Did you know;
• There are more mobile connections in the world than bank accounts.
• Apple iPhone products created more revenue in 2012 than all of Microsoft’s revenue and made more profit that the whole of GE (the 6th largest firm in the USA) combined.
• There are 24 million smartphone users in the UK.
• Of all of these users 80% of their time is app based, 20% browser based.

Despite all of these statistics, (from the Chartered Institute of Marketing) 65% of marketers have no mobile integration for their site. Citing lack of time and internal expertise as the main reasons why.

This is where digital specialists can help, but it is important to integrate digital with the rest of your marketing strategy and not treat it as a separate function. Many firms hire young interns to handle digital (particularly social media) only to find it isn’t co-ordinated with the rest of their communications and they have left their audience confused.

Planning and timing is key when you have digital and direct mail as part of the same campaign, for example. But, don’t do digital for digital’s sake. Use it where relevant, where it will add something and provide a benefit to your users.

Which leads me nicely on to planning digital communications. Perhaps because digital communications are more immediate, or because they are simpler to publish, brands seem to be taking less care with them. I see so many typos in social media and other digital communications, when you should be giving them no less attention than you would a printed piece. It’s going to the same audience and so take the same amount of care with all communications. People accept mistakes or ‘autocorrects’ from individuals, but not from companies.

Decide what digital communications will work for you and what your audience wants to receive. Is it providing a benefit to them? Is it creating a return or other value to you? And no, not just page views or likes, I mean real value.

Also, take note that not all technology is advancing. A CIM survey of 1,000 marketers in 2012 found that 51% had used QR codes that year but only 38% intended to in 2013. There was also a very low take up in location based functionality and augmented reality (5%).

Consider mobile as part of your strategy but make it relevant, make it targeted and make it fit for purpose. There are so many phone devices, tablets and smart TVs available now that your customers want to connect to you through. Think about their journey, when and how they are using each one and deliver specific content to it.

I'll leave you with what I think is a great application of mobile marketing. Check out this Tesco poster on a train platform in Seoul, Korea. Commuters can do their shopping by scanning QR codes on the items in the picture via the shops app, which then orders and pays for their shopping whilst they are waiting for their train.

 

By Sophie Morris, Sponsorship & Marketing Consultant at Millharbour Marketing.

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