Each year, there is an increase in the number of people using smartphones. There is also a growing number of people with Internet access. As such, mobile marketing has become a big deal. It instantly became a billion-dollar industry as more people have started pouring their money to have mobile-friendly advertisements.
Unfortunately, not everyone used this money wisely. Some people ended up with huge mistakes and wasted an opportunity to reach out to their target audience. Here are some of the most common mistakes that should be avoided.
Improper use of QR codes
The good thing about QR codes is that they are easy to use. You just have to print the codes and attach them to your printed ads. Those who want to know more information no longer have to type long website links. Instead, they can just scan the codes and they easily redirected to the website.
The key is to find the right placement for the codes. If the codes are not visible or accessible, it would be a huge waste. There are areas that people cannot easily access. Therefore, even if there is a QR codes in the ad, they won’t be able to scan them. For instance, the poster or banner is way too high. At this altitude, cameras don’t have the capacity to scan QR codes. Another example is when you place the codes in a moving vehicle. Unless it comes to a stop, scanning the codes would be impossible. If you really want people to scan the codes and have access to your site, you should make the process easier for them.
Not providing enough promotions
When people shop online, they expect to get something at a lower price. Some of them won’t even mind waiting for a long time to receive the order for as long as they are getting a good price. It is common for most people to keep searching among various options to determine which store can offer the lowest price. As such, your site could end up being scanned for price comparison, but the actual purchase is done elsewhere.
To prevent this from happening, you should not be afraid to offer promotions. Besides, you can ask for something in exchange of the said promotion. For instance, if they check-in before purchasing from your site, they will get discounts. You may also ask them to share the information via their personal social media account and they can also get a discount. You might have sold the products at a lower price but you get free advertising in return. Small things like this can prevent buyers from making purchases in other stores.
Failing to run a mobile-friendly website
At this point, if you are still running a website that does not load well in a mobile device, you are way behind. Some companies have even created apps to make it a lot easier to navigate through the site and make instant purchase. People these days are impatient. If you make them wait before they can open your site, they will close it and search for other options. Again, this is wasted opportunity.
It is not difficult to run a mobile-friendly website. You just need to find the right person to do the job. This will surely encourage more people since they feel comfortable going around the site.
Not giving attention on banner design
When you use banners to advertise online, they have to look good. They need to be attractive enough for people to click. Remember the days when you have started advertising using posters and banners. Back then, you were very careful to not place any irrelevant detail. You won’t even send the draft for printing unless all words were perfectly spelled. The same rule should apply for your online banners. They need to catch attention and they should be error-free.
Let us take custom signs that you obtain from a sign company. You want people to easily identify your business using the signs. You also want to provide more information to them. However, if the signs are unclear or were not well-designed, they won’t be attracted. They will even end up getting confused.
Not targeting the right audience
Even for mobile marketing campaign, you have to be particular with who you are advertising to. You just can’t send the campaign up for posting without necessarily determining the right people to receive them. The problem with some ads is that they are too generic. They can be for anyone even if they are not interested in what you are offering and this is a total waste. Don’t forget to target local audiences who are your direct markets.
Placing your ads everywhere
When it comes to banners and print ads, having a lot of them is a sign that your business is doing well. You can afford to take out a page in a newspaper or a magazine. For online ads, some people might have the same conclusion. However, they might also get annoyed. If your ads keep popping up everywhere, they will feel tired looking at them and would rather close them without getting to know your company more. The message has to be clear. The audience should be well-targeted and the sites where the post is put up must be properly selected.
By avoiding these mistakes, you can make the most out of this campaign. You can ensure that people would be interested in the ads that you have put up.
Grace Rivera is a brand manager and a writer on a sign company in Boulder. When she's not busy, she loves to read novels.