Mobile marketing is a sub-discipline of marketing that focuses in particular on reaching users of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.
Within the framework of mobile marketing, all activities focus on presenting information, content and, of course, advertising in an ideal way for mobile devices. This not only requires a completely different website structure but also the use of tools that do not exist in online marketing at all. This video shows an application example for mobile marketing.
Mobile marketing tools
A variety of tools can be used in mobile marketing. The following marketing methods are common, for example:
- Mobile site :
On the one hand, mobile websites can be used by online shops to increase their sales. On the other hand, advertisers can run banner ads on mobile websites.
- Mobile Apps :
Similar to websites, apps are either suitable for integrating advertising banners or, alternatively, for increasing awareness of your own company. For example, services, a customer account or even shopping solutions can be implemented via apps.
Within the framework of m-commerce, either web-based web shops optimized for mobile devices or shopping apps are launched, which, in contrast to non-optimized shops, make it much easier for customers to shop on the go.
Search engine optimization is used differently in connection with mobile marketing. Here, for example, aspects of local SEO are in the foreground.
With mobile payment, at least one participant uses mobile technology. A typical example is Near-Field-Communication (NFC), which allows you to make cashless payments even in a shop.
As part of mobile banking, users can access account and custody account data and carry out transactions (e.g. transfers) via mobile phone.
- Value-added services :
Value-added services can also be used for mobile marketing, for example, to organize a competition via SMS.
- Promotional SMS :
Advertising SMS is a difficult field since the mobile phone owner must explicitly agree to the use of SMS as an advertising medium. However, if the advertiser has this permission, advertising SMS can enjoy a lot of attention.
- Mobile Coupons :
Mobile coupons can be used in sales promotions, for example with percentage campaigns on certain products. With the help of QR codes, mobile coupons can be redeemed in stationery shops.
Advantages
In October 2013 there were 37.4 million smartphone users in Germany, i.e. almost every second German citizen. As early as July 2015, there were 46 million smartphone users. The potential of mobile marketing is correspondingly enormous. Advertisers have the opportunity to communicate directly with their recipients. They can enter into a dialogue and interact, while classic advertising always knows only one direction: from the advertiser to the customer. There is no feedback.
Mobile marketing offers the ability to personalize advertising, engage and engage consumers anywhere, anytime. This is all the more true because many smartphone users are almost always available and rarely miss a notification from their device. Young target groups in particular can be addressed and activated with mobile marketing.
critical aspects
Mobile marketing campaigns are still in their infancy. The reason for this is the fact that German consumers are still hardly aware of how their mobile devices can be used. Explanations and accompanying measures are therefore always required. Another big problem with mobile marketing is the very high cost, which is offset by a relatively low success rate.
For example, users aren’t thrilled when they buy a paid app that’s also riddled with ads. There is also a difficulty insofar as there is a one-sided dependency on mobile phone providers, especially with regard to the processing of payments in the micropayment area.
Mobile marketing operating systems
According to a Statista study, the global market share of mobile operating systems with mobile Internet access is divided among seven operating systems. In July 2014, Android had the highest market share at 53.51%, followed by iOS at 24.90%. Current forecasts assume that Android will have more than 80% market share by 2020, while iOS will only reach 14% market share.
Android
Android or Android OS is an operating system and an application platform in one, which is preferably used on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Android is an open-source system from the Open Handset Alliance (OHA) founded by Google in 2007. Android is available as open source and can be implemented by the manufacturers of the end devices themselves using their own modifications. The members of the OHA undertake to produce only Android-compatible devices. About 78% of all smartphones shipped in the fourth quarter of 2013 used Android as the operating system. The current version is Android 6.0.1, also known as Marshmallow. A preview version is available for developers, it’s called Android N (as of April 25, 2016).
General information about Android
Android was founded by Andy Rubin in Pao Alto in 2003 and was bought by Google in 2005. Initially, all that was known was that the company offered software for mobile phones and location-based services. Only with the merger of the members of the OHA and the support of Google could the first Android operating system be presented in 2008. Since then, the number of smartphones with Android operating systems has grown steadily.
In addition to the operating system, Android also includes services such as the Android Market, which competes with Apple’s App Store, or the Google Maps navigation software, which uses the GPS connection and the built-in motion sensors of Android cell phones. The performance and functionality of an Android device depend on the manufacturer and their extensions.
