Digital marketing involves a variety of equally important components. For example, there’s email marketing, webinar production, social media posts, sales page creation, PPC ads, and conference calls with clients over Zoom. Depending on your market, you might even advertise your in-person events like speaking panels, trade shows, and conferences.
Managing these elements requires a reliable computer, but you don’t necessarily need a laptop or desktop. You can actually handle all of your digital marketing needs with an iPad.
iPads can be connected to a larger monitor
If you’re running a serious business, you might be wondering how the small screen of an iPad can work to run your digital marketing tasks. It’s bigger than a smartphone but not quite the size of a decent laptop and that’s okay because you can connect your iPad to a full-sized monitor in your office as a secondary monitor.
To connect your iPad as your main monitor, you’ll need a USB-C cable or Thunderbolt adapter. It will work with the DisplayPort, VGA, or HDMI connections, so it doesn’t really matter if you have an older monitor. What matters most is that your iPad has enough RAM and storage space to function as your main computer. The latest release is the 10th generation iPad, but you can still get by with the 9th generation.
iPads can be taken on the road
If you do a lot of your work on the road while traveling or just multitasking, an iPad will be useful. They’re small, lightweight, compact, and perfect for use while you’re parked in a parking lot or eating a meal at a restaurant.
When you plan on taking your iPad with you everywhere, be sure to protect it from a cracked screen by getting a high-quality, durable case. There’s no guarantee you won’t drop it, and while iPads in cases tend to do really well with drops, they don’t fare well unprotected.
iPads can be used for financial transactions on the go
People have been using iPads to collect payments for years. It started in the restaurant industry and other food service establishments, like coffee shops, but now even some convenience stores and mom-and-pop shops use iPads in place of traditional registers. It’s cheaper and easier, and the software is often more user-friendly and less buggy.
If you’ve ever used a POS system made for a traditional cash register, you’ve probably been frustrated to tears at some point. Using an iPad nearly eliminates all of those frustrations. POS apps for iPad are built better with aesthetics in mind and you can accept all types of payments just like a regular register.
The best part is you can take your iPad with you anywhere and collect mobile payments by using Square or other similar devices. There are also several apps now that don’t require a physical card reader, and you can also set up Apple Pay, but it all depends on which payment options you’re willing to accept. Having all the options is nice so you don’t leave anyone out.
iPads can be used as digital signage
For business owners who have a physical location or are vendors at conferences, iPads make great digital signage. While many large corporations have the funds to buy professional, high-end digital signage equipment, that’s not in everyone’s budget. Thankfully, iPads make entry-level digital signage affordable for everyone.
You can either encase an iPad in a frame designed for digital signage or just prop it up on a table and run your ads. Either way, you just need a digital signage app to start creating and displaying your advertisements.
iPads can help you collect reviews
Getting reviews from existing customers plays a fundamental role in your marketing success. The more 5-star reviews you can get, the better, but it doesn’t hurt to have some with fewer stars. In fact, many people say they trust businesses more when they have a variety of reviews rather than only 5 stars. The challenge is getting people to leave reviews.
If you deal with customers directly, carrying an iPad with you will help you get more reviews because you can catch people in the moment and ask them to leave you a review before you leave. This works great for trades like roofing, plumbing, and electrical work. It can also work for businesses like self-storage facilities and local mail centers, which regular customers frequently visit.
An iPad will support your digital marketing efforts
Whether you use your iPad for digital signage or running your business, it’s the perfect tool to help you achieve success with your digital marketing strategy.