What They Haven't Told You About Mobile-First Marketing

Contributed By:

Gilad Bechar

Guest Writer

Founder and CEO of Moburst

Source: Entrepreneur

Any marketing effort should be driven by the fact consumers love their mobile devices. It's of their most prized possessions. It’s their best friend, the object they always carry with them and most importantly, the device through which they will most likely access your service. As the mobile industry grows, brands appear to be showing a deeper understanding of this new reality and seem to be doing their very best to adjust.  

However, while many brands understand the importance of a strong mobile presence, they do not necessarily know how to get there. In the process of figuring things out, it seems that everyone loves to throw around big words like “mobile first,” “context” and “personalization” but not enough people know what these terms actually mean. It’s time to drill down and find out how to actually implement a mobile-first marketing strategy and not just use these trendy slogans.

Kick personalization up a notch

Targeting potential users based on demographics and interests is great, but it’s not nearly enough to see concrete results. The primary difference between mobile ads and desktop ads is that users are exposed to mobile ads when they’re on the go and surrounded by other people, situations and events.

The best way to achieve results is to find out exactly what potential consumers are experiencing and to target them with a mobile ad that correlates to that specific experience. This can be done by gathering data using geo-location technologies and check-ins in public places.

Whereas 30-second TV advertisements can set a scene and then “hit” the viewer with the message when he or she is ready to absorb it, mobile ads don’t have that luxury. For that reason, “hitting” consumers with the right message when they are experiencing a relevant situation helps paint a more comprehensive picture of the product you’re trying to sell. For example, if you’re marketing a taxi app, chances are you’ll get more conversion from ads if you geo-target people who just stepped out of a huge concert (and are most likely looking for a ride home).

Related: You do not need to break the bank to have a professionally looking website for your business. Get one now!

Reach and convert within seconds

A mobile-first approach understands that the goal is no longer to transmit a message that might resonate with consumers later on but rather to get them to act NOW. This is why knowing what the consumer needs and when they need it is crucial to achieving a higher conversion rate.

For instance, if you’re advertising a taxi app and trying to target a 30-year-old woman, you can first figure out where she is. If she’s on her way to work, and it’s currently pouring rain outside, chances are she’ll go out of her way to catch a taxi. This is the time to act! Not only will that woman want to download your app, she’ll register immediately and become a user in a matter of minutes.

Mobile ads, unlike other types of ads, allow marketers to turn potential consumers into users and immediately try out their product with just a few clicks. In order to utilize this benefit of mobile ads, brands should use a clear call-to-action and appropriate messaging to successfully attract users and get them to check out the product right away.

Personalize the product itself

Marketers: If you think your work is done after the download stage, think again. In-app events are just as important to ensure that people not only download the app (and don't forget about it two days later) but become active, engaged users.

The most crucial step in ensuring that users continue from the download stage to registration is the onboarding stage. There are a few services out there that allow developers to create apps that adapt according to the user. These adaptations include everything from the screen flow to the messaging and color palette.

For instance, a music-streaming app could have a target audience that encompasses many different age groups and people of varied interests. While attracting these users can be done through using ad targeting, age-inappropriate in-app elements might scare them away. This sort of app could benefit from the service mentioned above and offer different users' text and messaging that “speak” to them in their own language. A mobile first approach recognizes this challenge and harnesses the right tools to handle it.

Related: How to turn N50,000 to millions of Naira within one year of investment

Rebranding? Don't Forget Your Mobile Strategy

Contributed By:

Gilad Bechar

Guest Writer

Founder and CEO of Moburst

Source: Entrepreneur

Mobile is no longer a by-product of the overall digital master plan and needs to be part of all rebranding strategies.

When a company decides to rebrand -- whether it’s to stand out from competitors, eliminate a negative image, boost sales or introduce new features -- it’s always a crucial rite of passage. And with everything going mobile, a company’s mobile strategy plays an integral role in the process

Below are five mobile marketing questions each marketer should ask themselves before embarking on a rebranding journey.

1. Do I now need an app?

The reason this question is so important is because the answer to it could very well be no -- apps simply aren’t the best fit for every single company out there. So, when do you need an app? When you can offer mobile users a refined, well-rounded experience that correlates with your brand’s essence. The app should keep users constantly engaged and become another platform through which they can interact with the brand.

