According to SmartInsights.com, 1.08 billion of 4 billion mobile phone users worldwide own a smart phone. And more and more, users are turning to these devices to find a place to eat, check their email or browse the web for shopping. From conversions to branding, mobile is where your business should be.

However, many businesses are stuck wondering how to take on the daunting task of executing a mobile marketing campaign. From mobile web design to buying ad space, it seems overwhelming, but you can get started with three simple steps.

1.  Start With the Basics

As with any business project, you should begin with the basics. This means integrating your current methods, such as email marketing, and creating your place in the mobile internet. To do that, you want to consider two things.

• Mobile website: You need to have a mobile website if you don’t already. This will be your base for your mobile marketing, and it should be done properly. Consider ease of use and simple navigation.
• Email formatting: Customers are likely already getting your emails on their phone, but they might not look very good. Be sure to choose a format that will be successful on any mobile device, and get all important information above the fold.

2.  Plan to Get Found

Once you’ve made your presence on mobile, you need to get found. One half of all internet searches are performed on a mobile device, and studies have found that 61 percent of mobile searches result in a phone call. With odds like that, you want to be sure people are able to find you when they need your services.

• Claim your location: Mobile users use Foursquare, Google, and Facebook Places to find businesses close by. Be sure that you’re there, easy to find, and easy to get in touch with by adding your location, phone number, and any other important contact info.

3.  Consider Your Strategies

Finally, you’re ready to get started with your mobile marketing. As with marketing in general, there are a variety of avenues you can take to reach your mobile customers. From traditional marketing to text messaging, it’s recommended that you choose one and stick with it.

• Banner ads: Just like the internet, you can buy ad space online. Buy banner ads with places like Admob or Rapid Mobile.
• SMS/MMS marketing: Text message marketing is tough to break into but can be effective; people are less adapted to deleting texts right away, as they do emails. However, be sure to offer an easy to find “opt-out” option and only send 1 or 2 messages a month. Some people pay for incoming texts, and you don’t want to annoy them.
• In-app ads: With more than 400,000 apps in the Android market alone, it’s smart to get an ad on the apps that your customers may be using. You can do this through both the Apple and Android app stores.

Mobile marketing is the new social media marketing. Still in its infancy, it’s better to get in now than wait any longer. Remember to start slow and make your way toward full blown ad campaigns once your feet are on the ground.

Jessica Sanders is an avid small business writer. As the marketing copyeditor of Resource Nation, she touches on a range of topics such as direct mail marketing and internet service providers.