The growing move toward mobile devices--smartphones, tablets and the like--is giving marketers something new to think about. Specifically, they're thinking about how to get their marketing presence on more mobile devices, and reach the growing crowds of mobile users out there. Thankfully, assembling a mobile marketing strategy is similar to that of more conventional models, and can be broken down into five basic steps.

1. Define the market

The best way to start the creation of a marketing campaign, and a mobile one in particular, is to determine the dimensions of the target market. Size, geography, what's being offered--the basic elements of the marketing mix best come into play here--and how success will be measured will all be a part of the definition of the target market.

2. Determine internal and external customers

While the external customers are the ones most people think of when they think about potential customers, internal customers also bear consideration. Internal customers are those inside the business itself that will buy the product or service in question, and can potentially be targeted by way of the SMS Long Code text messaging, a less expensive alternative for marketing. This allows for the start of some solid word-of-mouth marketing, and the use of interactive text applications.

3. Determine the best tool for the total market size.

Whether a user will go to the Long Code or the Short Code will depend on one key point: the size of the target market. If a user is going for big numbers outside of the immediate area, then it's a good idea to use the Short Code. But for those going after the more local market, dealing with customers who'd rather deal with local businesses, then the Long Code and its focus on the telephone number will be the weapon of choice.

4. Determine what results are wanted

The only way to determine a successful marketing campaign is to determine, for the purposes of that campaign, what success actually means. If the purpose is to drive traffic to a website or into a store, it will require a different overall campaign than if the purpose is to drive sales. So once what constitutes success is actually determined, then the whole process can finally be set into motion.

5. Take measurements throughout the campaign

Once the necessary facets of the campaign are decided, then it becomes necessary to take regular measurements to ensure that the campaign is doing its job. Changes can often be made mid-stream if something isn't pulling information the way it should be, and leaving something ineffective in place is as bad an idea as doing nothing at all.