Did You Know that Smartphones Have Multiple Lives?

 

A smartphone can have multiple lives.

When you start out on a secondary smartphone business, worries surrounding the quality of used smartphones will emerge. A lack of adequate information can leave you wondering if putting up used mobile phones for sale will be a rewarding business. 

Usually, an average smartphone can last for about two to four years, showing the first signs of hardware and software damage in the third year. Going by this trend, can we conclude that smartphones can have multiple lives? If so, what is the implication of this trend for you as a retailer of used smartphones?

This article will trace the journey of a used smartphone, the scope for mobile phones to have multiple lives, and how you can set up your secondary smartphone business with the right tools and partners.

What Happens to a Used Smartphone?

While it takes about two to four years for a smartphone to hit the rocks, users often discard their mobile phones much earlier. The reason? Consumers want the newest technology. They’re always looking to catch up with the latest technological trends. 

But we’ve seen that in recent years, the sale of new devices has declined, while there's been a corresponding growth in the secondary smartphone market. As a result, OEMs have become increasingly important as more and more used phones are being upgraded and sold.

Usually, a traded-in smartphone undergoes an initial value assessment to determine its worth and to check for minor physical issues with the device. The consumer receives the value of the traded-in smartphone, and the data lying on the phone is deleted.

The device then goes through a second inspection round - a more rigorous one. It determines if the phone needs more repairs or if it can be passed down the line. At this point, the phone is graded according to its condition. 

When devices are traded in bulk for B2B channels, the initial process can be tricky due to the amount of stock being processed. That’s why trusted B2B channels have a pivotal role to play. They rigorously assess the devices to determine their value, and then they connect buyers and sellers to trade the assessed used mobile phones, giving them multiple lives.

When the devices are found to be unsuitable for resale, safe recycling is carried out, and the resources used to make the devices are recovered for other uses.

Need of the Hour: A Shift in Mindset

The fastest-growing waste stream in the world is electronic waste, also called e-waste. About 20 million to 50 million metric tons of e-waste are disposed of worldwide every year. While it’s easy to blame manufacturers for churning out so many new devices every year, consumers have a role to play in fighting this global issue of e-waste. 

The need of the hour is a shift in the buyer’s mindset. Instead of always looking to buy new smartphones, buyers should have more faith in the secondary smartphone market and purchase more used phones. Consumers need to be told that mobile phones retain their worth even after their initial life is over and can go on to have multiple lives.

These days, consumers are less inclined to purchase smartphones that cost well over $1,000. Many of them are turning to affordable secondary smartphones. Thus, the secondary smartphone market continues to experience immense growth, and it’s a great industry to grow your business.

According to Persistence Marketing Research (PMR), the secondary smartphone market is projected to jump from $49.9 billion in 2020 to $143.8 billion by 2031. As a retailer, tapping into this growing billion-dollar market will not only help you economically but will also invoke your moral responsibility to save the environment from mounting e-waste.

Finding the Right Supply Line

Deciding to set up your used smartphone business is one thing, and going about it successfully is another. There are trusted platforms that smooth over the issue of finding a continuous supply of secondary smartphones. They’re dedicated to connecting verified buyers with wholesalers, and they only allow the trading of tested and data-wiped wholesale iPhones and other smartphones.

Apart from facilitating the business, these platforms serve a bigger role - eliminating e-waste by increasing the lifecycle of each smartphone and reducing the need to dispose of discarded electronic goods in landfills. 

Controlling E-waste Pollution

The secondary smartphone industry is quickly gaining traction, enabling smartphones to have second, third, and even fourth lives. If this trend continues, e-waste pollution will come under control, and the secondary smartphone business will become more and more profitable for wholesalers and all other stakeholders.

10 Lead Generation Ideas for Small Businesses

 It happens to most businesses. You're going along, getting clients, and then suddenly no business comes in the door. It's a scary situation for any business because without new clients coming in, you don't get paid. Now what?

Let's look at ten lead generation ideas to expand your accounting services or Support services, whatever your business is about.

You can use these ideas today to help generate more leads using all the different channels of digital marketing in the world.

10 Expert Lead Generation Ideas to Help Grow Your Business

Grassroots marketing is vital for helping to grow small businesses get the word out about their products and services, gain recognition, and develop a client base. This article discusses 10 of the most effective lead generation strategies for small businesses and provides tips on how to use them.

