Are your campaigns mobile-ready?

According to the 2012 Trucking Connectivity Report more than 65% of drivers access the internet via mobile devices at least once a day. More than 72% of owner-operators and 77% of fleet executives  reported the same.

Whoever you’re wanting to reach in the trucking industry, odds are they are getting online, checking their emails, updating social media accounts, and using search engines to do research with their smartphones and tablets.

What does this mean for the marketer? It is  no surprise to you that your market is becoming increasingly mobile. But what does this mean for your many different campaigns?

 

[icon icon=”search”]SEM Campaigns

If you are in a recruiting role and want phone calls, it is wise to set your campaign to mobile-preferred. This sets your budget to bid higher for searches originating from mobile devices. You can’t exclude desktop searches, just place a higher value on those coming from smartphones.

Don’t forget to use a click-to-call feature on your text ads. Prospects are much more likely to call when this option is given to them. In addition, you should use a tracking number, enabling you to document what campaign and geo-targeted area the call originated from.

There is no set equation for what  type of campaign will give you the most bang for your buck. The advantage of PPC is the ability to move things around and see what works best for you.

[icon icon=”globe”]Display Campaigns

While you can’t run an exclusively mobile banner campaign, there are few things you need to do that allow your banners to be effective on the mobile front.

Creatively, you need a 320 x 50 banner for mobile display.  This is the only size banner that will work on mobile devices. And once again if you want phone calls, include a click-to-call feature that uses a tracking number. Always include a call-to-action. Your call to action should have a sense of urgency about it. “Apply Here” will receive far less clicks than “Apply Now.”

Clicks resulting from mobile banners tend to have a higher bounce rate but a lower cost-per-click. One way to cut down on bounce rates is to exclude apps from your display campaign. Most clicks resulting from apps are accidental and receive immediate bounces.

[icon icon=”unread”]Email Marketing

This goes for all devices, but don’t load your emails with images. Images don’t load automatically, meaning no one sees anything  but a bunch of unloaded images. On a mobile device this is especially distracting and increases the likelihood of the email being deleted.

Considering your audience, it may be prudent to create a mobile version of your email. Many email and marketing automation services do this automatically. The main concern is ensuring your message is easily consumed on a mobile device. If the reader is forced to scroll and shrink the screen, odds are they won’t continue reading.

[icon icon=”phone”]App Development

Apps can be used in many capacities. Driver retention, sales tool, and product showcase are just few ways to use apps and create brand loyalty.

There are many things to consider when creating an app. First you must decide what type of app suits your needs. We won’t get into the differences between native, hybrid, and web-based apps. If you want to find out the advantages of each, visit here.

Next you need to decide which platform(s) your app should operate on. If you have the budget, you may be able to create versions of your app for the different operating platforms, but here are some things to consider.

If an app is going to be for internal use by a sales team, you might consider optimizing the app for tablet use on one operating platform ( i.e. ios on an iPad).

On the other hand, android is the number one operating platform used by drivers. An app created for  driver retention that would be downloaded on personal devices needs to have an android version.

Essentially, choosing the parameters of your app factors in everything that makes your situation unique. Who will use it? What is your budget? In what capacity will the app be used? Consider these carefully before launching into the app world.

 

Being “mobile-ready” is essential to success in the new age of marketing. Take a look at your current mobile efforts and decide if you’re mobile-ready.