Understanding mobile user usage

Mobile marketing is a growing form of marketing, and with good reason. It is highly personal, and can engage customers very well. However, when used improperly, it can alienate customers just as quickly. Understanding how your consumers use their devices will help you create a mobile marketing plan that works.

1. Which mixture of SMS, email, mobile web, applications, and other mobile channels do they use? Do the market research to determine just how your users are using their mobile devices. Are they playing games? Sending texts? Browsing the web?
2. When are consumers engaging with mobile? What days and day parts show the most activity? It is important to know this because it will allow you to utilize mobile marketing when the user is already engaged on their mobile devices, not interrupting time they prefer to be away from their device, or inconveniencing them in any way.
3. How much time do consumers spend using their mobile devices? This will help you get a feel for how frequently you can send mobile messages, and market to mobile users. It will also help you understand your target market's mobile persona a little better.
4. What are their go-to mobile sites and applications? What are people using their mobile devices for? Which applications are being used, what sites are being visited? Can you see why? What are they doing right?
5. How prevalent is search usage? In your perspective market, or target demographic, how much are they using mobile devices such as smart phones for internet search?
6. How likely are they to use geolocation services? In other words, are you marketing locally, or with a broader viewpoint?
7. How likely are they to play games? Games are often played on mobile devices, can you tap into this? Does your market utilize this mobile function?
8. Do your consumers complete transactions via their device? In other words, are they mobile shopping, banking, etc.? Are they buying apps, music, video, or other media or content via their device?
9. How do your consumers shop on their phones and other mobile devices? If they don't, it is good to know, if they do, define how so that you can provide options that fit the profile.
10. What multimedia consumption is done on mobile devices? Music, video, etc.

The more you know, the more complete your strategy will be, as you will be able to tap into the kinds of mobile messages your audience will be receptive to, the times they will want to hear from you, the frequency, the kinds of good and services you can get them to purchase from their device, and more. It is a world of information, and the more you gather about your mobile audience, the better you will understand their persona and be able to create a campaign that engages that persona type.