8 Tips To Perfect Your Omnichannel Mobile Marketing Strategy

Before diving into mobile marketing tactics, it’s crucial to take a step back and define your objectives. 

Ask yourself:

• What role do mobile channels play in your broader omnichannel strategy? 
• Are you using mobile to enhance retention, drive in-store traffic, increase app adoption, or improve customer lifetime value? 

Without clear goals, it’s easy to spread your efforts too thin or miss out on impactful opportunities.

Each mobile channel—whether SMS, mobile apps, or mobile wallets—should serve a distinct purpose in the customer lifecycle. Start by identifying the weakest point in your customer journey.

For example:

• If customer churn is an issue, focus on retention strategies like app-exclusive offers or push notifications that encourage repeat purchases.
• If acquisition is your priority, use social ads or email campaigns to drive mobile app downloads or SMS opt-ins.

Remember, every channel you add should integrate seamlessly with your existing touchpoints. Customers don’t think in silos, and neither should you. A well-defined goal ensures that your mobile marketing efforts are targeted, effective, and aligned with the customer experience you want to deliver.

Pro tip: Map out the specific outcomes you want to achieve with each mobile channel and align these with measurable KPIs such as conversion rates, app retention rates, or average order value. This clarity will keep your strategy focused and results-driven.

In the age of hyper-connected consumers, generic messages just don’t cut it anymore. Your mobile marketing strategy should prioritize personalization to deliver tailored experiences that resonate with individual customers. Whether it’s an SMS alert, push notification, or in-app message, personalization is the secret sauce to increasing engagement and building loyalty.

Start by leveraging the rich customer data at your fingertips.

For example:

• If a customer frequently shops for a specific category, send them exclusive offers on products within that category through SMS or app notifications.
• Similarly, use purchase history and browsing behavior to recommend relevant products via mobile app content or inbox messages.

Remember, when it comes to personalization, timing is critical, especially on mobile. A perfectly timed push notification during a customer’s peak shopping hours can drive conversions, while an ill-timed message can lead to app uninstalls or SMS opt-outs.

Pro tip: Combine personalization with automation to scale your efforts. For instance, use triggers like abandoned carts, wishlist activity, or loyalty point updates to send dynamic, personalized messages at the right moment. The more relevant the message, the higher the likelihood of engagement.

SMS remains one of the most powerful tools in your mobile marketing strategy. With 98% open rates and its ability to deliver messages directly to a customer’s personal device, SMS is the go-to channel for real-time, time-sensitive campaigns. But to harness its potential, you must use it strategically.

Time-sensitive messages, like back-in-stock alerts, flash sales, or shipping updates, are ideal for SMS. These are moments when customers appreciate immediacy and are more likely to act quickly. For example, if a high-demand product becomes available again, an SMS with a personalized message and direct link to the product page can drive immediate conversions.

However, the power of SMS comes with a caveat – it’s a highly personal channel. Overuse or irrelevant messaging can lead to opt-outs. Ensure every SMS serves a clear purpose, is personalized to the recipient, and provides value.

Pro tip: Use SMS in combination with other channels for a seamless customer experience. For example, send an SMS to notify customers about a new offer and follow up with an email containing more details or a mobile app notification with related suggestions.

Mobile wallets, like Apple Wallet or Google Pay, offer a seamless way to bridge the gap between online and offline experiences. By incorporating mobile wallet passes into your marketing strategy, you can make loyalty programs, discounts, and event promotions more accessible to customers while reducing friction at every touchpoint.

For example:

• Replace physical loyalty cards with digital passes that customers can easily access from their phones. These passes can include loyalty points, personalized offers, or even geofenced reminders when a customer is near your store.
• Mobile wallets are also perfect for distributing first-purchase discounts or limited-time coupons to encourage in-store visits and purchases.

This channel is particularly effective because of its always-on nature—customers carry their phones everywhere, making mobile wallets an integral part of their daily lives.

Pro tip: Include “Add to Wallet” links in your emails or SMS campaigns to make it simple for customers to save loyalty passes or vouchers. Once added, use push notifications or geofencing to enhance the experience by providing timely reminders or exclusive offers when they’re nearby.

