.
Interactive mobile content
Content that is interactive, fun, and rewarding has a far better chance of resulting in clicks and conversion than content that is dry and dull. The nature of mobile makes it an excellent medium for interesting campaigns that can take many forms – surveys, quizzes, games, lottery type mobi sites, and various other types of content. Personalised product finders or recommendations based on a series of questions can also work well for ecommerce campaigns. Contests are also an excellent tool for mobile lead nurturing, while mobile-friendly booklets can be a great tool for the awareness stage of the buyer cycle. Whatever type of content you create, make sure that it is designed to be easily viewed and accessed on mobile devices and that your audience can interact with the content in a way that encourages clicks.
Engaging video content
90% of video views on Twitter are done on mobile. According to Cisco, meanwhile, mobile video accounted for 60% of total mobile data traffic in 2016. There is no doubt that mobile video is growing in popularity every single month. YouTube, Twitter, and many other social channels are taking advantage of this growth, integrating video in a way that makes video content easy to consume on mobile devices. As a lead generation tool, video offers many advantages. It can be used at every stage of the buyer journey, from the initial awareness stage all the way to conversion. Done right, video has the power to not only educate and inform but also to engage, promote, and entertain. Video content can include tutorials, product reviews, interviews, viral type campaigns, fun interactive videos, how to type videos, smart ad campaigns, and even content that positions your brand as an industry leader.
Treating mobile marketing as an after-thought can end up ruining even the best attempts at converting more leads. Likewise, relying on mobile alone is never ideal, either. Ideally, you want to incorporate the channels that are already adding value. A good way to determine which channels have the most value is to look at your stats and evaluate your current lead nurturing efforts. Where do the majority of your leads enter the sales funnel? Which channels have the highest return? Which have the lowest return?
If your current mobile efforts are showing value, you will know that it is worth investing more in a mobile campaign that is designed to bring in more leads. Get your mobile foundation in place, but more importantly, aim to see mobile as part of the bigger picture. A lead generation strategy that is multi-channel, targeted, and designed to reach leads at every stage of their journey is your best bet by far. This approach will help you nurture leads in a way that is holistic and designed to convert. With a well-rounded strategy that includes mobile, email, social, and other channels, your lead generation efforts will go from strength to strength.