Create a mobile strategy

There are many statistics talking about the continuing explosion of mobile as a marketing channel – and although consumer campaigns tend to get a bigger profile, B2B businesses can and should be aware of the great things it can do for them.

However, that doesn’t mean jumping in without thinking or designing a cool app just to impress the chairman. Using mobile effectively means developing a clear and coherent strategy from day one:

1. Fit mobile to your business and marketing objectives
You have to know exactly what you’re trying to achieve with your marketing efforts. Is it about generating new business, or building brand awareness, or retaining existing customers, or a mixture of these or even something else entirely? Mobile can play a role in each but the nature of the campaign will be markedly different.

2. Know your audience
B2B mobile is about providing the right information to the right people at the most relevant time, so you need to know not just what they want but what they need. For example, if you’re a financial services provider and you need to share time-sensitive information, then text messages are immediate and get read quickly.

You can start with a contact database or build it yourself (depending on the state and size of the existing data). If your database is not clean and up to date then mobile marketing can help you get there by using it in conjunction with other marketing channels to cleanse the data.

3. Understand the information flow
Mobile is often at its best where customers need communication quickly and/or repeatedly. You can be extremely tailored in your approach so that you know which phone is looking at your site and whose it is – and therefore serve the most appropriate information based on previous behaviour.

However, don’t over-message – there will be a balance between delivering communications to customers and getting them to come to you.  You need to ensure the content of the communications is of value to the receiver.

4. Mobile site vs. messaging vs. apps?
A dedicated mobile site or mobile-optimised site will normally be at the heart of a B2B strategy. Not everyone will want to put an app on their phone. Organic search is where mobile site visits will usually begin, followed by a more ‘marketed’ approach to start pushing people to your site. That site should have the most relevant information at any moment and be dynamic, simple and quick.  

However, mobile marketing can also involve messaging and apps. At the end of the day, what is actually used for communication between the two businesses should be in the hands of the customer and will depend on the depth of the relationship: e.g. people who have a strong relationship with a company may well have the usage needs for an app on their phone (although even then they may not want a business app on a personal phone), whereas lighter users may well be happier to browse and keep site details.

But don’t make the mistake many consumer brands make, and automatically think you need a cool game or an app using augmented reality or QR codes. Add value – don’t be flashy just because the technology allows you to be.

5. Integrate mobile with your other communications
There’s no point creating an SMS campaign if the messaging your customers get by text is different to what they see in your direct mail or advertising. It’s amazing how many B2B businesses still create conflicting messages when they employ mobile, when in fact reinforcing the same message through multiple channels can make your campaign (and therefore your business) seem much bigger than it actually is. For example, if you’re announcing an important new business partnership you can inform key (and relevant) customers by text as well as through other channels.

B2B businesses all need to communicate to their customers in the most appropriate manner. A mobile strategy supports this in everything from actually selling your products and services to providing customers with added value (e.g. stocking data, sales staff availability, information they could use to help to sell to consumers and so on).

For example, a food wholesaler could create a strategy based around its mobile website:

  • It should cover the basics, such as being able to place  a ‘normal’ order
  • It should tempt retailers with new menus and new ingredients
  • It can raise awareness of new, ‘fresh’, ingredients as soon as they’re available e.g. top end fish
  • It can be promotional when needed and push particular stock
  • It can provide added value such as details about the food items consumers may want (e.g. where and how they’re farmed)
  • It can react immediately to weather conditions and ensure the right items are being offered; e.g. a colder spring means more hot food items

The business could also prompt use of the site by SMS messaging or using targeted creative executions to attract the right audience through paid search.  The site is immediate and delivers the most appropriate information at the right time. In addition, heavy usage customers can have the pick of site or app – but either way, mobile is used to provide immediacy and relevancy.

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