Many entrepreneurs who have managed to achieve a certain level of success have done so by recognizing the key is in the palm of their hand. Mobile technology – the smartphones and tablets as well as the software and wireless networks underneath – has proven a game changer for getting the word out about products and services. What was once a time-consuming and oftentimes costly matter of launching wide-reaching campaigns, wherein a modest return-on-investment was an optimistic expectation, today’s entrepreneurs can essentially cut through the clutter and optimize their outreach via mobile tech.
Here’s how:
Live demonstrations
In an ironic way, mobile technology has helped improve one of the most traditional and time-tested ways of marketing a product or service to the public: live demonstrations. By using a mobile event app during a live engagement, entrepreneurs are able to bring the entire audience on stage without making them get out of their seats. They can use the app to examine the product or service up-close as well as provide feedback in real time. While traditional live marketing engagements are limited by their linear nature, mobile apps allow for audience members to explore the new release at their own pace and revisit key aspects as many times as needed. Furthermore, this mobile tech has the added benefit of giving entrepreneurs useful analytics for refining their efforts.
Up close and personal
Today’s entrepreneurs can count on mobile technology to help consumers get up close and personal to products and service wherever they are. The showrooms and window dressing of yesteryear have been replaced with videos and image galleries. While this has been ongoing for longer than smartphones and tablets have been around, the ability to scroll through photos of a product while riding the bus to work or read content about a service as you wait in line at the store has greatly expanded the opportunities for entrepreneurs to reach potential customers.
Mobile ads
We would be remiss if we didn’t discuss the elephant in the room when it comes to the intersection of mobile technology and marketing: mobile advertising. Whether it’s geo-specific targeting or other forms of hyper-focused outreach based on data and algorithms, these avenues are highly lucrative options for entrepreneurs on a tight budget and essential parts of an overall push to be more mobile friendly as a business. With that said, mobile advertising is a delicate art if the goal is to entice with alienating the person on the other end. If entrepreneurs overplay their hand and overwhelm their market with mobile ads, they’ll manage to inadvertently do marketing for ad blocker services.
Virtual augmentation
Lastly, mobile tech is paving the way for a future where products and services can be pseudo-sampled before purchase, achieved in a virtual setting. In fact thanks to augmented reality, such marketing tactics are already taking shape. Furniture retailers, for example, can let online shoppers use their smartphone cameras combined with an app to get a glimpse of what a sofa or loveseat would look like in their living room.
There is no denying the role mobile technology is playing in the development of new and exciting products and services. Mobile tech is also playing a vital role in the marketing of these offerings. Entrepreneurs need to be prepared to harness the power of mobile tech in their efforts to reach their target markets. Their futures depend on it.
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