| Spring 2012 |
Friends:
Reliance on mobile devices has quickly moved into the forefront of our professional and personal lives. Today, marketers can't afford to be invisible to the expanding market of mobile users who are increasingly relying on smartphones, and even tablets, to handle daily tasks, which had traditionally been relegated to telephones, computers and laptops.
In this issue, we've identified some recent articles we'd like to share with you to help ensure your marketing campaigns remain visible to the mobile universe.
We hope you enjoy this issue!
Kind regards,
Peter
@peterbaron
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Is your marketing doing a disappearing act on mobile users?
In 2011, the total global shipments of smartphones exceeded those of PCs for the first time, according the research firm Canalys.
Additionally, the worldwide business smartphone market reached a total of 174 million units shipped in 2011, and 216 million units will be sold worldwide in 2012, according to a Strategy Analytics study, "Global Business Smartphone Sales".
Marketers can't afford to be invisible to the expanding market of mobile users who are increasingly relying on smartphones, and even tablets, to handle daily tasks, which had traditionally been relegated to telephones, computers and laptops.
The continued adoption of these devices has led to the expectation of anytime, anywhere access to information, eCommerce applications and other critical business uses. Not surprisingly, mobile searches and the reliance on apps are on the rise, making a mobile-friendly web presence imperative for marketers.
What steps must marketers take to ensure their brands remain highly visible to your mobile customers and prospects?
Foremost is designing websites that are specifically built for use on smartphones. Although many conventional websites will function on such devices, they can often be difficult to navigate or are simply slow to load and use. Make sure such mobile sites are easy to utilize and graphics are more basic than traditional sites. The ability to adapt to new technologies and standards including HTML5 are also important and will allow you to continue to get your message out to the appropriate targets.
With multiple operating systems available for smartphones, make sure the information you want to deliver to your customers will reach them. This means you must tailor your content and offer all digital assets to users of Apple, Android, Blackberry and even other older operating systems such as Symbian and Opera.
Next, work closely with your business and channel partners to help them reach all possible prospects and customers. Fostering strong relationships with these organizations and building beneficial programs make it easier to get your message in the right hands.
In addition to creating websites that work well, introducing applications that are useful to your customers is an important step in remaining relevant in the mobile world. Such wireless applications must go beyond promoting your solutions and services and also help people solve problems. This will allow you to maintain and even increase visibility. However, these applications must not only work well but must be easy to find. Prominently showcase these applications in presentations, on your website and even through direct marketing efforts.
Nearly half of U.S. mobile phone subscribers (49.7 percent) now own smartphones capable of streaming video, texting, downloading apps and other computer-like functions, according to Nielsen's latest survey of mobile subscribers. That's up sharply from 36 percent a little more than a year ago. Ignoring or taking an incorrect approach with your mobile marketing strategy is not only a huge misstep but a quick and certain means of becoming invisible and ultimately irrelevant.
Time to de-Flash your site?
Robert Cunha, an iPad- and iPhone 4-toting systems administrator for the public school system in Burlington, Mass., has experienced his share of the duality of being an Apple fan. On one hand, Cunha helped roll out the district's one-on-one iPad implementation, which puts an iPad in the hands of every teacher and student. But on the other hand, Cunha confirms what many Apple users cite as – and every Web developer knows to be – a major frustration: The lack of Flash support in Apple's mobile devices…
Read more Time to de-Flash your site?
27% of marketing e-mails are opened on mobile devices
A new study of 974 million marketing e-mails across 11 industries shows that use of smartphones and tablets is growing by leaps and bounds as more consumers shift typical computing activities from the desktop to mobile devices in ways that affect m-commerce marketers. 27.39% of marketing e-mails were opened on smartphones and tablets in the last half of 2011, according to mobile marketing firm Knotice. 72.61% were opened on desktops and laptops…
Read more 27% of marketing e-mails are opened on mobile devices
Building Smarter Apps
A new breed of mobile applications is coming. These new apps will not only "sense" the world around you, using the smartphone's sensors like the compass, GPS, and accelerometer – they'll also be able to combine that data with a history of your actions to intelligently determine your likes, interests and favorites. This understanding of the world, or "ambient discovery" if you will, could then be piped into any app to make it smarter, whether it's a social app for finding friends, a Siri-like personal assistant, a fitness app, a mobile game, or anything else…
Read more Building Smarter Apps
4 Mobile Marketing Trends to Watch
As a marketing professional, I spend a lot of time learning and educating on digital trends. With the current rate of growth, mobile marketing has been one of the most exciting to monitor. The data on user adoption is changing almost daily, with consumers actively changing the way they consume, share and publish. To keep up with these changes, brands and media companies are regularly making advancements that affect our industry…
Read more 4 Mobile Marketing Trends to Watch
7 Platforms Local Merchants Can Use to Build Mobile Websites
Savvy consumers are increasingly using their mobile devices to find information about businesses in their local areas. Fifty-four percent of smartphone users now use their phones to "pre-shop" before arriving at stores, and 51% of consumers are more likely to make purchases from retailers with mobile sites…
Read more 7 Platforms Local Merchants Can Use to Build Mobile Websites
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