Mobile marketing is a fast-moving beast that requires flexibility, precision and constant attention. However, because there is great potential for growth, many developers and marketers fall into pitfalls that can sabotage their efforts.
To avoid these pitfalls, you need to know what they are: the seven deadly sins of mobile marketing.
Not setting up your analytics frameworks
One of the deadliest sins in mobile marketing is pride, or more specifically, the overconfidence that leads companies to overlook the importance of robust analytics. Without an analytical framework you are flying blind. Pride may make you believe that your instincts are enough to navigate the world of mobile marketing, but in reality, data should always drive your decisions. Yes, guide instead of being completely led to certain actions.
Analytics frameworks allow you to identify Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), track user behavior and optimize campaigns. If you ignore them, you may not even know when your app is underperforming. By refusing to set up comprehensive analyzes from the start, you’re essentially saying, “I don’t need the data; I know what is best.” And in today’s data-driven digital age, that’s a dangerous mindset.
Avoid pride by making analytics a priority and ensuring you have systems in place to monitor installs, engagement, user retention, and even your ad spend. It’s better to admit you need the data than to suffer from ignorance.
Pursuing contemporary trends in a development model
Envy lurks when mobile marketers become obsessed with what competitors are doing, believing that copying their approach will guarantee success. This sin often manifests in blindly following trends, whether it’s a specific ad format, app feature, or marketing channel. While trends can be useful to observe, relying solely on what is “hot” or “trending” leads to a lack of originality and can alienate the audience you currently have.
Successful mobile marketing campaigns are about understanding the needs and wants of your target audience, not about chasing what everyone else is doing. Too often, developers see the success of a competitor’s feature and decide to follow suit without assessing whether it fits their own brand’s theme, message, or tone.
Focus on a development model that fits your unique product and user base. Instead of imitating the competition, create an experience tailored to your audience’s preferences and solve their pain points in ways others can’t.
Failing to track your ROI amid foolish spending
Mindless spending is a hallmark of gluttony in mobile marketing. Too often, developers throw money at ad campaigns without carefully tracking their return on investment (ROI). They buy up advertising space, develop partnerships with influencers and push promotions, all without understanding whether these initiatives are actually doing anything for them.
In mobile marketing, where budgets can quickly spiral out of control, this sin is costly. You may feel the urge to spend more to make an impact, but if you’re not tracking ROI, you’re wasting valuable resources.
Combat gluttony by implementing strict financial supervision. Regularly monitor the performance of each campaign and don’t be afraid to remove poorly performing ads. Be disciplined in your spending and make sure every dollar serves a purpose and contributes to growth.
No test plan
Laziness in mobile marketing often shows up when rigorous testing isn’t done. Whether it’s A/B testing for creative or beta testing for your app, many developers take a “set it and forget it” approach, hoping that their first attempt will go off without a hitch. In reality, no marketing campaign should ever go live without testing.
If you don’t test, you’re missing out on valuable data that can optimize your campaign. Worse still, skipping tests can lead to technical glitches, negative user experiences and lost revenue. Yes, it’s much easier to sit down and relax after a mountain of work, but laziness in this context is the refusal to do the extra work necessary to ensure smooth performance before, during and after your campaign.
No internal review process for your title
Lust in mobile marketing comes in the form of obsessing over external validation without looking inward first. This is often seen in the rush to launch a title without conducting an internal review process. You may feel tempted to impress users, partners, or investors by launching quickly. But without thorough internal reviews, your app could be riddled with bugs, poor UX, or other issues that could have been fixed with a little more time.
Avoid lust by creating an internal review process that involves your team from all departments: development, marketing, quality assurance, and creative departments. This process catches mistakes and ensures your title is polished before it hits the market.
Bleeding crowd dries up
Greed in mobile marketing occurs when developers prioritize extorting money from their users instead of delivering value; a problem that is far too prevalent these days. This can manifest itself in aggressive monetization strategies such as pay-to-win mechanisms, constant push notifications for in-app purchases, or overpriced microtransactions.
Such tactics may generate revenue in the short term, but will ultimately alienate users (especially new ones), resulting in high churn rates. When users feel like they’re bleeding dry, they’ll abandon your app in favor of something more rewarding and wallet-friendly.
Avoid greed by striking a balance between monetization and user experience. Provide meaningful value through premium content or features that enhance gameplay, rather than punishing users for not spending money.
Remember, a satisfied user base will lead to long-term profitability.
Turning mistakes inward and throwing away useful models
Anger arises when marketers respond to failed campaigns by cutting everything out of frustration. It’s tempting to throw the entire model out the window when something goes wrong, but this response often leads to wasted effort.
Failures are inevitable in mobile marketing, but they should be viewed as learning opportunities, not reasons to abandon ship. Anger-based decisions, such as rejecting entire strategies or teams after a setback, keep you from refining your approach and achieving future success.
Resist Wrath by carefully analyzing mistakes. Use them to adjust your strategies and improve future campaigns, rather than throwing away valuable models that may need some tweaking. Every misstep is an opportunity to learn and grow.
By avoiding these seven deadly sins, you can navigate the complexities of mobile marketing with grace and success. Remember, mobile marketing isn’t just about quick profits, it’s also about sustainable growth. Every sin is a potential roadblock, but with careful planning, self-awareness and adaptability you can overcome them and thrive in this competitive landscape.
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