Related: You do not need to break the bank to have a professionally looking website for your business. Get one now!

On the flip side, when should you kill your app? Since many brands jump into launching an app just for the sake of having one, without thinking of the added value it would offer users, there are many apps out there that actually lack a real purpose. The best indication that your app isn’t worth your time and money is if it features the exact same content that’s displayed on your mobile site.

2. What should your website look like on mobile?

When it comes to your website, chances are most of your audience will access it via their mobile device. In fact, just last month, mobile Internet use surpassed that of desktop. And let’s face it, in 2015 there’s nothing more embarrassing and annoying than having a site that looks awkward on the mobile screen.

The bottom line is that the answer to this question will almost always be “go responsive," since it’s extremely difficult for brands to establish a mobile presence and not miss out on a significant market share without a responsive site. Even brands that have a mobile app must ensure that their website is mobile-friendly (especially after Google’s mobilegeddon) because not all consumers will download the app and continue to visit the company website using their mobile devices.

Related: You do not need to break the bank to have a professionally looking website for your business. Get one now!

3. Should your brand speak a different language to its mobile users?

Most users feel that mobile apps and responsive sites are the most efficient way to interact with brands, but if companies want to form an even deeper connection with consumers, they should “speak” to them in the right language.

In a rebranding process, many brands change their logo or name in order to reflect a new identity. This new identity will most likely attempt to promote fresh new values and characteristics, and therefore, the language used by the brand should reflect this new “personality." A great way to implement this strategy is in a mobile app, especially with push notifications that address users in a relatable tone.

Related: How to turn N50,000 to millions of Naira within one year of investment

4. Am I targeting the right audience?

When a company rebrands, chances are its target audience isn’t going to remain exactly the same. It’s a great opportunity to narrow down your audience and be even more specific about those you’re trying to attract. The same goes for your mobile marketing strategy: Your new brand’s audience definition should also apply in your mobile ad targeting.

In fact, mobile is the perfect platform for brands who want to test different groups as potential target audiences. The targeting options are very specific and brands can A/B test countless messages to see what works before officially adopting it as part of their overall strategy.

5. Should I run an aggressive marketing campaign to introduce the new concept?

If you’re changing your logo, name or slogan, you should do everything in your power to educate the market and ensure that those changes translate well to the public and transmit the message you set out to portray. A great way to do this is through an aggressive mobile advertising campaign that aligns with your new brand messaging.

Last year Airbnb decided that the public’s perception of their brand was not exactly aligned with their initial vision so they rolled out a new logo: the “Belo," a symbol that means “belonging." Their global brand strategy then shifted to correlate with the essence of “belonging,” all of which was reflected in the website, mobile app, and interface. When the company introduced its new logo, instead of users resonating with the new concept of belonging anywhere in the world, the brand received endless backlash for its “weird” and “ugly” new logo.

The lesson marketers can draw from this is to educate the public about their company’s new image BEFORE negative feedback starts. Mobile marketing is a great way to do that. Rolling out a massive launch campaign that presents the audience with the company’s new logo, messaging or colors in a straight-forward fashion, can walk people through step by step towards comprehending the new concept and set the ground for a successful rebranding campaign.

Planning Your Mobile Marketing Strategy

Contributed By:

Robert W. Bly

Guest Writer

Author, Copywriter, and Marketing Consultant

Source: Entrepreneur

Robert W. Bly explains how you can develop big-picture marketing plans for pennies on the dollar with his 12-step marketing plan. In this edited excerpt, Bly offers experienced tips on creating and implementing mobile marketing tactics that work.

When you set about integrating mobile into your marketing plan, you should begin with the basics: the “who, what, and how” of your mobile strategy. And you do that by getting the answers to these questions:

·         Who are your customers and who are you trying to reach?

·         Who will want to engage with your mobile content?

·         What tasks and needs does your audience have?

·         What mobile channels will you use?

·         What tone or angle will you use to inspire your audience to get involved?

·         Why do your customers need information from you in a timely manner?

·         How will your target audience access your mobile content (which type of handheld device will they use)? How will they use your content in their daily lives?

·         How will you make your mobile content sticky and engaging?

·         How will you cross-pollinate between the selected channels?

·         How will you create sharing opportunities?

·         How will you fuel the momentum of your mobile campaign?