Android features
Android is based on a Linux kernel, which is responsible for memory and process management, and uses various parts of the Java programming language – for example, the class libraries and a Java-based virtual machine (Dalvik) that acts as the runtime environment. Dalvik was developed by Dan Bornstein at Google and works like a register machine from theoretical computer science: natural numbers can be stored in each register. And certain arithmetic operations can be performed on each register.
If an input value is now noted on one or more registers, the register machine goes through certain states that can be defined using a flowchart and arrive at a final form – the result of the calculations. All processes of an Android smartphone run according to this abstract model. It was specially developed for end devices that should be modularly expandable.
Because all parts of the Android system, with the exception of the virtual machine and the kernel memory, are equal. Changes and additions to special services are therefore possible at any time, also and precisely because the software is open source. For the users of an Android phone, this also means that an Android system structure is not always obvious: every cell phone model that uses Android as a system can, in principle, have a different user interface and different functions.
Android’s Importance for mobile marketing
Since more than 78% of all smartphones use Android as the operating system, mobile optimization and marketing for Android phones are particularly important. In order to optimize as efficiently as possible, knowledge of the system architecture is an advantage here. What possibilities does the system as such offer? How must content be coded and designed so that Android users can find, read and distribute it? And since Google holds the main shares in Android, many search engine optimization criteria come into play:
Websites, apps and widgets should be optimized for mobile use and, for example, have short loading times, high usability or simple navigation. In terms of marketing, apps should be optimized for the Google Play Store or the former Android Market.
iOS
iOS is an operating system developed by Apple for mobile devices such as the iPhone, iPad, iPad Mini and the Apple TV set-top box. The operating system is proprietary software that is used exclusively on Apple devices but also enables the production of third-party apps for the Apple App Store by using the iOS SDK. The latest version is called iOS 9.3.1, iOS SDK as a programming interface or toolkit must be downloaded separately. Version 9.3.2 is currently in the beta phase (as of April 25, 2016).
General information about iOS
Apple’s iOS emerged from the prototypes for Project Purple. In 2005, Apple wanted to design a smartphone for which appropriate software was needed. Various modules of Apple’s operating system for computers and notebooks were then fundamentally modified to enable use on mobile devices. The first version of iOS was dubbed “Mac OS that runs on the iPhone” by Steve Jobs. Initially, there were special versions of iOS for different end devices. However, these were later merged into one operating system and implemented on the devices by default.
iOS features
IOS is based on MAC OS architecture and uses Unix code. Android, as a major competitor when it comes to operating systems for mobile devices, also uses Unix, since Android is based on a Linux kernel, which in turn is written in Unix. The central element of iOS is the springboard – the home screen. Apps can be started from there, system programs can be managed and a wide variety of information can be called up.
All apps in this operating system use the sandbox principle to ensure maximum security. Since iOS uses its own file system, the user cannot access the partition with the system’s basic features (hardware control, security, and system functions).
Only devices that have been jailbroken allow access unauthorized by Apple. The partition intended for the user contains a user directory as well as subfolders for apps, media and user settings. Every iOS comes with numerous apps and widgets that significantly increase the range of functions and sometimes ensure interconnectivity with other Apple devices.
Examples are:
- Photos: Management of images, graphics and videos
- Music: Management of music, tones and playlists via iTunes and iCloud
- Siri: voice control for the mobile device
- Maps: Real-time navigation and traffic updates
- Facetime: video telephony and VoIP
- Safari: A mobile web browser for surfing the Internet
- Airdrop: Share photos, videos and contacts with other iOS users
- Gamecenter: A social gaming centre for apps and online games
- AirPlay: App to broadcast content to a TV or Apple TV
iOS’ importance for mobile marketing
Apple’s iOS operating system is as important in mobile marketing as Android. Because they are the most used operating systems for mobile devices. However, Apple is often criticized: The company would not make it easy to develop apps for iOS by focusing on proprietary software and hardware from third parties.
This should change fundamentally with iOS 8 because Apple announced in 2014 that third-party technologies can now be implemented in order to present users with an ecosystem at the highest technological level. It is now also possible to connect to the iCloud music library (as of April 25, 2016).
In addition to the integration of third-party apps, there are of course fundamental factors that play a role in mobile optimization that should not be neglected when it comes to mobile devices:
- Mobile Sites
- Responsive Themes
- The mobile usability
- the mobile user experience
- short loading times
- and App Store Optimization
These are the keywords that deserve attention when it comes to mobile marketing for iOS devices.