Three marketing strategies which are currently having the most impact in digital marketing are social media, location-based marketing and mobile commerce. When you combine those three strategies together, you develop an even more powerful marketing strategy. This is called SoLoMo – Social + Local + Mobile.
SoLoMo represents a fantastic opportunity for businesses to attract more customers, boost sales and improve customer experience. When you examine the trends in marketing, you can see the potential of SoLoMo. For example, more and more people today are making decisions bases on indicators through social media. Now, mobile devices are used more frequently to search the internet than from desktops.
So what exactly is SoLoMo and how can it boost the success of your business?
What Exactly SoLoMo Is
Social
More and more consumers are now making purchased based on reviews and recommendations that they have read on social media. Research shows that over 70% of people will buy a product based on recommendations by someone in their social network.
Local
Most mobile devices use location-based services. There is also a rising trend for consumers to use mobile devices rather than desktops or laptops, even when they are at home. So mobile marketing isn't just for when someone is out and about and looking for a product.
Research shows that most people buy services and products from businesses within 15 miles of their home. So, local doesn't just mean a small independent coffee shop. Large multi-nationals are also using location-based advertising to drive up sales.
Many people are more open to receiving push messages or promotional SMS messages if the information in them are relevant to them and their location. This opens up a large potential for local business promotion.
Mobile
As already stated here, mobile internet use is now much more popular than sitting at a desktop or laptop computer. Because SoLoMo is more based on apps, it almost completely removes the need to browse the web. Here is how mobile apps can be used to drive sales through SoLoMo:
- Advertising. More money is now spent on digital mobile advertising than for desktops. This means that there is a massive potential to boost the online presence of a business.
- Payments. Now mobile phones have taken on the role of a digital wallet. More and more people are using apps to make payments in-store.
- Coupons. Coupons can be sent to customers to entice them into the shop, make a purchase, or get a 'like' on social media.
- More sales. Studies show that 4 out of 5 online searches on a mobile device results in a purchase. More people will more readily visit a shop after conducting a search online.
Why SoLoMo is Important for your Business
With the rise in the use of mobile devices, no business can afford to ignore them. The trends in using social media combined with mobile marketing will continue to grow and become more relevant as time passes. With this in mind, each business has to develop a concrete SoLoMo marketing strategy.
How Can a SoLoMo Marketing Strategy Be Developed?
At the heart of a SoLoMo marketing strategy must be the customer. This requires that any kind of marketing strategy needs to focus more on customer experience rather than pushing products.
What customers are now looking for is content and information that is relevant to them and that is backed up by strong social signals. To do this you need to think like your typical customer. Identify any parts of the customer experience that can be improved, then work on improving them.
What Mistakes Should You Avoid With Social Marketing?
There are some pitfalls to avoid if you want to make sure that SoLoMo will work for you. After all, this is a new and emerging marketing strategy and it may not always be clear what works and what doesn't. However, here are 3 mistakes you should definitely avoid:
- Not having a social media plan. The plan should be to establish what your brand will be on social media. Work out the type of messages will be posted, by whom, and the frequency of posting.
- Talking too much. In other words, always pushing your products. Use social media to 'listen' to what others are saying and then join in on the conversations. Always give customers a reason to connect with you socially.
- Keep fresh. Make sure that all the links and pictures on your social media sites are up to date and relevant. Post regularly, but not too often.
How to use SoLoMo for Your Business
When you decide that SoLoMo is the best marketing strategy for your business, you need to know how to implement this properly. This will give you to give you the edge on your other local competitors who are also vying for your customers.
What should be the first steps to make sure that your business is SoLoMo ready?
- Make sure your website is mobile-friendly. This is very important, especially if you don't yet have a mobile app for your business. The page should be mobile responsive. From February 2016 businesses can make use of Accelerated Mobile Pages. This is a great way to streamline content for mobile devices.
- Accurate NAP (name, address, and phone). This may sound obvious, but many businesses forget to make sure that their name, address and phone number is consistent in all social media platforms and websites.
- Use Google My Business. Most internet searches are done using Google's search engine. Make sure that you have a presence there, and your business will show up in local searches and on Google maps.
- Advertise on mobile apps. It is possible to advertise on apps like Foursquare which will push notifications to potential customers who are nearby.
- Regularly post local content. If possible, regularly post blogs mentioning events and activities that have a local interest.
- Have a mobile app. An app can make the customer experience much better than browsing the internet. This can help you shorten the gap between customer and making a sale.
By doing that, you can make sure that SoLoMo marketing techniques will work for your business and increase your customer base.
In conclusion
The power of social media, location-based advertising and mobile marketing can't be dismissed. Mobile commerce is here to stay and all the trends point to it becoming even more popular. SoLoMo is a very important marketing strategy for your business.
