The year 2016 marked the first time mobile internet usage surpassed desktop usage. Since then, mobile usage has continued to grow steadily. Today, people treat their phones like an extension of themselves. If you want to be competitive in the modern economy, you need to develop your mobile marketing strategy. While a lot of the standard digital marketing guidelines still apply, mobile has a few idiosyncrasies that you need to take into account. Here’s what you need to know to master mobile marketing.

Design With Mobile in Mind

Since so many people interact with the internet via phones or tablets, your digital marketing campaigns need to look good and work on smaller screens. The best way to do this is to incorporate responsive designs. This will help optimize the page for mobile viewing, ensuring that all the information on it is still clear and any interactive elements—forms, page arrows, menus, and so on—still function properly. If you’ve ever opened a page on your phone only to find the buttons are broken, navigation is impossible, or the text is so small you think you need a trip to the optometrist, you know how unpleasant the experience is.

The goal is to keep your audience engaged, not to have them close the page moments after opening it. Mobile users report that they are 67 percent more likely to buy a product or service when a site is mobile-friendly. Be smart and design your online offerings in a way that makes the user want to stick around.

Personalize Content

Understanding your audience is one of the most important aspects of any digital marketing campaign. InnoVision, a marketing agency based in San Diego, describes your customer database as your most valuable asset. In marketing, personalization serves two important purposes. First, it demonstrates empathy toward the user. Second, it makes the user experience all the easier as they move through the purchase funnel.

Instead of being presented with all the choices available to them, they are shown a focused selection that is most relevant to their needs and interests. Since our mobile devices are so intertwined with our lives, they are the perfect channel for delivering all kinds of personalized content. If a user has location features enabled, it allows you to show them content related to their immediate area. If you have an app, you can send them push notifications with promotions tailored to them. Even something as simple as an SMS message with the customer’s name instead of a generic message can go a long way in increasing your visibility and your connection with the user. Mobile marketing provides a plethora of avenues to deliver personalized content directly to your audience.

Leverage Mobile Technology

We may have become accustomed to the presence of smartphones over the last few years, but it’s worth remembering what a marvel these devices really are. Only a few decades ago, the technology was just a thing of science fiction. Now, everyone and their mother has a cell. If you’re not taking advantage of all the ways you can utilize mobile technology in your marketing, you’re leaving money on the table.

We’ve mentioned apps before, but their usefulness cannot be overstated. A well-designed app can help a user track previous transactions, store and spend loyalty points, send relevant push alerts, and more, all within an experience that feels safe and secure.

Of course, there’s more to the modern phone than apps. QR codes allow you to easily and quickly direct users to additional information or promotional sites. Digital wallets enabled through Near Field Communications (NFC) are well poised to further revolutionize what our phones can do, potentially removing the need to carry a wallet entirely.

Mobile marketing will allow you to take advantage of all the incredible technology smartphones and tablets have now, as well as developments and breakthroughs down the line.

Boosting User Engagement

Digital marketing isn’t just about making a sale; it’s about attracting new users and keeping them in the loop. If you want to keep them up to date on all the exciting things you’re working on, you need to keep them engaged. Some of the methods we’ve already discussed, like SMS messaging, push notifications, or mobile app rewards, already do wonders for your mobile engagement. They open up an avenue to present your audience with regular promotions and information.

Another one of the simplest ways is to maintain a presence on social media. Since many people interact with social media primarily through their mobile devices, this will ensure you have a frequent presence in your audience members’ lives. By buying ads on popular platforms like Instagram or maintaining your own business’s account, you can remain a part of their internet ecosystem.

In addition to social media, mobile is the perfect platform to integrate video into your marketing. Due to its easily digestible and entertaining nature, video is a massively engaging way to communicate information to your audience. With the right balance between all your mobile channels, you can stay on your audience’s mind easily.

Landing Conversions

Ultimately, all digital marketing—including mobile marketing—is about conversions. Whether it’s a sale, getting someone to sign up for an email list, or just getting them to click through a link to move further down the funnel, any time your marketing strategy results in your audience making the choice you want, is a win. The key is using all the tools at your disposal in a way that appeals to the mobile user.

Be clear and concise with the information you want to communicate. Streamline signups and payments to make the experience as pain-free as possible. Only reach out to users with promotions that might matter to them. Include a brief call to action that’s doable from a mobile platform. And of course, always A/B test multiple approaches until you figure out what works.

With the right strategy, your mobile marketing will become an integral part of your digital campaign.