[column] Marlene Mutimawase: The marketing language you should know!

The mobile industry in Sub-Saharan Africa continues to play a crucial role especially in marketing and communication. There is a significant increase in user in the next 5 years. The research conducted by GSMA indicated that 615M people in Sub-Saharan Africa will subscribe to mobile services by 2025, equivalent to 50% of the region’s population. 

Consumers today are spending more time on their smartphones, which has increased shopping through mobile devices. Hence, brands must adapt to these times and create strategies to serve mobile-device-obsessed customers efficiently. Additionally, the pandemic has significantly increased the adoption of mobile apps in the company’s digital transformation.

Mobile marketing has multiple benefits for companies, irrespective of the segment they operate in, including reaching out to new audiences in an effective, fast, and cost-efficient manner. Here are some terms and language used in Mobile marketing for more attraction of users and generating benefits from this kind of marketing:

In-App Purchase

In-app purchases are a highly quantifiable revenue metric that app developers can use to monetize their mobile applications effectively. This method works well when the marketers keep their app free to download, but the users pay to use the additional features on the app that increase their app experience and engagement. For example, mobile game apps are the biggest beneficiary of in-app purchases. They allow the user to play the game for free, and as they get hooked to it, they are offered various packages to improve their gaming experience. It can be either in the form of getting more lives, access to upgraded tools, unlocking new levels, etc.

App Monetization

App monetization is a method through which app developers generate revenue by leveraging their user base on the app. The app developer can monetize the app through various modes like selling the consumer data to advertisers or asking the users to pay upfront to access the exclusive features of the application. In-app purchases, in-app advertising, and subscription models are other popular ways the publisher monetizes their mobile application.

App Store Optimization

The process of optimizing mobile apps to rank higher in the Play Store and App Store to improve their visibility, increase conversion, and fuel downloads is called app store optimization. The app needs to be optimized to appear in the top search listings, enabling it to reach a vast base of the potential audience and give the app massive exposure. App developers should clearly understand the most crucial search keywords to rank the app because the better your app ranks, the better its reach. In addition, while optimization is essential, the app must be well presented to the user to make them install it on their phones.

Mobile Commerce

 Popularly known as Mobile commerce, or m-commerce, refers to any commercial transaction over mobiles. It will continue to see exponential growth going into 2023 as more consumers use their smartphones to shop online. As a result, experts believe that m-commerce will take a significant share in the overall internet marketing pie in 2022, and marketers will have to keep improving the customer experience on mobiles because no reason suggests that mobile commerce will slow down in the coming years. Therefore, any brand looking to capture the mobile-first audience should have an app that is easy to navigate and provides a more remarkable customer experience.

In-App Messaging

While push notification tempts the user to open the app, in-app messaging delivers messages when the user is browsing the app. Also, you do not need the permission of users to send in-app messages, unlike the push notifications where the user has to opt-in for the service. Brands can inform their users about the new app features, announcements regarding app updates, and promotional messages to drive in-app purchases through in-app messaging. They can also send tailor-made personalized messages and offers by understanding the user’s browsing behavior.

Push Notification

Push notifications are messages delivered on the user’s mobile home screen when not using the application. This technique effectively drives latent users back to the mobile application. App developers should use push notifications to regularly update their customers about recent developments like new products,  sales, and promotions running at their online stores. T his will help you build excitement around the brand and ensure your app is on top of mind when the customer’s purchase intent is high. Moreover, marketers should create personalized notifications for the shoppers based on their past purchase behavior and shopping history.

Mobile marketing enables businesses to reach mobile users in specific locations and adapt their marketing campaigns and messaging accordingly. Geographic targeting is a critical advantage for any business to have since people carry their smartphones with them as they travel and visit different locations. To understand the languages used is very crucial not only to reach more users but also to make your content catchy and attractive.