Of course, you’ll also want to clearly define your mobile marketing goals. Do you want to increase the number of newsletter sign-ups, generate leads, or make sales? When you set a goal, remember to make sure it’s SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely. Let’s get started by taking a closer look at available mobile channels.

Mobile websites

Some business owners create a subdomain set up specifically for mo­bile phones. Then if a mobile user types www.theirdomain.com into a smart­phone, the site automatically determines the inquiry source and automatically re­directs them to a mobile-friendly subdo­main. The trick is to create a mobile site that loads quickly and provides a simple, streamlined experience. Many other busi­ness owners use web hosting companies, which offer low cost, semi-automatic cookie-cutter mobile sites.

Related: You do not need to break the bank to have a professionally looking website for your business. Get one now!

SMS and MMS messaging

If you doubt the value of SMS text message marketing, you should ponder this statistic: 95 percent of your customers who have opted into your text messaging program open (and read) your mobile mes­sages within three minutes of receiving it. Now that’s effective.

But there are two myths surrounding SMS and MMS message market­ing that purport it to be both complicated and hampered by regula­tion, but the truth is these regulations serve the marketer as well as the consumer, protecting the latter from spammy marketing, and protecting marketers from spam-related accusations. First and fore­most is the fact the two are both permission-based, which means you should always be completely transparent about your text marketing program, the need for full disclosure, and to always get everything in writing.

Mobile apps

There are countless mobile apps designed to serve up informative tips and educational snippets, help you to track your caloric intake, exercise milestones, guide you in meditation practice, or simply entertain you with engaging games -- yet consumers are always look­ing for more, and better, apps.

What this means to marketers is simple: You can boost brand awareness and consumer affinity with apps, but you must have a thorough understanding of your audience so you can provide them with an app that's functional (such as a calculator) or entertaining (like a video, game, or music), or provide some sort of social connectedness (such as an app for a user community). You may want to consider offering a free version of your app and let users decide if they're willing invest in a premium version with more features and content. This is the model used by Rovio Entertainment when they began marketing the Angry Birds game. They offered a free version, while paid subscribers were given access to more challenging levels and other free add-ons.

Mobile coupons

A growing number of businesses, like Target, Sephora, Bath and Body Works, and Olive Garden deliver coupons via mobile devices in an effort to appeal to consumers, many of whom would never think of clipping or carrying coupons. To redeem a mobile coupon, all users need to do is show the coupon bar code to the cashier, who will scan it like a regular coupon. Location-based shopping coupons using mobile devices are also gaining popularity.

Mobile campaigns and ads

Mobile marketing presents a distinctly unique way to create interac­tive dialogues with customers. But it requires matching the creative to a smaller screen size; designing messages that are short, instantly understood, and effective; and creating a call-to-action with a mini­mal number of steps.

Here’s a fact worth remembering: Research indicates that mobile ads perform about five times better than internet ads. (The most common mobile ads are simple text links and display adds that are sold based on cost per clicks, cost per acquisition, and cost per thousand.)

Mobile marketing is not about your convenience. The benefits of receiving the information or discount via a mobile device must be valuable enough to the recipient. It has to make sense to the recipient as a benefit and not seen as an intrusion. So make offers that are in-tune with the recipient’s buying habits. You have to sync your messaging with your customers’ purchase history or favorites.

If you're sophisticated enough to delve into mobile advertising, you should have access to a consumer’s buying records to know what the individual needs and wants. Hey, you can go so far as to ask your customers what they want using Twitter, then show them you listened by making those same offers. This is about creating a dialogue, rather than a monologue. You really need to be strategic about what content you send out using mobile media. A major consideration when establishing a mobile marketing strategy involves identifying the benefits to the consumer, then integrating the message in your overall marketing campaign so you can communicate those benefits through all other marketing and social media channels.

Related: You do not need to break the bank to have a professionally looking website for your business. Get one now!

3 Ways to Use Mobile Marketing to Keep Customers Coming Back

Contributed By:

Gilad Bechar

Guest Writer

Founder and CEO of Moburst

Source: Entrepreneur

Seventy percent of companies say it’s cheaper to retain an existing customer than to acquire a new one, according to a report. And they are right: acquiring a new customer can be five times more expensive, which is hopefully enough to convince you that customer retention should be on your radar at all times.

