We don’t really need long-term academic studies or high-level research teams to know that mobile use is everywhere and it touches just about everything.
We often jest about how we existed before the cell phones we all know and love came to be. Yet, if we stop to think about it, we know that today’s cell phones and the apps, accessories, practices, and “Wow!” factors that come with them are changing at lightning speed. Tomorrow, we’ll need to upgrade our devices, download updates, and completely relearn once-familiar activities on our beloved cellular companions. Why do we put ourselves through such torture?
Convenience. And, the “need” to know now. And, let’s not overlook the fact that our cell phones provide a lot of entertainment and access to people and places like we’ve never known before.
We used to have to get dressed, get in our car, and schlep into a store (or multiple stores) to purchase the things we wanted. Now, we hold the store in the palm of our hand. Banking, buying, instructions, travel, research, hours, locations, menus… We can now get the information we need in the blink of an eye. As such, all the “hassles” of cell phone upgrades and downloads seem worth it in the grand scheme of things.
Gone are the days of mass mailings and waiting for customers to respond to traditional advertising. Now, a mere Facebook post can bring dozens (or hundreds, or even thousands) of cell phone-wielding customers to our door.
We now know that people use cell phones more often than their desktop computers to find information.
Anyone who thought social media wouldn’t last and/or that smart social media marketing isn’t vital to their brand’s success may need to think again.
And the whole “mobilegeddon” thing anticipated with Google’s big mobile-friendly push earlier in 2015? Some say that was just the beginning.
What does mobile impact on social media mean for your brand? A lot!
Knowing that people aren’t always/necessarily sitting in front of their home computers in their bathrobes and fuzzy slippers at night means brand managers need to be smarter about sharing their information.
We know we need to think about what we’re selling and who we’re selling to. But with mobile’s increased use, we also need to consider when our buyers want to buy, and where they are when they want what we have to offer.
Just because we build it doesn’t mean they’ll come. Now, we need to show them how to get there and what to do once they’ve arrived.
- Information has to be “bite-sized” so it can be seen, understood and acted upon quickly.
- Images and content need to load quickly and direct users to the information they’re looking for within seconds.
- Offers must be crafted to stand out from the competition, and they must be enticing enough to get people to use them when it’s convenient for them to do so.
- The more sharable our messages are the larger audience we’ll reach. (People love to share “mobile” news and deals with friends.)
- We also need to consider influences such as time of day (i.e., lunchtime or rush hour), days of the week (Monday versus Saturday), as well as time of year (i.e., national, local, and personal holidays).
We might consider offering special deals to mobile customers so to track the impact they have over other forms of marketing.
And let’s not forget that social avenues are not created equally! Messages and calls to action (“CTA’s”) are different on Facebook than they are on Twitter. Some venues attract more passive customers while others appeal more to on-the-go types.
The mobile impact on social media is definitely big, and it’s only going to get bigger. Digital marketers just have to figure out how to keep up with it.
If you’re looking for ways to make a bigger social media impact through mobile, click here!
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