Guest contribution • 08.03.2021

Three ways to make better use of mobile marketing

Social media, mobile optimization, QR codes – practical rips for retailers

The pandemic has rapidly changed the way consumers interact with brands, with digital platforms becoming the sole way for browsing and purchasing goods and services in almost all sectors. This has resulted in a tremendous rise in the use of mobile, leading it to become a key platform for marketing, selling and communicating with customers.

It’s worth noting that customer’s shift to digital engagement has not been restricted to the brands they already knew and used. 75% of consumers have tried a new shopping behaviour in 2020, and most intend to continue this after the corona pandemic ends. These consumers will not stay with a brand whose experience is poor, which makes it imperative that organisations across all industries deliver the experience that will differentiate them from their competitors and build trust.

Customer expectations about the quality of mobile experiences have increased. To be successful and attract and retain customers, brands need to keep up and ensure their mobile offerings are cutting-edge. In this article, I explore three ways brands can do this. 

Eine lächelnde Frau in roter Bluse und Anzug
Alison Sainsbury ist Director of Value Engineering & Business Optimisation, APJ, bei Sitecore
Source: Sitecore

Make use of apps and social channels 

When browsing on mobile, a purchase journey often starts outside of a brand’s own website or app. Many shoppers are served an ad, see an influencer or engage with a brand on a social channel like Instagram, and are then directed to a website or app to purchase it. This process needs to be frictionless, and just a few clicks away, in order to offer the speed and convenience that customers now expect.  

Consumers also value reviews and endorsements from peers, friends and influencers very highly – 81% trust their friends and family’s advice over advice from a business. User-generated content, which is often shared on social media platforms, has become more effective than content created by brands in many cases, as it is perceived as being more authentic. At a time when consumers aren’t able to see and experience a product in person before purchasing, the next best thing is to get a recommendation from a friend or an influencer online.

For marketers, this means that

  • encouraging customers to use a brand hashtag and share their feedback on social media or
  • incentivising them to share a text or email to friends recommending a product at the click of a button

… can be an effective way to attract new customers. 

To make the most of this valuable user generated content, brands should also look at ways they can incorporate these reviews into their site; either through social integrations which show feeds, or by encouraging and incentivising customers to leave reviews on the site itself.

Optimise experiences for mobile

For mobile to be effective, brands must invest in optimising their websites for mobile. For example, it’s important to ensure mobile checkouts are simple and easy to use, and that all of the benefits that would be available on a desktop or in-person are available. This includes things like

  • access to loyalty schemes or
  • member discounts,
  • customer support,
  • multiple ways to pay and
  • the ability to compare different products or services.

Investing in an app with all of these features can help to deliver quality customer experiences that aren’t offered through a search engine.

For those who are more advanced in their mobile offering, features like augmented reality or AI can help to engage and impress customers. Prior to the pandemic, parts of the purchase journey were often carried out in person – like browsing in-store before buying online, or speaking to a shop assistant about a purchase – but this whole journey is now taking place online.

“Mobile must be seen as a platform in its own right, not a pared-down version of the website with limited services.” (Alison Sainsbury)

Embrace the QR code boom 

Since the beginning of the pandemic, QR codes have grown in popularity by allowing customers to safely view menus, order food and drinks or register their contact details with a venue through their mobile phones. There are huge possibilities beyond this for how our mobile phones can be used to connect offline and online experience. For example, Instagram recently launched a QR code option, allowing people to open a profile from any third-party camera app. This means mobile users can scan a business’s QR code, and instantly view their Instagram page.

Essentially, any billboard, letter or packaging could have a QR code added for customers to scan and receive additional product information or make it easier to register for a service. This is a seamless way to move an in-person experience online, and for further purchases or engagements with a brand to take place through mobile. If a retailer posts paper bills to customers, they could add a QR code to the letter to direct people to easily pay online instead.

Physical products can also have QR codes with them to allow customers to register the product, sign up for product information and extras. For example, if you bought a new smart barbeque, a QR code could direct you to recipes or you could connect it to a mobile app where you can receive notifications on when it’s time to ‘flip-and-serve’ the meat.

However, it’s important to remember that whilst mobile is the technology of choice for the majority, not everyone has a smartphone, so it shouldn’t become the only way for consumers to reach a brand online.

Mobile marketing has become more important than ever, but to make sure its successful marketers need to overcome certain challenges. If they prioritise and invest in the technology to power in-app purchasing that offer a frictionless experience, ensure websites are optimised for mobile as well as desktop, and take advantage of the boom that QR codes have seen this year, they will be well placed to impress and retain customers that shop mobile-first by default.