So how do I retain customers you might ask? The answer is simple: mobile marketing. Given that 60 percent of the time users spend online is through their mobile devices, establishing a solid mobile presence ensures that your customers always have a piece of your brand at the tip of their fingers.

Related: 5 Business Myths About the Mobile Industry

Here’s how it’s done:

The right place, the right time

Mobile devices draw tons of information from users. Some of this information, such as geolocation, can be instrumental in optimizing your brand’s mobile product specifically for consumers. Knowing where consumers are allows marketers to offer users content that’s relevant to the situation they’re currently experiencing.

The most obvious way to use this data would be to alert existing clients on new deals right when they are near your store or company branch; however, there are ways to get more creative.  

Related: You do not need to break the bank to have a professionally looking website for your business. Get one now!

Airline KLM is a great example. The company created a mobile game that lets users fly a paper jet over a virtual version of the city of Amsterdam. Aside from being beautifully made and very enjoyable, the game also uses mobile data to promote user loyalty. With every purchase of a KLM flight users' win more points, but the even cooler thing is that users can advance in the game when they are at the airport gate waiting to board their KLM flight (using geo-location technologies).

Related: How to turn N50,000 to millions of Naira within one year of investment

Fresh content and exclusive deals

To ensure users don’t lose interest in your app, introduce new content as often as possible. Whether it’s cool music, text, visuals or attractive deals, these kinds of elements will ensure users keep coming back for more.

Now, you might be thinking at this point, that by introducing as much content as possible, you are spamming people. Wrong. If someone downloaded your app, it means that they’re interested in what you have to offer. The more great content you put out, the more satisfied your users will be. Even content that doesn’t necessarily directly relate to your product but fits with its general concept is fair game.

Let's look at the Starbucks app. The app features a variety of content (such as music) that doesn’t necessarily relate to the products Starbucks is most known for selling. Users who have the app get this content as an added value and check in with it regularly to see what’s new. It’s a great way to make sure that your brand stays on the consumer's radar.

Another way to promote user loyalty is by using the mobile app to keep consumers up to date on new products and deals. Being aware of deals before everyone else is good but not good enough. Instead, offer users deals that are only available through mobile purchases to incentivize app users to check in regularly.

A great example is that of an Israeli hotel chain called Fattal. The company managed to get not two but three birds with one mobile stone by launching an app for last-minute deals. First, the company used this clever move as a way of approaching new clients. Second, Fattal included special discounts for loyalty club members and third, they found a classic solution for their dead inventory.

Engage and interact

The best way to turn any consumer into a loyal one is to make them part of your brand. On mobile, this has become easier than ever, and user-generated content (UGC) is the name of the game.

Mobile apps introduce endless, easy and instant ways for users to participate in brand communities and contribute their own content. For instance, to promote its “What is Perfect Conference," TedXPortland launched a mobile app that overlaid the word "perfect" over user-generated pictures that were shared on social media. People immediately became curious about what those pictures meant, which in turn helped create buzz around the conference. The photos were later projected on the walls of the event as part of the decor.

Investing in retention on mobile is not only interesting and creative, it’s also essential. This is your opportunity -- and obligation -- to make sure that when customers go on their way, they take a piece of your brand with them.  

How Productive Are You? Here Are 8 Ways to Find Out.

Contributed By:

John Rampton

VIP Contributor

Entrepreneur and Connector

Source: Entrepreneur

There’s a difference between being busy and being productive. While it’s true that both are able to check items off of their to-do-lists, productive check off the right items. Instead of just doing things to get them done, productive people focus on the ways that are going to have to biggest impact in both their personal and professional lives.

So, are you busy? Or, are you productive? Here are 8 ways that you can find out:

1. Do you have a purpose?

Every productive individual sets goals so that they know exactly why they’re doing what they’re doing throughout the day. They have long term goals planned. And, they’re created short-term goals to support those long-term goals.

Having a purpose requires discipline to reach the goals that you’ve set. If you feel that you don’t have a purpose, start working on developing discipline by knowing your priorities, learning to say “no,” taking care of your health, getting out of your comfort zone and getting used to failures. They happen so learn to move through the failure.

2. Is there a system in place to support your goals?

As a business owner, your long-term goal is to build and maintain a successful. However, it takes a system to support and reach those goals. In this case, your system would include marketing, the sales process, operation and being able to meet deadlines.

