There has been consistent growth in customers using mobile devices to access e-commerce platforms, which the COVID-19 pandemic has only increased. In 2021 it is easier than ever to discover and purchase without leaving your mobile device. With the rise in shoppable posts, influencers and email retargeting, it is vital that you optimise your mobile content. We’ll discuss the latest innovations in mobile marketing strategies and how you can optimise your e-commerce website to capture these trends.
The user experience
Mobiles are personal, more so than other devices that allow users to connect online. Most people take their mobile devices wherever they go and use them to organise their work and lives. Therefore, it is important not to overwhelm mobile users with mass marketing and impersonal content when connecting with mobile users.
Whilst PPC ads are still a major player in mobile marketing, giving mobile users the option to opt-out of ads is a must. This optimisation can be made simply by ensuring that the close ad “x” button is visible and accessible. Another effective approach is to design mobile ads to disappear when the user scrolls down the page and ensures that ads don’t spread across the entire screen, blocking text and images. By putting the user in control, you allow customers to interact positively with your brand, adding to their mobile experience rather than detracting from it.
Another way mobile content is personal to users is that they can easily create and upload their content wherever they may be. Many users engage with apps and channels that allow them to make their personalised content, such as Snapchat and TikTok. Some brands are now creating their own spaces where users can generate personal content as part of the conversations they engage in. By optimising the mobile content, businesses can ensure that they are widening their reach.
Know your audience
If you want to make sure that your mobile content optimisations are effective, then you need to know that the right people are seeing them. Strategies such as social listening can be very effective for gathering audience research. Using data to understand what your consumers are interested in and where they are engaged with your brand most often, you can prioritise your mobile optimisations.
It would be impossible to talk about mobile optimisation and audience without considering email marketing strategies. One source estimates that if an email is first to read on a mobile and then re-read on a desktop, the consumer is 65% more likely to click. It is, therefore, vital to optimise email content for mobile device use.
Furthermore, by combining audience research with email marketing, strategies such as retargeting emails can be employed. By further personalising the email content you offer to each customer, their chance of positively engaging with your brand increases. Users are looking to enjoy their mobile experience, and there is no reason why email ads can’t be part of this as long as they are relevant.
Video is queen
User engagement is one of the key metrics that businesses use to measure their mobile optimisations’ success. However, it is pointless to expect users to engage without first offering them engaging content.
One of the most consumed media forms is video. Take the platform TikTok, for example, which engages users purely through user-generated video content. Shoppable videos are taking advantage of this high engagement by allowing products within videos to be purchased directly from the video post. Even if you don’t use shoppable posts, social media platforms should still form part of your overall omnichannel marketing strategy. Videos are great for maintaining user attention, and the longer they are engaged with your band, the more likely they are to click through and start browsing your products.
Social media and mobile content go hand in hand, and with the increased mobile use during the COVID-19 pandemic, social commerce is performing well. Optimising video content for mobile is essential for maximising user engagement and increasing click-through rates.
Mobile content & data privacy
As the debates surrounding data privacy continue, the restrictions placed on all companies have gradually tightened. Digital marketers have always been able to find creative strategies that work around these limits, to ensure that ads and content are successfully placed. However, there are some significant changes for 2021 that might again force companies to look for new solutions.
Apple IDFA (Identifier for Advertisers) is set to become an opt-in only data tracker. IDFA is a random resettable device identifier which is given to iOS devices. Through this, user data can be tracked, for example, when clicking on an in-app ad. Due to the identifier being random, it doesn’t conflict with personal data protection laws. But this is set to change with Apple committing to making all IDFA trackers opt-in only.
Google is taking a similar approach, with the announcement that they will restrict the use of third-party cookies and eventually phase them out over the coming years. Third-party cookies track website traffic and user data across the internet.
So with the increased app tracking transparency, there will be less data for advertisers to use when attempting to target their ads at the right users. This will accelerate the shift towards contextual advertising, using content as the key element to draw in customers. This means that optimising content for mobile devices could be essential, as content becomes an increasingly important tool for digital marketers.
Subscription apps
With so many free apps available to download on mobile devices, subscription apps can get lost in the crowd. However, there is an increasing demand for paid-apps offering exercise, wellness, games and entertainment. It is predicted that Gen-Z consumers are the most likely to subscribe to paid-apps to support brands that reflect their social and political views.
Subscription apps are mostly used on mobile devices, and there are a few key advantages to creating your own. No matter what products you are selling and to which audience, subscription models allow businesses instant access to a dedicated customer base. This can be incredibly useful when marketing new products, for example. Furthermore, securing repeat business through paid-apps means that ROI on those channels can be more easily controlled.
Optimising content for mobile devices can help diversify your e-commerce strategy and allow for potential income streams that can come from subscription apps.
Conclusion
Making mobile content accessible is key to reaching wider audiences and keeping those users engaged with your brand for longer. As always, mobile marketing should be part of a broader omnichannel marketing strategy and complement the digital marketing, SEO and PPC you already have in place.
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Written and researched by Paige Elford, Digital Marketing Graduate
