Marketing to the On-the-Go Consumer

With the power of the Smartphone and mobile Internet device, consumers are ready for battle. Daily deals, location-based services, shops, restaurants, events, and more are on their hit-lists. Armed with social networking sites that are faster and more accessible than ever, one wrong move and your small business could be history. So now the question is, are you ready?



Marketing to the on-the-go consumer can be a challenge, especially for small businesses that don’t have a lot of time or resources to dedicate to it. It is important to realize that there is a growing market of consumers that is now accessing everything via their Smartphone or mobile Internet device.



Traditional advertising for small businesses included direct mail, listing in the yellow pages, and community relations. The same basic ideas are still there today, they have simply shifted onto different platforms.



First of all, it is important to find out who your consumer is. The typical on-the-go-consumer is between 18-35 years old, with a disposable income. They spend little time actually talking on their phones, but instead use social networks like Facebook and Twitter to connect with friends and family. Get used to Twitter and Facebook, and learn how to connect with your customers.



Secondly, find out what they like to do. Follow trending topics on Twitter, read blogs, and find events on Facebook. Try creating your own events, and contributing to the online conversation. DON’T BE SPAM. This is the single most important rule. The on-the-go-consumer is tech-savvy, and can spot a piece of spam 32 Gigabytes away. Don’t worry about constantly promoting yourself, instead, try to use your personality, and the personality of your employees to create an online brand for yourself. Nobody enjoys having a conversation with someone who does all the talking, so make sure you take the time to listen.



Lastly, it is important to be transparent. Be honest with your customers, and use your new-found social networking sites to communicate what’s going on with your business. If something exciting happens, share it with them. If something goes wrong and you are unable to run at 100%, let them know why. The on-the-go-consumer will appreciate your honesty more than a fake sounding cover-up.



The best part about marketing to the on-the-go consumer is that if you follow these basic guidelines, you can save yourself a lot of money, and reach this ever-growing market. Remember to stay open-minded: you might even find out something about yourself, or your business that you never knew.