When developing a marketing strategy for your business, it can be tempting to try a one-size-fits all approach by crafting one advertising design for every platform. However, this approach will yield unimpressive results compared to understanding the different marketing platforms and how your sales strategy should flex to fit each one.
Mobile and display advertising are two of the most effective types of marketing, but they can require some different techniques. Here are four tips to drive more sales using these two powerful forms of advertising.
Mobile and display advertising: what’s the difference?
Mobile and display advertising are often discussed together, but not always, and it’s not always clear which one is being discussed or whether the terms are interchangeable. So, let’s define our terms.
Mobile advertising is simply any advertisement designed to be viewed on a handheld device like a smartphone or tablet, and can include any of the following:
- Text offers
- Links to landing pages
- In-app advertisements
- Location-based advertisements
- Mobile search
Display advertising is any type of ad that involves images and text and includes a link to a website. In other words, display advertising is advertising designed to be viewed on the web while mobile advertising is advertising designed specifically for mobile devices. Each is designed to meet the customer where they are; display is more likely on a laptop or other at-home internet-browsing device, and mobile is for on-the-go handheld devices.
Both display and mobile advertising share similar goals, such as driving customers to your website, creating a first impression or motivating a customer to call your business; and they share similar methods, such as image and text-based advertising. Because of these similarities, strategies that work for one work well for the other. So although one or two of our tips may be specifically for one or the other, this list will help you hone your marketing strategy to drive more sales and generate more leads.
Make sure your website is responsive & accessible
This idea can seem like a no-brainer, but that means it often gets overlooked. Most of your ads will be designed to lead customers back to your website, so if your website is not effective on the type of screen your customers are using, you’ll be thwarting your own advertisement’s goal. It may be time to revisit your website and thoroughly check whether all your pages are easily accessible on different devices from iPads to the new flip phones.
Yet how your website looks is not as important as how fast it performs. According to Google, even a one-second delay can cost you 20% of your possible conversions. Don’t be afraid to scale down on images or design when you’re converting your website to mobile. As long as you don’t lose the messaging, your customers will respond better to a faster website than one with impressive, yet slow, aesthetic design.
Another important element to consider is your content. You may have already spent time ensuring your website content includes keywords that make it easily searchable for those surfing the web; but have you considered how your website content sounds out loud? Voice searches are steadily increasing in popularity, and smartphone users want information that’s easily accessible using this feature. Check whether your information reads through an artificial assistant well. It might also be worth the effort to research whether you should be including different keywords targeted toward voice searches.
Integrate video in your advertisements
Video has been proven to be one of the most profitable mobile marketing tools. In fact, customers prefer video for learning about a product or service, making the method effective for a variety of uses. Adding video to your advertising strategy will engage your customers more and drive more conversions, but there are a few rules you should follow to make your video effective.
Create your video ad with mobile in mind. In this area, it’s better to focus on the mobile experience first. Will your video scale well on different devices? Will it load easily on most network speeds? The message in your video is important, but no one will get that message if the video itself is compromised.
Make your video understandable without sound. Not only will this make your advertisement more accessible for those who are Deaf or hard of hearing, but it will also ensure no potential customer misses the messaging because their volume is turned off. Remember, when creating an ad for mobile, most of your audience will be viewing this ad while they are traveling or participating in other activities. Your messaging should be clear even if they can’t fully experience your video.
Keep customer experience at the forefront
This strategy is important in any marketing channel, but mobile marketing presents some unique challenges because of the on-the-go mindset your customers are most likely in. Remember, you’re not just trying to make an impression on potential customers, you’re trying to make a good impression.
Make your titles and headings attention-grabbing and your content informative and easy to read. Your mobile reader wants information that’s quick and easy to digest, and they don’t want to have to force themselves to focus. Keep your content snappy and your message clear, and you’ll make more and better impressions.
Have you ever been frustrated by an ad that takes up your whole screen, effectively stopping you in your internet-browsing tracks? So have your customers. These invasive types of ads are an old marketing tactic and generate low returns. Instead, try to create an ad that will capture your customer’s focus on the merit of its own design instead of forcing them to pay attention.
Have an effective call to action. What action do you want your customer to take as a result of your ad? Make that action as quick, easy and eye-catching as possible. If you want them to call, have a click-to-call button, right at the top of your ad. The closer you can get your customer to the desired action, the more likely they are to take that action.
Personalize your ads. To stand out from the mobile marketing crowd, you need to make an especially compelling message. Your customers will feel valued when you present them with an ad personalized to their wants and needs.
Think local
Location plays a significant role in mobile advertising. Many of your customers will be searching based on location, and most search engines will be using their location to provide targeted results. Location-based advertising can draw the attention of customers who are the most likely to purchase your products or services.
Emails and other similar marketing methods can make use of location-based advertising, but in the world of mobile advertising, search advertisements are the most important focus. Your business can be at the top of local listings when mobile users search keywords related to your industry. To take this prime place in search results, you can purchase a Google ad, but you don’t have to do so to improve your location-based search result rankings. Instead, you can ensure that your keywords are performing well and your location is clear.
Mention your location often, on your website, on landing pages and in your ad copy. Make sure that search engines and customers alike know exactly where you’re located. This will not only improve your rankings in local search results, but will also help your customers make the decision to visit your business, because they don’t have to search for your address.
Mobile and display advertising are just two of the tools used in a good sales strategy to drive sales and grow your business. These four tips can help you improve your sales strategy and make the most of your advertising. If you want more information or would like some help creating your advertising strategy, improving your website or crafting ads, contact Hyport Digital today to add professional expertise to your marketing ideas.
