Contributor Jayson DeMers writes about how businesses can increase customer engagement and sales with mobile marketing in the article “4 Mobile Marketing Strategies That Will Boost Engagement And Sales,” featured on Forbes’ website.

“Beyond simply having a mobile-optimized site or app,” writes DeMers in the article, “which strategies are most likely to improve user experience, while also boosting sales?”

To help answer this question, DeMers continues in the article by offering the following four mobile marketing strategies:

• Micro-moments. More users are turning to their mobile devices for quick, bite-sized and straight-to-the-point information. In fact, DeMers explains in the article that Google has a term for this type of information: “micro-moments.” The search engine has identified four types of micro-moments businesses should be aware of: I-want-to-know moments, I-want-to-go moments, I-want-to-do moments and I-want-to-buy moments. “In order to optimize for these moments, business owners need to anticipate ahead of time what their customers are likely to need, then create content that perfectly fulfills those queries,” he advises in the article.
• QR codes. A easy way to provide fast information to mobile users is by using QR codes, which is also great for quickly targeting those I-want-to-buy micro-moments. “Whatever you’re using QR codes for, they should ideally act as shortcuts for getting valuable information into the hands of your customers and prospects,” asserts DeMers in the article. “Generally speaking, they shouldn’t take your customers to your home page, but rather to very specific, targeted content.”
• Hyperlocal marketing. Today, more people turn to their mobile devices for location-specific inquiries — and not just for citywide information. Users are also searching for hyperlocal information, such as specific neighborhoods or streets. Make sure to capitalize on these searches. “Hyperlocal marketing can not only help boost local sales, it can help you build your brand’s reputation in your community,” says DeMers in the article. “As local users see your content, listings and ads, they’ll become more familiar with your brand, leading to increased local brand recognition, trust and sales.”
• SMS (short message service). SMS, or text, marketing is a great way to target your customers. DeMers reports findings from Venture Beat in the article, which found that the open rate for text-based promotions is 98 percent; whereas for traditional email campaigns, the open rate is around 20 percent, he adds. Likewise, DeMers notes statistics from SlickText in the article, which found that the average click-through rate (CTR) for text marketing messages is about 36 percent, which compares to roughly six to seven percent for email. With these statistics in mind, consider SMS marketing for your business. In the article DeMers suggests four ways to utilize this marketing approach: by offering a valuable incentive for signing up, by publicizing sales and events, by sending appointment reminders for service-based businesses and by conducting customer surveys.

Read the entire article on mobile marketing strategies here.