If your business is doing well, but you feel like you could be doing more to bring in new customers, don’t overlook the power of mobile marketing. Cell phones are not just phones anymore, but a ready made avenue for effective advertising if you know how. Here are some basic strategies that you need to be using to stay competitive.

As you begin to integrate mobile marketing into your business plan, there are some key principles to remember before you begin. Just as with any other marketing, careful consideration of your message is key. Your message should be short and to the point. Your audience is only willing to give you a short amount of time to understand your message and respond, so plan your words carefully. Choose words that will get your customers attention and compel them to action. Include an easy to remember SMS code that your customer can use to get more information.

It can also be important to include a link to a mobile version of your business site. If you don’t have a version of your website that is mobile friendly, that is an important chore that you should not put off any longer! More and more, people are looking for product information and making purchases on their mobile phones. A mobile version of your website is an important piece of your mobile marketing campaign. If you are not comfortable setting up a mobile version of your website yourself, it can be worth every penny to have a professional designer do it for you. If this is not manageable, linking to an informational blog or video is another option.

Include your mobile marketing opt in message in all of your marketing, including print advertisements, receipts and, of course, on your business website.

The timing of your message is just as important as your message. Make sure to send your messages at appropriate times. Find a simple time zone map and refer to it before you send out your messages. Don’t take the chance of sending them at dinner time or too late at night. Your customers will appreciate your consideration.

Send a follow-up reminder message before the end of a special sale event or promotion to help your customer remember to take advantage of your offers.

Avoid over-marketing by only sending messages that have high value for the customer.

Make it easy for your subscribers to opt out of you mobile marketing messages. A simple opt out inspires confidence in customers who might otherwise not give it a try.

Re-evaluate your mobile marketing strategies on a regular basis. Don’t be afraid of eliminating types of messages that don’t bring in the response you want. Your campaign will be more successful if you keep track of the promotions and offers that get the most response from your customers.

If you are not taking advantage of mobile marketing to stay in touch with customers and generate new ones to add to your client base, you are missing out on a powerful way to grow your business. Using the basic strategies in the article above will make it simple to improve your overall business plan and generate increased profits for your bottom line.