IS MOBILE MARKETING THE FUTURE OF DIGITAL ADVERTISING AND MARKETING?

Answer is YES ! 

Let me elaborate - We are living in a world where smart phones will out number PCs. If you're a company that uses advertising in any meaningful way, you'd better buy your mobile cruise tickets before the boat leaves without you...

According to Benedict Evans as of December 2013, there are slightly more than 1.6 billion PCs still 'hanging out,' around 1.3 billion smartphones and about 200 million tablets. It's a pretty clear picture of things to come. Website owners would be fools to ignore what they've been seeing for the last three to five years: Mobile Traffic is slowly and steadily increasing as compared to Traditional PC traffic.

Despite this being the age of the Smartphone, it's a strong indication that mobile still has a long period of growth ahead, due in part to the fact that many just haven't been taking the latest tech changes in stride.

Many experts from the world of mobile still believes that customer engagement and satisfaction are two powerful motivations to get pumping with the mobile scene. "Social media and Mobile are evolving at alarming rates," says Marc Fischman, co-Founder of Hyperactivate. "Attention constantly shifts to new platforms. Brands need to learn how to spread the word using apps and social media effectively."

One of the issues Fischman pointed out that's common to many marketers using apps and social media, is that they either don't bother or don't know how to engage followers, even when they have them. Fischman suggests that it's not just the message that counts, although that too is important. But it's also critical to measure engagement and promote your message in a way that creates viral reach. "First you've got to have the tools to catch the consumer eye," continues Fischman. "Then you have to learn how to make use of the results and continue to create engaging, viral campaigns."

Some Tips For Mobile Marketing

In order to understand the trends, it's important that you understand the nature of the beast: diversity, quality, innovation, experimentation and influence. Only then can you chase consumer  with an eye for scoring well within the medium. There's no way to cover everything within one article. But here are some pointers to give you a head's up from those who know.

1) Diversity: The variety of mobile tools make it almost impossible for failure when it comes to reaching your target audience. Don't choose one app or one method and assume it's the answer to all your needs. Before you invest in a pricey app, make sure if can be made to work for you, not the other way around. Use the right analytics, integrate your efforts and make it social.

2) Quality Counts: There are mobile marketing tools for every budget. This's why it's important to perform due diligence. The last thing you want is to put money into something that's nearly impossible to use or that doesn't work well. And don't forget to make sure your message contains a powerful call to action. Why should your audience make the purchase? What's in it for them? Discounts? Credits? Buy one get one free? Ask yourself--how robust is your message?

3) Accelerate Your Innovation: Mobile designers are running an Olympic race to leverage information and advancements in an effort to reduce complexity yet provide compelling services. You almost can't blink without seeing the mobile boundaries grow and change shape. Marketers need to keep their eyes on the innovative game, as well as on the way mobile is changing peoples lives. Every purchase, every 'like" and every share is a message. Listen and respond wisely.

4) Content is Queen, Influence is King: Have you taken the time to learn about your audience? With more and more people learning how to use the web in a more personalized way, and with mobile poised to surpass television as our means for connecting with all media, it's vital to learn how your target audience experiences everything from life to relationships, and from entertainment to making purchases. We've come to rely more and more on other people's referrals and reviews. You have to ensure that people not only connect with your message, but pass it along, too.

Not having a mobile strategy is a "recipe for disruption", with a dash of eventual panic thrown in. The age mobile is still young enough for brands to get on board with it. That means larger budgets and greater focus on the road ahead. Even if print becomes less expensive as that medium tries to survive, that doesn't mean you should ignore mobile.