In simple terms mobile marketing is the use of mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones to get your marketing message out to the masses. Now before I break down the various strategies you can use for mobile marketing let me first go over the basics.

Mobile Websites

The majority of websites aren’t mobile ready. They are designed for viewing on laptop and desktop screens. But with so many people now visiting websites from their smartphones and tablets, it is a smart idea for every business to create a mobile version of their site.

And don’t worry, this can be done very easily. Here are 3 ways you can make your website mobile ready.

1 – Reformat your existing content with an automated system.
2 – Use a plug and play platform to create a separate, mobile version of your site.
3 – Add a line of code that can detect the screen size of the device and automatically adjust.

Location Based Platforms

The first step in mobile marketing is to claim your business on various location based sites. The most popular location based sites are Google Places, Facebook Places and Foursquare.

By claiming your business on these sites you will make it easy for your customers to connect with you from their mobile devices. One of the best ways to leverage this platform is to offer special discounts or coupon codes to those who “check in” with your business.

You have to be very creative here. Think outside the box. The more creative the better.

Mobile Ad Campaigns

Mobile ads have become extremely popular these days. Just about every app and every program uses mobile ads. And unlike traditional advertising campaigns, mobile ad campaigns are much more defined. With a traditional ad you have no control over when people will see your ad.

With mobile ads you have the opportunity to reach a potential customer at the very moment they are in your area looking for your particular products or services.

Let me give you an example. Let’s say you own a hair salon. When someone uses their mobile device to search for “hair salons near me” and they happen to be in your area, your mobile ad will pop up. Mobile ads put you in front of your target market better than any other form of marketing.

QR Codes

Have you noticed little black and white squares that resemble barcodes popping up everywhere? These are known as QR, or quick response, codes. They can be scanned by mobile devices and deliver any information you want to the potential customer.

Many businesses will offer coupons to potential customers in a effort to drive up sells. There are plenty of sites online that allow you to create a QR code. And the best part is that you can use it on just about any marketing material you can think of.

As the saying goes, experience is the best teacher. So if you are new to mobile marketing why not try it out for yourself so you can see how effective this form of marketing is? Once you see firsthand how powerful mobile marketing is you will be ready to implement it into your business.

Facebook looks completely different than it did a year ago, so it shouldn’t be surprising that marketing on the social network has also changed a great deal.

The biggest difference is Timeline, the photo-heavy redesign that Facebook herded brands into in March. Though there have been conflicting reports about Timeline’s effect on brand engagement, marketers are realizing that Timeline may not be more effective — but it definitely is different.

_______________________________________________________________

Trend 1:  New, Bigger Pictures

_______________________________________________________________

The success of Pinterest has prompted more emphasis on photos and may be a big influence in Timeline’s design. But consumers are adapting to a more visual web as well. Simply Measured, an analytics firm that measures brand performance on Facebook, found a 65% aggregate jump in engagement for photos and videos that brands posted on their Pages after Timeline. However, engagement for photo-less status updates fell over the same period.

Since Simply Measured looked at just 15 brands, you can take its findings with a grain of salt. However, a Facebook rep confirmed the trend: “Our research shows that posting photos and videos is significantly predictive of shares, comments and likes.”

_______________________________________________________________

Trend 2:  Real Time Data

_______________________________________________________________

Up until now, almost all companies and marketers have been posting and then checking their statistics one day later (if at all).   The

power of the internet is SPEED, and companies that manage their social media efforts this way might as well be using pigeons with little notes taped to their legs.

Facebook’s updated dashboard allows for real time data, and there’s a reason for it.  If one of your posts or stories begins to show signs of life, you should follow it up as fast as possible with sponsored stories ads or additional posts

_______________________________________________________________

Trend 3:  Using the Timeline photo to Promote Stuff

_______________________________________________________________

The Timeline cover photo was never really meant to host a simple corporate logo.   Companies like Subway are using the Timeline to promote in store specials or events on their pages.   The Timeline cover photo is really a fluid thing, it should be changing constantly.   In the picture above, Tide is using their cover photo to promote a social media engagement initiative.   The cover photo is so large and prominent, that it really is the best way to get your message across.

Think of it as a giant and free banner ad.

_______________________________________________________________

Trend 4:   Gamify your Posts

_______________________________________________________________

Increasing fan engagement is the new holy grail of Social Media.   Its not about number of fans anymore, but instead about the number
who interact with you.   If you want a brand to emulate on Facebook, think about Coca-Cola, who has one of the most popular pages on the entire platform.

They have jumped on the new trend of posting riddles and guessing games to get fans to play along.  Its just just about asking for interactions anymore, now you’re teasing people which can be even more powerful.

The most successful auto company on Facebook is Ford Motors, and they have been using this technique very well for some time now.

_______________________________________________________________

Trend 5:  Get Creative with Thank You’s

_______________________________________________________________

Thanking your fans is Social Media 101.   Everybody knows it.   But its also really boring if you’re not the fan thats being thanked.   Recently, Kraft Mac and Cheese figured this out and made an instantly viral video that thanked 4,800 fans for liking their post the week before.  The video servered to thank their fans and entertain everyone else and thanked all 4.800 fans…individually.   A few weeks later, AT&T pounded out no less than 500 videos thanking their fans individually for helping them reach the 2,000,000 mark.