By Jason Crilly

Local mobile advertising is one of the most effective marketing investments for growing businesses, but just how effective?

According to JiWire, 75 percent of mobile consumers took the advertisers’ recommended action after seeing a location-specific message on their smartphone.

That is one of the reasons why mobile advertising is the fastest-growing type of digital advertising.

Mobile ads more than doubled from a year ago to 15 percent of total digital ad spending nationwide, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau.

To ensure that every dollar of your local mobile ad spend has maximum effect, here are the most effective tactics of successful advertisers. The following seven strategies have helped the thousands of businesses raise awareness, generate leads and win new customers.

1. Proximity pays big. The Golden Rule of mobile advertising is that the closer your customers and prospects are to your location, the more likely they will come through your doors.

The best results are produced when target customers are within a one- to two-mile radius of your business. Conversely, after six miles, ad effectiveness starts to drop off markedly.

2. Identify your location in your ad. Use the name of a neighborhood in your ad. The hyperlocal reference has greater relevancy to local consumers.

If you are a restaurant in Santa Monica, CA, clearly specify the location: “We’re one block west of the Third Street Promenade.”

3. Use arresting visuals. Ads pop on smartphone screens when the images are eye-catching and colorful.

A picture of a cupcake and a glass of milk is far more motivating than an image of your logo.

4. Make a compelling offer. Local mobile advertising is no different than any other marketing campaign: A clear, concise call-to-action produces the best results.

Some examples: Offer two for the price of one. Reward customers for repeat visits. Give $20 off your service when you refer a friend. The discount is your cost of new customer acquisition.

5. Time your ads properly. Give your customers and prospects enough lead time to see your ads and react.

For example, if you are offering a lunch special, run those ads in the morning. For a happy hour promotion, start in the middle of the day.

6. Choose neighborhoods that match your goals. You can select the smallest geographic unit possible using the Census Block.

For example, if you are looking for more upscale neighborhoods near your business, click on those blocks. You have far more precision in identifying your target customers.

7. Test-and-adjust. Like all marketing, advertising is not a one-and-done. Success demands consistency.

With local mobile advertising, you do not need the budget of a Fortune 500 company to move customers and prospects to the desired action. The key is to build on your momentum to keep attracting and retaining customers with cool, fresh mobile ads.

Jason Crilly is CEO of NearWoo, a Santa Monica, CA-based local mobile advertising platform. Reach her at [email protected].