1. Email Marketing

Email marketing is a great way to reach your audience and get them interested in your business. With email, you can send out weekly or monthly newsletters, which can include information about new products and services.

It can also offer tips and advice on how to use your products. This can be especially effective if you have a product that requires some education before the customer buys it.

2. Content Marketing

Content marketing is one of the best ways to reach customers, why? Because it helps you build trust with potential customers without being too salesy. If you’re selling a product like an eBook or a course, then it makes sense to create some valuable content. It must show people how to use your product better than anyone else does.

You can then share this content on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter so that it reaches more people than just those who follow your company’s page or website.

3. Blogging

Blogging is a great way to generate leads for your business. Not only can you use it to share news and information about your company, but you can also use it as a tool for lead generation.

One way to do this is by publishing blog posts that offer value to your ideal customers. For example, if you offer website accounting services, then you could write blog posts about how to choose an accountant r or why having a streamlined accounting is important for small businesses. The more helpful the information you provide is, the more likely people are going to sign up for your email list or contact you directly.

4. Social Media Marketing

Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn are great tools for connecting with potential customers. You can use these platforms to engage with them and build relationships over time. It’s also a place where customers can post their thoughts, ideas and concerns.

You can use this information to improve your products or services by addressing their concerns directly through social media.

It’s also a great way to generate leads for your business by offering free content such as eBooks, white papers or webinars that help people solve problems they may be having with your product or service.

5. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO is a powerful lead generation strategy that works well when used in conjunction with other marketing activities. For instance, social media marketing or PPC advertising.

It is essential if you want to appear on search engine results pages (SERPs) organically. So you don’t have to pay for each click on your ad. This can help you save money while still driving traffic to your website and generating leads at the same time.

6. Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising

PPC advertising is one of the most effective ways for small businesses to reach a highly targeted audience. It's especially useful for businesses that don't have a lot of cash to spend on marketing, but want to get the most value from their ad spend.

However, PPC isn't free — it costs money to place ads on Google and other search engines. You can expect to pay between $1 and $5 per click in most industries, although some niches will cost more.

7. Direct Mail Campaigns

Direct mail campaigns are another way to reach out to potential customers without having them come directly to your website. They're especially useful if you want to target people who are far away or aren't online very often.

You can also buy lists of prospects from third-party companies who know what they're doing when it comes to direct mail campaigns.

8. Sales Funnels/Lead Magnets/Free Reports

Sales funnels and lead magnets are two of the most common ways to generate leads for your business. In a sales funnel, you’re offering a free report or eBook in exchange for their contact information.

You can also use this strategy to offer a free consultation or webinar. Once they give their information, they’ll be added to an email list where they can receive more relevant content from you over time.

In a lead magnet, you’re offering something that has value but isn’t necessarily a product or service. For example, if you run an online store and want to attract more customers, you could create an eBook with tips. It can be on how to improve their shopping experience? Then offer it as a gift on social media or through an email campaign.

9. Video Marketing

Video marketing has become an essential part of any business’s marketing strategy. From YouTube to Facebook, videos are everywhere and they can help you get more leads. According to HubSpot, companies that use video grow their revenue by 30% on average.

Video is a great way to explain complicated topics, show off your company’s personality and even tell a story.

You can create short videos that showcase what your business does.  You may use longer videos that give potential customers a tour of your office or the process behind some aspect of your business.

10. Referral Programs

A referral program is a win-win for everyone involved: Your customers love it because they get rewarded for their efforts. You love it because your business gets more customers.

In fact, 95 percent of consumers trust referrals from friends and family over any other form of marketing. And according to the Harvard Business Review, 85 percent of consumers say they’re likely to recommend a brand that offers a referral program.

This is because referral programs are an easy way for customers to share their opinions about your products and services. You know well that it can be especially beneficial if you have something that’s hard to explain in words or visuals alone.

Conclusion

There are numerous tricks and tips for small businesses to generate leads. It all starts with some creative ideas, proper presentation and personalization of a message, as well as some marketing budget. But that's obvious. What is not obvious is where to find these leads and how to convert them into customers.

The 10 ideas presented in this article will hopefully help you if you are a small business owner, but remember: you need an appropriate lead generation strategy, reliable data management system and sufficient marketing budget in place to maximize your revenue streams.