As far as I am concerned, writes Matthew Winters, the chief executive of Veoo, every marketer — mobile or otherwise — should be data-driven, so hopefully the title of this article hasn’t put you off! Paying attention to data analytics is the ultimate way of measuring the results of a marketing campaign, guiding you into making smart choices about future marketing strategies to ensure your messages are not falling on deaf ears – and mobile is no exception.

The fabulous thing about mobile marketing is that, no matter what type of campaign you run, there is always going to be some really valuable data available at your fingertips as a result. The key is in understanding what exactly it is that you should be paying attention to. But don’t worry, that’s where Veoo comes in. Below is our list of the most important analytics to observe as you dive into the world of successful mobile marketing:

1. Subscriber numbers

It doesn’t take a data genius to work out that, the larger your mobile database, the more potential customers you can reach. The goal is that over time, you steadily grow your database. But if you’ve been at it for a while and those subscriber numbers still aren’t growing, it may be worth looking at the following potential issues:

• What’s your signup offer? Consumers want value, so give them a coupon or promotion.
• How often are you sending promotions? Whilst customers value these, too many can lead to unsubscribes.
• Where do you promote signup? For retail, doing this at the checkout is the best place.

2. Redemption rate

For any promotion or coupon given out, you need to keep track of how many people took you up on the offer. Whether it’s a text offer, a geofenced coupon, or a mobile wallet loyalty promotion, your mobile marketing platform should be able to give you conversion numbers that help you understand the success of a given campaign.

Note: If you use a coupon code via text, ensure that your salespeople know to enter the code into your point-of-sale system so that it can be tracked.

The data you gather from mobile marketing campaigns is invaluable, but sometimes the number of redemptions isn’t actually the best measure of success. Let’s say, for example, you have two promotions:

• Buy one get one free
• 15% off a purchase

Whilst you may see more people redeem the BOGOF offer, it could be the case that there are actually higher average transaction numbers for the 15% off purchase. In the long run, what this means is that it is actually more beneficial to have fewer people redeem an offer if it means they spend more in your store. With that in mind, and thanks to the data, you can plan future campaigns to take advantage of this fact. You could even set a threshold amount to qualify for an offer, such as “spend £50 and save £10” so that you guarantee a minimum transaction amount.

3. Proximity conversion

If you use geofencing, it’s important to know how many people actually act on the push notifications that you send when they are in close proximity to your store, in order to gauge the success of such a strategy.

Imagine a shopper is in your area and they see your restaurant’s “free cocktail with dinner” notification. This may be enticing enough to get them to plan their afternoon around their new last-minute dinner plans.

If, on the other hand, you’re not seeing a high conversion, it is worth looking into what you are offering to ensure it is appealing enough. You really need to go big with geofencing offers, since people have to change their plans in order to take advantage of them. The offer needs to be made so irresistible that potential customers would be silly not to redeem the offer.

4. Push notification clicks

Did you know that, in general, 46% of consumers are open to getting push notifications from brands 1-2 times a day – though your numbers may vary. Pay close attention to how frequently those who opt in to your notifications are actually clicking on them, and which offers they’re clicking on.

You may see, for example, that they ignore the promotions you send in the morning, but the ones marked “LAST CHANCE” and sent in the evening always get opened. Allow this data to guide your frequency, wording, and promotions.

Being mindful of the data generated by every mobile marketing campaign is what will make you a savvy marketer and increase customer engagement with your brand. Learn from not only your successes, but also your mistakes when developing future campaigns. After all, as the age old saying goes ‘things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out’.