In the world of advertising, the decks are stacked against the little guy. But there is a window of opportunity to beat the David and Goliath mentality that a majority of small business owners are not capitalizing on. Mobile Advertising.
Mike Brooks, president and CEO of Nuclear Chowder Marketing tells BlackEnterprise.com, “Mobile advertising demands the advertiser be flexible, fragmented and fast. Where TV is a set it and forget it predictable advertising method for big brands like AT&T, mobile demands a much more labor-intensive approach”
It’s no secret that mobile should soon pass TV as screen of choice – you’ve got to put your money where your eyes are. People sleep with their phones, the time is now. Take a look at some of these numbers from business2community.com.
Seventy-two percent of smartphone owners use their devices while consuming other media. Ninety-three percent of smartphone owners use their phones at home. Eighty-one percent browse the internet. Sixty-eight percent use apps and 48% watch videos on their phones.
Here’s why mobile apps the best solution for small biz advertising:
Cost.
For big brands and big corps, it can cost hundreds of thousands to build an effective mobile app. That’s expensive even for big businesses and a pipe dream for small biz owners. But here’s why it’s great news for a small biz owner. It’s cheaper for you. Big corporations always have to spend more money to accomplish similar things.
Brooks cites Starbucks as an example,”You download their app and upload your credit card number. Inside Starbucks you open the app, hold up a bar-code they scan your phone and you pay for your coffee without having to reach for your wallet.”
He says, “It costs more money for Starbucks to create this app because they’ve got a sophisticated order system in their facility tied into their purchasing system. The level of expectation is higher than a regular mom and pop cafe. A small business can spend just a thousand dollars to create their app because they don’t need to crack into their payment system, they don’t need the same functionality as a Starbucks”.
Flexibility
Brooks says, “Big businesses tend to move slower with technology. On the internet, search engine optimization was a huge boon for small business that big business wasn’t taking advantage of at the time. So was Facebook for small businesses that jumped into it early. Small businesses always have opportunities that crop up throughout modern history with technology. Big corps just don’t have their type of flexibility.”
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First Come, First served
Users who download your app want to hear from you. That’s why they have you on their phones in the first place. You have to strike while the iron is hot to capitalize on this advantage.
Brooks says, “We are still in the early adopter phase for mobile app advertising. With Internet technology, there’s phases that happen as things proliferate. When Facebook was coming on the scene it was a less crowded market place. Fast forward to today, the window of opportunity for Facebook is gone – because every business has a Facebook page — when everybody is doing it, it’s just harder to breakthrough.”
Think about a world where every single small business has a mobile app. There are only so many apps a consumer is going to download. Be one of the first.
Social Media expert Karla Ovalle, says “A few years ago I would mindlessly click ‘Like’ on a Facebook page while surfing the web. These days I’m a lot more conscious about what I like on Facebook. It’s the same with most people.”
Brooks agrees. “It’s going to be harder to sell a user on a mobile app in two or three years just like now it’s harder to get people to like a Facebook page. The windows of opportunity are right now. Mobile apps are a huge opportunity for the early adopter. Businesses that are smart, who get into it now will have an easier time getting their users to download a phone app today than they will in two or three years.”
Visibility
When a consumer downloads your app, they’ll see your ads every time. It’s called Push Notification. Brooks explains it this way. “Best part is that they want these messages sent to them from you. So they are more likely to consume the advertising message than with typical interruption marketing methods. It’s is a home run”.
Intimacy
People use their phones for personal messages and conversations. An ad tailored to expectations or needs conveys a sense of intimacy and helps you get repeat business. Focus on low-pressure pitches and maintain a sense of friendliness with your customers.