What Is Mobile Marketing?

Mobile marketing is the practice of connecting with prospects and customers on their smartphones and other mobile devices, such as tablets or smartwatches. It is a multichannel digital marketing strategy that spans multiple communication channels, including text/SMS messaging, email, mobile apps, mobile websites, push notifications, social apps, and other media, Because of its multichannel nature, mobile marketing strategies are often tightly integrated with other marketing programs, such as content marketing and email marketing.

Examples of mobile marketing tactics include:

• In-app advertising campaigns designed to boost awareness of a new product or service launch.
• Text/SMS drip campaigns aimed at increasing mobile conversion and retention, starting with a welcome message to new leads or customers.
• Automated email or text message follow-ups delivered to mobile app users based on their behavior, such as exiting a product page or transaction flow.

Mobile devices are a pervasive part of daily life. According to Pew Research, 81 percent of adults in the U.S. now own a smartphone, and 96 percent have some type of cellphone. A myriad of studies indicate that smartphone users check their devices dozens of times a day and spend a significant amount of time doing so. There are approximately 3.8 billion mobile internet users worldwide—nearly half the global population, according to GSMA. Simply put, if you’re not using mobile marketing, you’re not connecting with people via the largest, most ubiquitous channel of the digital age.