If you’re a business looking to reach your audience in new ways, look no further than mobile marketing.
Consumers – heck, the entire world – are consumed by their smartphones and tablets everywhere they go. Wake up, check the phone for messages. On the train, prepare some documents for work on the tablet. At work, use the phone during the lunch hour to play games. At happy hour, pull the phone out to see if there’s a Foursquare deal on drinks.
You’re probably one of those people who stay up way past their bedtime on their phone or tablet as well (I’ve got your number). Mobile devices are incredibly pervasive. But which type of mobile marketing should you delve into first if you’re got limited time and budget but want the greatest returns?
The answer is simple: Email. Believe it or not, email marketing is the comeback kid of 2013. So go where your consumers are the most and a) start email marketing and b) optimize those emails for mobile.
Our iContact email marketing expert Eddie Howard passed along a few optimization tips for email on smartphones that you can easily integrate into your current campaigns:
1) “Make the text font larger.” Yes, today’s devices have hi-res, increasingly large screens but it doesn’t mean that they just magically display the emails better. If you have to hold the phone up to your face, the text is too small.
2) “Focus on single-column design.” Don’t force your readers to scroll left and right – it’s an inconvenience and can be confusing. The only scrolling should be down in an email for ease of use.
3) “Highlight your call to action.” What goal are your emails trying to achieve? Surely you want the recipients to take an action – maybe it’s to visit your website, like your Facebook page or recommend your product to a friend. Whatever your goal is, make sure it’s in flashing lights to complete the ROI of your efforts.
4) “Less is more.” What was in your original email intended for desktop recipients does not fly for mobile recipients. Shorten the email and keep it concise and to the point. Like cows grazing in a field, we skim for content instead of read it all.
Still need something to light your email marketing fire? Consider this:
78% of respondents to an IDC survey say they check email on smartphones more than they use the devices for web browsing and Facebook. That means that email is the #1 reason people pick up their smartphones. Make sure you’re there when they do.
For more email marketing advice, check out our Email channel here.