Mobile marketing is a lot like online dating so treat it like that. Many of the same principles of success apply to both. Think of your users as individuals you need to consistently court and stay away from these “kiss of death” mistakes. It’s critical that you avoid these 5 costly mistakes with mobile marketing!
Don’t be creepy!
Like in the online dating pool, there are multiple ways to 
turn people off in your mobile marketing tactics. For instance, personalized messages have been shown to deliver better engagement, but there is a level of intensity that can become too much. For many consumers, including their first name in a push notification can be fine, but bringing up an ancient search they did on your app may cross the proverbial line.
You have to find your optimal balance of personalization using A/B testing to find the right level of engagement, and to ensure that you aren’t scaring away users.
Don’t keep calling!
Just like dating, consumers can tell when you want it too much. Don’t send too many push notifications, especially if there’s no reciprocation. How many is too many, you ask? It depends on the use case.
A news app can easily get by with ten push notifications a day, whereas a shopping app may cross the line even with one coupon a day.
Traditionally, marketers have had to rely on their gut when deciding how many push notifications are too many. Now, data can be gathered from running A/B tests (and measuring actual engagement), notification opt-out and app uninstall rates to make that call.
In the real world, you know when a date is not returning your texts; the same is true for mobile apps.
Consider the hour!
What is the first thought that pops into your head when you get a message from an online match at 12 a.m.? A little too eager? Timing matters in online dating and mobile marketing. It can have a huge impact on how someone interprets and responds to your messages.
If you disrupt a consumer during an inconvenient time — during their sleep hours, for instance — it demonstrates that you don’t understand or don’t value their schedule. Now, imagine having dates in every time zone around the world. This is the challenge that marketers are faced with every day when they communicate with their mobile customers.
It’s helpful when marketers check to make sure they’re sending users notifications when they’re awake, but marketing professionals can gain the most by relying on tools that predict the optimal time for an individual user to receive a message.
Switch it up!
How successful is the “Did it hurt when you fell from heaven” pick-up line? It doesn’t work well. The same applies for marketing messages. You won’t know what’s effective until you try something new. It’s also important, however, to test other elements of how your present yourself.
On your dating profile, for example, that could mean switching your picture. On mobile apps, it means optimizing your interface, trying out different content, colors and fonts and user flows.
You have to evolve and innovate in the mobile world, and when it comes to mobile marketing, this must include A/B testing to determine what makes or breaks engagement with your user.
Get past the one-night stand!
Like booking a first date, effective acquisition programs can get your foot in the door for that first meeting. But, on average, three out of ten users will likely use your app only once, according to Leanplum’s data. Don’t let these engagements die and become missed opportunities to gain a customer and build brand loyalty.
To make sure you never let a prospect slip through the cracks, have automated technology in place to rescue those who withdraw from using the app.
The same goes for actions within your app, an item left in a shopping cart with no checkout, for example. To close the deal, you can leverage mobile marketing automation to re-engage the individual in a way that’s fresh and remind them what they left behind.
That can be accomplished through a gentle prompt, a new offer on the items in their cart or a promotion that will pique their interest.
Like online dating, mobile marketing requires respecting and understanding your user while putting on your best face for them, courting them to become brand evangelists and not just one-time users. What you’re aiming for is not just a transaction, but, rather, a relationship, one that lasts longer than just one date.
When we’re not working or holding a face-to-face conversation, our staff is always on our phones, but not for the reasons you think! To us, tweaks, testing, clients and handling business on-the-go outranks endless texting and snap-chatting. We love to help so feel free to reach out to us!
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