Mobile is a huge part of how people interact with brands, with an estimated 50-60% of email opens now happening on mobile devices (audiencepoint). But if your CRM messaging isn’t optimised for mobile, you could be missing out on engagement. Whether it’s emails that are difficult to read, SMS campaigns that feel too intrusive, or push notifications that go ignored, many brands still have work to do. To help you get it right, here are four ways to improve your CRM and mobile messaging strategy in 2025.

1. Creating a Seamless Experience Across Mobile Messaging Channels

   A seamless experience across email and messaging channels is essential. From mobile-first email design to cross-channel consistency, here’s how to optimise your approach

   Optimise for Mobile-Friendly Reading & Interaction

   Emails can be hugely impacted by the size of a phone screen compared to the desktop you might be designing them on. In fact, emails that display incorrectly on mobile may be deleted within three seconds (campaignmonitor). So toggle between desktop and mobile designs to ensure both are suitable as you build your campaign. And of course, don't forget to test! Many brands have a "mobile first" approach to email, meaning they approach their design ideas with the smallest screen size in mind and desktop as a secondary priority. This type of design includes: - A single column layout: avoiding multiple columns allows content to display clearly on small screens. - Simple copy: a lot of copy on a small screen is going to create a very long email and the need to scroll a lot which can risk losing the reader after some time - Sensible font size: body copy should be a minimum of 16px, titles at least 18px for readability. - Tappable buttons: we engage with mobile content using our thumb - this is significantly bigger than the fine arrow of a mouse pointer, so make sure any buttons can be easily tapped! - Optimised image size: to ensure images load on mobile, keep their file size to 250-300kb

   - Use live text instead of image-based text: this improves accessibility and ensures text displays correctly when images don’t load. This helps keep things optimised for mobile but it might not be suitable for all brands.

   💡Check your email reports to understand more about how your subscribers view your emails as this will inform your design approach. Most ESPs provide breakdowns of desktop VS mobile.

   
   

   Improve Cross-Channel Consistency

   - Keep messages concise: whether in email, SMS, or push, ensure content is clear and to the point.

   - Avoid overwhelming your recipients: if someone receives a promotional email, do they also need an SMS about the same thing?

   - Sync your marketing tools: ensure your marketing tech work together so that actions in one channel (e.g. opening an email) influence when and how messages are sent in another. -- Don't forget your landing pages: you’ve optimised your emails, SMS, and push notifications - don’t let the experience fall apart when users click your CTA. A slow, unresponsive, or poorly designed mobile page can undo all your efforts. Ensure landing pages are mobile-friendly, fast-loading, and easy to navigate.
   

2. Use SMS, Push & WhatsApp for Real-Time Engagement

   SMS, push notifications, and WhatsApp/RCS provide direct, real-time ways to engage customers. But getting them right means knowing when and how to use them.

   
   

   SMS

   - Best for time-sensitive updates such as appointment reminders, order confirmations, limited-time offers.
   

   - Needs to be short, clear, and actionable - no one wants to read a long text!
   

   - Include a clear CTA such as "Reply YES to confirm" or "Tap to shop now".

   Push Notifications

   - Great for re-engagement e.g. abandoned cart reminders, app-exclusive discounts.
   

   - Keep them concise and relevant: too many push notifications can irritate your audience and lead to to opt-outs.
   

   - Personalisation matters: "Cara, your order is on its way!" is better than "Your order has shipped."

   
   

   

   
   

   WhatsApp & RCS

   - More interactive than SMS allowing for buttons, images, and conversational messaging.
   

   - Popular for customer service, order updates, and promotions.

   - RCS (Rich Communication Services) enable brands to send media-rich messages with images, carousels, and action buttons. If you want more details on how RCS differs from SMS, check out this blog post.

   💡Don't overdo it: these channels are incredibly personal so the last thing you want to do is overuse them and become a nuisance - this is only going to result in opt-outs. Utilise them wisely and you'll get good engagement while complimenting the rest of your customer relationship marketing.
   

