by
Rachel Cummins
| May 17, 2011
With mobile handset manufacturers continually pushing the barriers of mobile computing and releasing ever more powerful mobile internet phones, it is no longer the domain of the technology savvy to expect to go online with your phone. As such, technology marketers need to make sure they are on top of their mobile strategy to answer the needs of their customers who are increasingly interacting with their brand via the mobile internet.
However as building a comprehensive mobile strategy necessitates attention from several different areas of expertise such as design, technical, creative, advertising and marketing, it can seem like a daunting task to get started with. To get going, it is a good idea to ask the following 3 questions:
- How is your website performing on mobile internet enabled phones (across all operating systems)?
- Would your brand benefit from a mobile application?
- Would it be beneficial to advertise within the mobile channel?
People expect to interact with your website on their mobile with ease
We know that more and more people have Smartphones and accessing the internet from them is now a regular and normal activity, not something that only techie people do. Many people are spending more time online via their phones than at their laptops, for work or socialising. People expect to be able to visit your website and perform tasks without interruption or problems. If they don’t have a positive experience, it’s an opportunity missed. They will have a negative perception of your brand, and you don’t want that to happen simply because you weren’t prepared.
Will you create a specific, separate version of your website for Smartphones? Or will you optimise the existing architecture and design of your site so it can be accessed on a mobile and be fully functional? Don’t worry, you don’t have to decide right this second...
Mobile apps – adding value to the brand experience
Mobile applications (or apps) are often are the way in to the discussion of mobile marketing with clients. Some might feel that they should have a mobile app for their brand as it seems to be ‘the thing to do’. Apps can be really effective ways of engaging with your audience. The key consideration is value: does the application (whether it’s a game, site function, nifty tool or otherwise) add real value for customers when they are interacting with your brand? It is also worth noting that a marketing strategy must be created alongside to ensure return on investment.
Advertising and marketing to a mobile audience
The world of mobile advertising has moved on since SMS and MMS marketing. This is still a well used direct marketing method, however the technological advances of the Smartphone have brought about other routes to customers via advertising on apps, location-based advertising, and mobile search. You can now advertise on a wide variety of media within mobile, with the added benefit of mobile advertising being highly targeted.
Prioritise the area which will bring the most value to your customers
When deciding which area of mobile marketing to prioritise when creating your mobile marketing strategy, ask yourself: what would be the most valuable improvement in our mobile offering from our customers’ perspective? What would improve their experience of our brand when they interact with us via their mobile phone?
Bright Digital offer a full mobile marketing service, incorporating mobile design and build and advertising packages.