Business owners often get so caught up in product offerings, new service features, and new advertising opportunities that they neglect the strategies that bring potential new customers to them. A major part of digital marketing is understanding consumer psychology and being able to predict how people will use technology to find the products and services they need.
Your message must aligned with several factors: the medium, the technology, the customers’ behaviors, and their intentions.
Mobile motivations
Unless you’re in a line or waiting for a doctor’s appointment, you probably don’t conduct in-depth research on your smartphone or tablet. Most people typically use their mobile devices in short bursts: to see what restaurants look good in the area, to see if a library has a certain book, or to make swift reservations.
These are often in-the-moment, direct decisions. We jump on our mobile browsers with a goal in mind. In the examples above, the motivations are often triggered by the businesses near us. More on that shortly.
Goal-oriented purchasing has been particularly lucrative for companies that provide at-the-moment services, such as ride sharing, dining reservations, or price comparisons. Your organization should study verticals like these and see how they encourage users to check out their services.
Many brick-and-mortar retailers have had to restructure their business models, because competitor listings showed a better price nearby when potential customers did a quick Google search. Understanding user psychology is the first step toward designing winning mobile PPC ads.
Geo targeting
Some businesses are hesitant to limit the geographic scope of their advertisements for fear of losing potential customers. You could be paying for unnecessary coverage, however.
For example, if you provide a product or service that’s only relevant to people who live in humid environments, why would you bother displaying ads to residents of Nevada?
You don’t want to squander your ad campaign funds trying to reach everyone in the world with your mobile PPC ads. So it’s a good idea to test out different geographically based parameters, to see which areas have the highest click and conversion rates.
You can do this easily in your Ad Words control panel by clicking on the “Campaign settings” option. You can limit your ad to users in a single town or city, or add multiple location targets for increased spread.
You’ll also want to modify the text in your ad so it’s relevant to these locations. Collect business intelligence on the competitors based in this area; can you make a value proposition that is more compelling and convenient?
Now when a local customer types in a quick search using keywords related to your product, he or she is more likely to click on your ad instead of visiting that nearby retailer.
Goal-driven mobile ads
As mentioned earlier, we often look to our mobile devices to achieve a goal — such as answering a question, solving a problem, or finding an immediate resource. As you try to craft the perfect mobile PPC ad copy, think of what your product or service can offer to viewers who are experiencing some kind of urgent need.
For example, a transportation company based in congested urban areas might release PPC ads that reads “Skip parking in Capitol Hill, we’ll give you a ride.” If someone is searching for transportation options to this busy area, the ad can help them solve a dilemma and achieve a goal: The customer won’t have to worry about the inconvenience of parking and he or she will reach the desired destination.
A successful marketing campaign is like pulling off a magic trick: It requires knowledge and intuition about the psychology of your audience. Your customers are using smartphones and tablets to complete urgent tasks and address immediate needs.
Geographic ad targeting and goal-based appeals can help you reach the right demographics and increase your mobile PPC campaign success.
