by Ginny Soskey
Most lead generation tactics are straightforward. You create a piece of content to live behind a form on a landing page -- also known as an offer -- and then you promote the heck out of it through your blog, social media accounts, and email marketing. People fill out the form, get the offer, and ta-da! They become a lead.
But we're missing a piece of the puzzle that makes lead generation not as straightforward: mobile visitors.
Because of the way that people behave on their mobile devices, your lead generation strategy has to be adjusted. You don't necessarily need to create brand new content for a mobile-only audience -- you just have to tweak what you already have for desktop for mobile experiences.
To help you figure out what to tweak, check out the six tactics below you can implement to optimize your content for mobile lead generation.
1) Employ Progressive Profiling Forms
Filling out forms while on a mobile device can be extremely frustrating. The fields are usually too small, and you end up clicking the wrong line. Also, the forms are usually much longer than you want them to be. And let’s be honest, as a user, because of these limitations, you will likely turn to another website that doesn’t require such an intensive user experience.
But as marketers, we don’t want to get rid of a form, so what should we do? That’s where progressive profiling comes in.
Progressive profiling allows you replace form fields that have already been filled out the next time a lead visits your website. That way, you can space out how much information you're collecting at once and make your forms shorter. Bonus: By hosting progressive forms on your web content, you optimize your mobile presence for higher conversions.
2) Create Simple Calls-to-Action
When creating CTAs for your website, think about how they will appear on different devices. From a design standpoint, you may not want something visually heavy as that could be distracting on the small screen of a mobile device or tablet. But you do want an image with clear, readable text. The text itself should also be short yet action-oriented -- like all CTAs -- so that it's not taking up too much of the page on a small screen.
Check out IMPACT Branding & Design's new homepage below to see great mobile call-to-actions in action. The CTAs have concise and actionable copy, and they are easy to notice and click on -- even with my chubby, uncoordinated fingers.
3) Provide Discounts and Customer Loyalty
Another way to optimize your mobile presence is through discounts and promotions that will be redeemed through mobile devices. This can be in the form of promo codes, customer loyalty discounts, or even on-location specials.
Let’s take Kings, an entertainment facility with bowling lanes, pool tables, bars, and a full-service restaurant in Boston, as an example. Kings makes it clear to customers entering the facility that if they like the Kings Facebook Page, they will receive free shoe rentals for that day. So of course, many customers pull out their mobile device, go to Facebook, and like the Kings page.
With this strategy, Kings created a small, but effective, sense of loyalty with its customers by having them like its Facebook page with their mobile devices. After they do that, the Kings social media team can nurture their new Facebook leads and keep them coming back to the business.
4) Optimize Content for a Mobile Screen
Think about the situations and places you've been in when you pull out your phone to read an article or check your email.
Typically, you only have a few minutes and are trying to kill time. You may be waiting for the next subway to come or at the doctor’s office. Either way, you only have a short period of time to consume the content, and you don’t want the content flooded with filler words and fluff. When you know you are writing for a mobile audience, there are a few rules to live by.
First, frontload your content with links to lead generation content in case people do not get to the bottom of the article. Don’t put the punch line of the article in the last line. Make sure people understand the purpose of the article from the start.
Next, make the content easy to digest. Bold your headlines. Make them short and tweetable. Do not write for the purpose of writing flowing, lengthy prose -- write concisely.
Finally, test different content types to see what performs best on mobile. Does your audience like lists? Do they like “how-to” articles? What are they most likely to fully read, especially on a mobile device? Gather results, and then ramp up creating more content that your mobile visitors like.
5) Make Your Phone Number Clickable
When someone picks up their mobile phone, they are going to take an action. Whether that’s opening an app, searching for a company, or simply texting a friend, they are much more action-oriented when on their phone versus a tablet or desktop computer where they can casually browse.
Knowing this, consider how you can get your potential visitors to the point of conversion faster and easier. One technique is making sure your phone number is clickable on your website. By doing so, your customers do not have to copy and paste or memorize your phone number -- they just click on it and are instantly dialing.
Remember that the fewer clicks you need to complete an action, the more likely you will have someone complete an action rather than bouncing off your site.
If I want to call the Cheesecake Factory, for example, all I need to do is click the number on their website, shown below. The option to call immediately pops up, making it easier for me to complete the call.
6) Try a Simple Text Campaign
In addition to optimizing your experience for mobile, mobile devices also open the opportunity to start text message campaigns. While marketers have grown accustomed to channels such as email or apps for mobile marketing, there is still room for growth in the SMS channel.
Let’s take Van Heusen as an example. I was in the store with my mom when I saw a sign to automatically get $5 off my purchase if I just texted them. My mother then asked me to text the number so she could get the discount. Since then, Van Heusen has been alerting me once a month (which isn’t a lot) when it has a new discount or deal.
As someone who had never shopped there, these texts continue to nurture me and even led to me to go back and buy from them for the first time. While I was once a prospect simply in the store because of my mother, the company’s text message campaign converted me into a lead and, soon after, a customer. Pretty cool, right?
Generating leads through mobile isn't impossible. By modifying your marketing slightly, you can make your mobile experience enjoyable for your users, and maybe even bring more leads into your business. What's not to like?
Want more mobile marketing tips and real-life examples from brands? Download our free guide on How to Generate Leads With Mobile Marketing.
