When I settle down to work, I typically open my laptop and I’m looking at a 15” screen. That’s the smallest screen size I can comfortably work from to type up documents or do other work things. This means that I am tempted to see things from a computer-centric position.

This is particularly risky when it comes to things like website design. We can create a work of art on our computer (obviously, with great copy and SEO too) but we discover embarrassingly late that it doesn’t work at all on mobiles.

Realistically, most potential clients or supporters will first discover and investigate us on their mobile device. If we don’t catch them there, then we are likely to lose them.

Some statistics

It’s perhaps not necessary to give statistics. I bet your phone is probably within arm’s reach right now – mine is. At about 5, I’ll shut my laptop lid and try not to use it until tomorrow but I’ll slip my phone into my pocket when I leave to go for a walk. Our phones are almost always with us, ready for any task we give them.

Over 96% of people who use the internet have a smartphone but only 63% of internet users have a laptop or computer – if your marketing is only accessible to those with a laptop or computer, you are missing a third of the market.

The BBC reported that in the UK we spend almost 5 hours on our mobiles. When you take out the 16 hours a day we typically spend working and sleeping, it is a crazy statistic. Mobiles are where you are most likely to engage your target audience.

Marketing on mobiles

OK, so you’re sold on mobile marketing but what exactly does that mean? Mobile marketing encompasses many elements that are either unique to mobile or are different when experienced on mobile. Let’s take a look at some of them:

• Responsive web and email design – When someone uses their phone to look at your website or an email you have sent them, it needs to display as well there as it does on their computer.
• Social media – At one time landscape-orientated content ruled but now not so much. Portrait-orientated content has become popular again as it will make best use of the mobile’s screen size without having to rotate it. We can be rather lazy so anything to make it easy for our target audience to consume our content is a good thing.
• Search engines – We all know that different search engines return different results because of the different algorithms used. Even if you use the same search engine the algorithms will return different results on a phone to those returned on a computer.
• SMS – The good old text message has an air of authority about it these days. It’s long been used to convey short marketing messages with links but beware, SMS messaging has been abused by scammers so unless your target audience are expecting to hear from you in this way, it could undermine your authority. This also applies to WhatsApp and other messaging services.
• Apps – Apps generate the greatest level of engagement. Afterall, an app requires commitment: it’s not just someone clicking through to a website, the person has to find and trust the app, download it (and perhaps, pay), register and dedicate memory and screen space to the app. An app won’t be the first marketing touchpoint but it may be the channel that keeps the customer or supporter.

First steps

To get started on mobile marketing, it is best to pick some of the simpler options and follow the data to give you your next bast steps. It can be expensive so it is definitely worth making sure that it’s going to generate the results you are looking for.

Start by making sure your website is responsive. Your website designer will be able to help you with this or you can get in touch with Aubrey to get you going. Make sure you regularly check your website out on a mobile device; just because it works on one, it may not work on another brand, version or size.

Track your efforts through your web analytics. If mobile engagement increases, it suggests that there is appetite for more mobile marketing. Again, Aubrey can help you create a strategic mobile marketing plan.

Conclusion

Mobile marketing is a must for any charity or business that wants to engage its target audience by harnessing the power of the device that is most personal to us.

Build a strategic plan that will develop your presence in a realistic and sustainable way so that you continue to build credibility with your target audience.

Now you can turn your attention back to your phones!