As Miranda Marquit  explained in a previous Due post, “While goals are definitely helpful when it comes to hitting benchmarks and acknowledging milestones, the reality is that they might not provide you with everything you need for long-term staying power. You might be surprised to discover that creating the right systems might help your business even more than goal-setting.”

In order to build the right system, Miranda suggests that you focus on performance measures and acknowledging your continued progress so that you can continue to move forward.

Related: How to turn N50,000 to millions of Naira within one year of investment

3. What’s your productive work time?

Just because you’re in the workplace from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. doesn’t mean that you’re productive because we all have productivity slumps throughout the day. The first place to look when determining your most productive work time is by answering, “Are you an early bird or a night owl?”

“If there’s a clear answer, then schedule your work hours based on this [if possible]. Regardless of starting time, always be sure to prioritize your tasks based on importance and/or deadline. If there’s a big, time-sensitive assignment on your to-do list, [work on it] when you have the most energy,” said Kelly Allder, vice president of HR programs at human capital management technology company Ceridian.

Once you’ve answered that question, you next want to determine what’s holding you back getting your work done, such not setting priorities, poor planning, distractions and waiting until the last minute to complete a task. Knowing this information will allow you to adjust your habits so that you can become more productive.

Finally, take note of your productivity peaks. Jot down in a notebook what you’ve accomplished during a workday so that you can identify patterns so that you can work around your most productive patterns. Personally, the Pomodoro Technique, where you break your day into half-hour segments, has done wonders for my productivity.

Related: How to turn N50,000 to millions of Naira within one year of investment

4. Are you indecisive?

Do you struggle when it comes to making decisions? If so, you may suffer from the dreaded indecisiveness.

Instead of making decisions and moving forward, you spend more time worrying whether or not you’re making the right decisions. Get out of your head and make decisions automatic by asking one simple question, “Will this help me reach my goal?” If it does, then proceed.

As Jonathan Fields is a serial-entrepreneur, business strategist, speaker and author, perfectly writes, “In the end, the only bad decision is indecision, because it leads to inaction. And without action, there’s no data. With no experience of life. No information to serve as fuel for evolution, connection, joy, progress. No growth. Just gray.”

5. Do you multitask?

Research has proven time and time again that multitasking doesn’t work. In fact, because you’re switching between various tasks, you may lose 40 percent of your productivity.

Instead of toggling between multiple tasks just to get them done, focus on doing thing at a time so that it’s done well and has all of your attention. Once that has been completed, you can move onto the next task.

6. How quickly do you ask for help?

Instead of waiting until it’s too late and now they’re back into a corner, productive ask for help immediately. For example, if I need 10 new blog posts for Due by the end of the week, I’m going to ask my team to crank them out as quickly as possible, as opposed to me scrambling to get them written and published myself. This not only keeps me productive, it also shows that I trust and respect my team enough that they’ll deliver quality blog posts when I need them.

7. Have you used productivity measures?

“Productivity measures are a series of inputs calculated against a series of outputs,” writes Sue-Lynn Carty for Chron.com. “Using productivity measures for can help you determine how to maximize the use of your company’s resources.”

·         Overall sales and productivity. Divide your net sales by the number of employees that you have. “For example, if your net sales are $10,000 and you have 10 employees, than $10,000/10=$1,000. This means your sales need to increase by $1,000 to justify the cost hiring one new staff member.”

·         Individual employee sales productivity. Here you would take an individual’s net sales and divide it by the number of hours they worked.

·         Employee labor productivity. “If you manufacture a product to sell, you can measure the productivity of the entire plant dividing number of products manufactured by the total number of hours worked for a specific period.”

·         Individual employee labor productivity. Here you would take “employee labor hours divided by number of products produced by that employee during a given time period.”

8. Do you track your time?

Tracking your time can boost your productivity since it can help you determine all of the activities that you waste your time. You can start by tracking all of your activities for two weeks. As you review this information you may realize that you spend too much time watching TV, responding to emails or updating your social channels. If so, then you can start working on ways to eliminate those time-wasters.

I would also suggest using time tracking software in order to gain insights that you may have overlooked. Thankfully, there’s no shortage of powerful and innovative time tracking companies that can be used to help you boost your productivity.