Next time you stop to pick up a cold brew coffee at a cafe, look around. How many people have their noses glued to their smartphone’s screen? Chances are, over half.
64 percent of adults in the United States own a smartphone, according to Pew Research . The point of having a smartphone isn’t to have a device to make calls. It’s a device to connect with the world around you on a deeper level.
For franchises, this presents powerful opportunities to reach new customers in more modern and more effective ways. Here are a few of the ways you can tap into the mobile-centric world we live in to drive more traffic to your franchise.
Understand Mobile User Behavior
Here are a few interesting statistics dug up by Google :
68 percent of mobile device users check their phone within 15 minutes of waking up
82 percent use their phones while buying something in-store
- 91 percent use their phones while in the middle of a task
Without question, people are constantly on their phones. It’s this near addiction to mobile devices that poses new opportunities to franchises.
As you’re planning your next mobile marketing campaign, keep these statistics in mind. For example, if you own a coffee shop franchise, it might benefit you to push a notification with a special promotion from your franchise’s mobile app early in the morning so you’re one of the first things your customer thinks of when she wakes up.
Stay Up on the Trends
Pokemon Go has created quite a stir lately. People of all ages, including many 30-somethings, have downloaded this game that lets you catch virtual Pokemon characters. It uses augmented reality, so in order to capture the Pokemon and battle others, the player must be in the right physical location. That’s brought many mobile users out of their homes and offices and into the real world.
Knowing whether your franchise has a rare Pokemon, is a Pokestop, or is a gym (in the Pokemon sense), can help you draw a crowd. For example, if you have a restaurant franchise that’s also a gym, draw in more people to eat at your restaurant while they play by giving a discount to Pokemon players.
Staying current on trends such as these will enable you to find creative mobile marketing ideas. When something more new and exciting replaces Pokemon Go, your franchise can still benefit by finding creative ways to capitalize on the trend.
Connect Better
Mobile phone users have their phones glued to their hands because the phone is a source of information. Your customer is using her phone to find information about something in the area and something you have to sell. When she searches on her smartphone, what type of information will she find about your franchise?
To form a strong connection from the get-go, you must optimize your website for mobile devices. This serves two purposes:
It makes it easier for your customer to interact with your franchise
- It makes it easier for Google to rank you higher in search results (the search engine giant heavily favors mobile friendly websites)
Look at your franchise’s website through the lens of a mobile user wanting to engage with your business. For example, is it easy to schedule an appointment with you if you have a beauty franchise ? Use this filter as a way to improve the smartphone user’s experience and you’ll make it easier for potential customers to engage with your business.
The Gist
Mobile users are constantly plugged into their surroundings. By getting to know mobile user’s behavior, optimizing your business’s online presence, and capitalizing on new trends, you can drive more traffic to your franchise.
Susan Payton is the President of Egg Marketing & Communications, a marketing firm specializing in content writing and social media management. She’s written three business books, including How to Get More Customers With Press Releases, and frequently blogs about small business and marketing on sites including Forbes, AllBusiness, The Marketing Eggspert Blog, and Tweak Your Biz. Follow her on Twitter @eggmarketing.