Marketers are increasingly interested in mobile marketing, specifically mobile click-to-call. To get some answers to a few of the mobile marketing questions our clients are asking, we reached out to Greg Hickman.
Greg is one of the foremost mobile marketing experts on the web. He directs the mobile strategy for Cabelas and is the creator of the highly touted MobileMixed. He also works as a mobile marketing consultant.
His expertise has been featured in Direct Marketing News, Mobile Marketer, and Mobile Marketing Watch.
Talk about what you do in the mobile industry specifically?
Right now I lead the mobile marketing strategy and product vision for Cabelas, the worlds foremost outfitter. I also and the founder and host of The Mobile Mixed Blog and Podcast. Mobile Mixed is a resource and community teaching small to medium sized businesses how to integrate mobile into their marketing mix. With tons of free content and almost 60 episodes which include actionable tips and insightful interviews, we help businesses generate leads and sales using mobile marketing.
Through coaching programs, consulting and educational training programs we’re on a mission to mobilize as many businesses as possible.
Where is mobile marketing right now and how big will it get?
“Mobile” is a big word that is getting harder and harder to define. There are a lot of aspects to mobile right now from web, SMS, MMS, search, display, push, location based services, video, apps and more….I think it’s less about how big it’s getting and how necessary it is getting.
In today’s world, it’s the consumer that drives how when and where they consume content and as business owners and marketers we really just need to find ways to keep up.
Mobile gives us an opportunity to deliver the most personalized and intimate message to our customers. We’re truly getting closer and closer to delivering the right message to the right customer at the right time and in the right context and that’s going to be the winning combination of delivering high value to your customers and growing your business.
Can you talk about mobile click-to-call specifically? How are companies using it?
Mobile click-to-call is super important as it enables searchers to quickly connect with the business of interest. With a majority of mobile searchers taking action within 1 hour, click to call becomes a very viable option in turning a prospect into a lead.
In it’s very basic use, driving mobile web visitors to call to make appointments or reservations is very powerful. All small businesses should be using this tactic to increase conversion.
What is different between standard search and mobile search?
This line is continuing to blur especially with the announcement of google enhanced campaigns but it’s more about the difference between the searchers vs the search itself. Mobile searchers convert more often based on the level of intent of their search. Mobile searchers also tend to have more of a local mentality using keywords such as “near me” or “denver”. This results in different keyword phrases that drive the traffic compared to traditional desktop.
If you’re a restaurant or bar owner, over 90% of searchers with those respective keywords are coming from mobile devices. Those establishments better have click-to-call setup or incentive to turn that searcher into a lead/customer.
