Mobile strategies are highly valuable because of their ability to directly reach customers. It is tempting, then to make the majority of your messages direct-sales focused. Unfortunately, there is almost no better way to have your mobile message undermined and eventually ignored.

A far better strategy for most businesses is to create a mobile community. Imagine the value for you brand if customers actually look forward to receiving direct messages from you on their mobile devices? Fortunately, this goal is not out of reach, and a few simple steps can help you create a thriving mobile fan base.

1. Focus on Human Contact

Do you like being talked to by a robot? Loooove getting an automated message instead of a real human on the phone? Neither do your customers, and the feeling translates even more so to the direct messaging capabilities of a mobile offering. Messages without human elements come across as annoying and eventually downright obtrusive. On the other hand, messages and offers that read like they’re coming from a human being with a personality will foster real connections with your customers. Don’t be afraid to toss in some humor, opinions or excitement in your mobile messaging. Your customers will thank you for it.

2. Reduce Frequency, Increase Value

Unlike a presence on a social network, mobile communities do not thrive on constant interaction. Rather, they appreciate the knowledge that whenever they receive a message it will include some particularly exciting or valuable piece of information. How much is too much? That depends on how much real value your business has to offer. For “promotion” type deals that generally amounts to just a few messages per week. However, if you regularly feature events, contests, or other interactive types of engagement then you should definitely update your mobile audience as often as needed!

3. Capitalize on Real Time

It is tricky to layout a blueprint for a real-time engagement strategy, primarily because the very nature of real-time is ever-changing! Still, it is important to remember this: you have a direct line to your customers that will let you reach them in real time. Use that to your advantage whenever possible. Obviously, great times to do this are when you have a festival or other major event that lends itself to time-based promotion. However, that is just the tip of the iceberg. The more creative your real-time engagement, the more excited your customers will be, and the more value you can derive from your direct messaging and promos.

These steps will help you to begin down the journey of creating a community that will exponentially increase the value of your mobile strategy. These tips are fairly general, so we would love to hear your comments about some of your specific strategies that you’ve used to connect with your customers!