The Mobile Content Era: Are You Paying Attention?
As with everything in life, balance is the key to success. And the key to a successful online strategy is the right balance of web, social and mobile initiatives to satisfy your customers and to grow your business. As customer touch points become increasingly diverse, so do your customers’ expectations for content delivery. They want to find exactly what they are looking for within seconds of searching, be it from a desktop, tablet, laptop or smart phone. And, with the number of smart phone users growing every year, the instant need for this information is being met by smart companies who publish mobile content.
Facebook realizes the importance of this and has developed a new app that allows social media managers to keep their fingers on the pulse of their business pages while away from their desks. Social managers can respond and comment on pages, post status updates and share photos.
The ironic twist? While studies show that although consumers are increasingly consuming mobile content, they actually don’t prefer it. Of course it’s easier to search with a full keyboard, mouse and large screen. But our frenetic lifestyles and the ease of connectivity on micro devices force us to squeeze every drop of value out of every minute. If we aren’t productive, then we consider ourselves idle or worse, losing ground.
If the popularity of (and growing user access to) mobile content is being monitored by advertising spend, then the numbers underscore the move to mobile search. Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) notes that the world wide mobile advertising market capped out at $5.3 billion in 2011, with 31.4% garnered from North America.
Have a Mobile Content Plan
So what does this mean for marketers when it comes to mobile content? Two main rules apply. Know what your users want and then:
- Make content easy to find – architect your site well
- Provide content users are looking for – write solid, useful content
Solid, useful content means complete product descriptions that are unique to your website, not pass-along content that’s been used and reused. Outstanding mobile content includes photos and videos as well as search keywords and user reviews. You also need to put fresh, new content top-of-mind to the consumer. Know what’s trending in your industry and serve it up. Be vigilant on seasonal trends as well.
Today is being defined by as the “mobile era,” the third iteration of the online space, preceded by two previous eras. The first era was during the 1990s and the early 2000s, beginning with the advent of products and companies like Netscape, Internet Explorer, Yahoo and AOL. The second era was dubbed Web 2.0 and ushered in the dawn of social media, with companies like MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn and Groupon paving the way.
A new era is now dawning that requires content strategy, agility and the ability to be nimble—are you ready?
Aubrae Wagner – COO