“Through these codes, everything becomes well-connected and very simple for customers.” (Alison Sainsbury)
Author: Alison Sainsbury, Sitecore

related articles:

popular articles:

Thumbnail-Photo: Insights on the Buy now, pay later market in Latin America to 2028...
07.11.2022   #online trading #e-commerce

Insights on the 'Buy now, pay later' market in Latin America to 2028

The BNPL payment industry in Latin America has recorded strong growth over the last four quarters, supported by increased e-commerce penetration

The "Latin America Buy Now Pay Later Business and Investment Opportunities - 75+ KPIs on Buy Now Pay Later Trends by End-Use Sectors, Operational KPIs, Market Share, Retail Product Dynamics, and Consumer Demographics - Q3 2022 Update" ...

Thumbnail-Photo: How the COVID pandemic has upended brick-and-mortar retailing...
17.10.2022   #brick and mortar retail #customer satisfaction

How the COVID pandemic has upended brick-and-mortar retailing

Consumer behavior: “Ten years of digital transformation happened in two years”

There is no question that the Corona pandemic has changed the retail industry. Brian Dammeir, President North America at payment service provider Adyen, explains clearly which developments ...

Thumbnail-Photo: E-commerce: For better, but also for worse!
12.12.2022   #e-commerce #sustainability

E-commerce: For better, but also for worse!

How to optimally reach the clientele in current times of crisis

Inflation, rising energy costs, Covid - these crises currently have Germany firmly in their grip and are consequently influencing consumer behaviour in the country in the long term. Due to rising living costs, German consumers are currently holding ...

Thumbnail-Photo: E-Commerce Berlin Expo 2023
21.11.2022   #e-commerce #retail

E-Commerce Berlin Expo 2023

Be inspired by e-commerce trends, use cases, forecasts and presentations from leading industry experts

The E-Commerce Berlin Expo is the largest pure-play e-commerce event in the capital city of Germany. The conference attracts over 8,000 visitors and more than 200 exhibitors, making it an insightful e-commerce fest. ...

Thumbnail-Photo: NRF says GDP growth is slower but consumer spending remains positive...
02.01.2023   #retail #customer analysis

NRF says GDP growth is slower but consumer spending remains positive

Gross domestic product isn’t likely to grow as much in the final months of 2022 as it did in the third quarter, but consumer spending should remain strong

The National Retail Federation has published its GDP predictions for the last quarter of 2022. The results should hardly come as a surprise to close observers. ...

Thumbnail-Photo: Passwordless add-on for Shopify Plus stores with Passkeys support...
21.12.2022   #security #digitization

Passwordless add-on for Shopify Plus stores with Passkeys support

Shopify Plus stores can now easily implement passwordless login with Passkeys support to help reduce drop rate and increase conversion using the free OwnID plugin

OwnID has announced the release of Passkeys support for all Shopify Plus stores. The new plugin is a low-code way to add passwordless authentication to your store. By eliminating the need to create and remember passwords, it allows users to register ...

Thumbnail-Photo: Domo releases annual “Data Never Sleeps” infographic...
05.10.2022   #retail #digitization

Domo releases annual “Data Never Sleeps” infographic

A decade of minute-by-minute data shows 1700% increase in digital engagement on some platforms

Domo has released the 10th edition of its Data Never Sleeps (DNS) infographic, the annual glimpse at how much data is generated on the internet every minute by the ways people interact online. Over the last decade of chronicling the world's data ...

Thumbnail-Photo: Schnucks launches Schnucks Now 30-minute delivery in all markets...
31.10.2022   #app #smartphone

Schnucks launches Schnucks Now 30-minute delivery in all markets

A new virtual storefront for fast delivery in partnership with Instacart

As Schnuck Markets, Inc. continues to expand its digital convenience offerings for customers, the company, in partnership with Instacart, is introducing “Schnucks Now” – delivery in as fast as 30 minutes. ...

Thumbnail-Photo: Kraft Heinz optimizes product content for 3000 SKUs to win on the...
07.12.2022   #e-commerce #digitization

Kraft Heinz optimizes product content for 3000 SKUs to win on the digital shelf

Salsify assists Kraft Heinz in delivering a consistent brand experience across every digital and physical retail channel

Salsify, the Commerce Experience Management (CommerceXM) platform empowering brand manufacturers, distributors, and retailers to win on the digital shelf, announced it is helping The Kraft Heinz Company update retailer product content in just ...

Thumbnail-Photo: Attracting young customers with sustainability and metaverse...
22.01.2023   #e-commerce #retail

Attracting young customers with sustainability and metaverse

How ByondXR wants to shape the future of e-commerce

In marketing, standstill leads to regression faster than in many other sectors. Strategies that were the cutting edge ten years ago often no longer work today. "Generation Z" in particular has its own very specific demands with regard to ...

Supplier

salsify
salsify
7 rue de Madrid
75008 Paris