   
   

3. Leverage Location for Personalised Mobile Messaging

   The beauty of mobile is exactly that - your intended recipient is mobile and therefore their location can be used to deliver incredibly timely and personalised marketing. Whether for nurturing, driving purchases, or boosting retention, here’s how you can put it to work:

   
   

   Geofencing

   Creates a virtual boundary around a real-world location to trigger messages when a user enters or exits that boundary. This uses GPS or Wi-Fi to detect when a user enters or leaves your predefined area and then sends automated notifications. This might look like: - A retail store sending a discount offer when a customer walks nearby.
   

   - A car rental company reminding a customer to refuel when approaching a drop-off location.

   Geotargeting

   Uses geolocation and other demographic criteria to deliver highly personalised marketing. This isn't just based on where the user is but who they are - do they fit a certain criteria? That criteria might include:

   - Location history and behaviour patterns: this includes where they've been, how often they visit a location, and time spent in that location. E.g. a food app pushes lunchtime promotions to office workers in business districts. - Demographics: depending on your brand you might segment based on age, income-level or gender. E.g. a university targets 18-24-year-olds who are located near college fairs or high schools, serving them ads about upcoming open days. - Interests and purchase intent: this might include past purchases, app usage and search history. E.g. a hotel chain targets frequent travellers, offering discounts to users who have searched for accommodations in specific locations. - Real-time context: this might be useful for brands who can make use of weather conditions, public holidays or events. E.g. a sportswear brand targets fans near a stadium on match day, offering discounts on team merchandise.

   
   

   

   
   

   Beaconing

   Using beacons (blue-tooth devices) to communicate with mobile apps via Bluetooth when users are within a few metres is a great way to target existing customers. To work, users must have the brand’s app installed and have granted Bluetooth and location permissions. Unlike geofencing, which covers broader areas, beacons operate at close range, triggering messages when someone is near a specific location, like a store display or checkout counter. Examples of this in use might include:

   - Airports: beacons in the security queue notify passengers of estimated wait times and gate changes as they move through the terminal. - Hospitals/clinics: patients checking in receive step-by-step guidance to find the correct department, reducing confusion and wait times. - Concerts: Fans walking near the merchandise stand get a special offer.

   
   

4. Streamline Mobile Conversions

   Even if your emails, SMS, or push notifications drive engagement, a poor mobile experience can stop customers from taking action. To increase mobile conversions, make sure:

   
   

   - Forms are short and simple: only ask for essential information and test how your webforms look on mobile before setting them live. Use autofill and social logins to speed up the process.
   

   - Payments are frictionless: offering one-click checkout options like Apple Pay, Google Pay, or PayPal can create a much smoother experience.
   

   - Navigation is intuitive: ensure mobile pages load fast, key actions (like adding to cart or signing up) are obvious, and there are no unnecessary steps.
   

   - Personalisation enhances the experience: if a user clicks from a targeted email or SMS, reflect their preferences or past interactions on the landing page.

   
   
   
   

   Final Thoughts on Optimising Your CRM & Mobile Messaging Strategy

   
   

   Mobile messaging is a crucial part of modern CRM, and getting it right means meeting customers where they are - on their phones. By ensuring seamless mobile-friendly experiences, leveraging real-time engagement channels like SMS and push, using location-based messaging effectively, and reducing friction at every step, brands can drive better engagement and stronger customer relationships. If this feels like a lot to tackle, start small. Even minor improvements, like making sure your emails are mobile-friendly or trialling SMS as a channel for key updates (e.g. order confirmations or reminders), can make a big impact. The key is to take a customer-first approach and build from there.
   

   💡 If you're looking to improve your mobile messaging strategy, I'd love to hear your thoughts. What challenges are you facing? Ping me an email for an informal chat: hello@carawilsonmarketing.co.uk.