Mobile Marketing – Just How Big Is It?

Mobile marketing is the future right? Well that’s what people are saying anyway based on the growing stats. But just how likely is it that we all go mobile?

I thought a good exercise in the practicality of mobile marketing would be to write this article on my phone. You see, mobile use will be limited by what you can do on a mobile device. Human nature dictates that people will only do what they see the need to do. That can help or hurt mobile use, which will in turn help or hurt mobile marketing.

Let’s first look at what mobile marketing consists of. In my mind, mobile marketing includes any method of touching someone while they are using their mobile device. I am not including calls or texts, but apps, and browsing – the newer non-traditional methods of marketing.

We know that mobile use is growing by leaps and bounds, and why not? Back to the human law that people will only change when they see the need to change. If you are already on a desktop working on a spread sheet and want to know what movies are playing tonight, you are not likely to reach for your phone unless you think it will be easier to complete your search there. From a marketing perspective, we have to embrace this concept. People are not going to use your app just because you built it, it has to make life easier for them.

I believe that most of the growth we have seen in the mobile market is based on what you can do while you are in transit or already “phone in hand”. We haven’t really seen people choosing to use their mobile device to search because it’s easier. They use what they are already using.

So, now we have two questions:

1. If people are going to use what they are already using, how do we make them want to use their mobile device?

2. Just how far can people really transition to mobile devices?

Personally, I enjoy using a tech gadget. I probably use my phone for way more than most people would think of (like writing articles). Even so, I have not been able to figure out what I would use a tablet for. My music production software requires a Mac, and would not work on a tablet. My video and graphic production software is PC only, and requires a real workhorse machine.  Because of this, I am stuck with desktop computers for production. I carry a MacBook running bootcamp. This allows me to handle smaller projects on the fly, and eliminates tablet use for any production or presentations. I could manage my calendar and email from a tablet, but I can do that on my phone.

Anyway, unless mobile devices grow to the point of being able to run large programs, I do not see a complete transition. If course, in the near future, by the time we added the functionality to a mobile device it would be the size of a laptop. That would rather defeat the purpose.

So in our current level of technology, we should assume that people will really only use their mobile device when they are already in the device or in transit. That means that for mobile marketing we need to give people reasons to use their device. In other words, we must develop apps that make life easier for the user. This gives them a “need” to use the app.

Give people a reason to use your app, and then you can market to them all you want. Other than that, market within the services that they are already using their mobile device for, like social media. Or try running a mobile only pay per click campaign.

Meanwhile, I need to give my thumb a rest. Swype is actually not bad for writing a complete article, but I don’t think it is good for the body. Time for a full thumb massage.