Your app’s first impression can make or break its long-term success. A seamless onboarding process ensures users quickly understand your app’s value, driving early engagement and setting the stage for lasting retention.

Start by guiding users through the app’s key features and benefits in a simple, visually engaging way.

For example:

• Use step-by-step tutorials, pop-ups, or multi-screen flows to highlight essential actions like account creation, permission settings, or how to redeem their first offer. Ensure every step showcases the value of using the app—whether it’s personalized recommendations, exclusive deals, or a smoother checkout process.
• Make sure the onboarding journey isn’t overwhelming. Focus on collecting only the most critical information (like email or push notification permissions) and explain the benefits of providing it. Transparency like this is key to building trust from the start.

Pro tip: Automate a welcome journey with push notifications or emails during the critical first few days after download. Use these messages to remind users of features they may have missed or incentives to make their first purchase. This follow-up ensures users stay engaged beyond the initial session.

Push notifications are a powerful tool to re-engage app users, but their success hinges on striking the right balance between value and frequency. Used effectively, push notifications can drive users back to your app to complete purchases, redeem offers, or explore new features. Misused, they risk overwhelming users and causing them to disable notifications—or worse, delete the app altogether.

Start by ensuring every push notification serves a clear purpose and delivers personalized value. Include dynamic elements like the user’s name, recent activity, or tailored recommendations to make the message feel relevant. 

For example: 

• Generic: “Shop our sale!”
• Personalized: “Melissa, your favorite jeans are now 20% off—shop the sale before it ends!”

Timing is equally important. Analyze user behavior to send notifications when they’re most likely to engage—such as during their peak browsing hours or after they’ve left an item in their cart. Avoid sending multiple notifications in quick succession, as this can frustrate users.

Pro tip: A/B test rich media like images or emojis to make your push notifications stand out. Deep-link notifications to specific app pages to minimize friction and drive immediate action.

A successful mobile marketing strategy doesn’t operate in isolation—it thrives when fully integrated into your broader omnichannel ecosystem. To create seamless customer experiences, you need to connect mobile channels like SMS, push notifications, and in-app messaging with the rest of your marketing efforts, ensuring consistent and personalized interactions at every touchpoint.

For example:

• If a customer receives an email promoting a new loyalty program, a mobile wallet pass should be easily downloadable from their phone, and push notifications can later remind them of loyalty rewards.
• Similarly, SMS messages can complement app notifications by ensuring critical updates, like time-sensitive offers, reach the customer no matter the channel they prefer.

The key is using mobile data to enrich your understanding of each customer. Behavior like app usage patterns, location data, and SMS interactions should flow seamlessly into your CRM or customer engagement platform. This ensures that every channel works together to deliver a unified and relevant experience.

Pro tip: Conduct a regular audit of your data flows to identify any gaps or silos. Invest in tools that allow real-time data sharing across channels, ensuring you always recognize customers as the same individual, whether they’re on your app, email, or in-store.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) can elevate your mobile marketing strategy by enabling highly targeted and predictive campaigns. AI helps you understand customer behavior, anticipate needs, and deliver the right message at the right time—leading to higher engagement, retention, and conversions.

For example:

• AI tools can analyze purchase history and browsing behavior to recommend products through in-app messages or push notifications.
• It can also predict when a customer is likely to churn and trigger re-engagement campaigns, such as personalized discounts or app-exclusive offers.

AI is particularly effective for segmentation. By identifying patterns in customer data, it can group users by their preferences, shopping habits, or likelihood to respond to specific channels like SMS or app notifications. This level of insight ensures that your mobile campaigns are both relevant and timely.

Pro tip: Use AI-powered predictive models to optimize your campaign timing. For instance, send push notifications when customers are most likely to interact based on their past behavior, or offer loyalty rewards before they reach a predicted churn point.

Kirk Donlan is a content marketing manager at Emarsys where he uses his marketing, customer success, and copywriting experience to develop engaging, industry-specific content for marketers and marketing leadership.

Connect with Kirk: LinkedIn