By now, most B2B marketers should understand the importance of thinking “mobile first”. Many have invested in a mobile or – better still – a responsive website.
Problem is, too many think “mobile first” is just about website development. And that means they’re missing a huge opportunity to engage customers and prospects.
Don’t make that mistake: “Mobile first” should touch every part of your digital marketing strategy.
In short, the more your customers become “mobile first”, the more critical it is for you to meet them where they are.
The mobile imperative
Everyone knows mobile is going to overtake PC usage pretty soon – indeed, in America it might have happened already.
There are now over 1 billion smartphones around the globe, and tablets weighed in with an impressive 168 million units in 2014 alone.
A work, its no longer the case that mobile is a handy out-of-office alternative. It’s become the first screen of choice: 70% of younger executives use mobile as their primary source of communication.
If you’re not taking mobile seriously, you’re not taking your clients’ needs seriously. When they reach for their mobile first, your whole digital strategy needs to respond. But what does that actually look like in terms of tactics – other than your new responsive site? Let’s look at a few examples.
Responsive is for email too
First, let’s think about email. After all, 64% of B2B decision makers use mobile for reading it. So why do so many B2B marketers build a responsive website, then send out emails that get squashed, stretched, and mangled on a mobile device?
Lately, it has become a far easier, far more streamlined process to make emails responsive. It works with the vast majority of email client software, and putting in that little bit of extra effort will make the reader happier… and let you sleep that bit easier, knowing they’ll see it how you want them to see it.
Content marketing for mobile
And how about applying “mobile first” to your content marketing strategy?
You own a smartphone. Of course you do. So you know the special hell of staring at a tiny screen, trying to view content that’s not been designed with mobile in mind. But somehow, we seem to forget that experience when it comes to creating content marketing assets.
PDFs still seem to be the order of the day for a lot of content delivery, but what about all the people who find themselves reading text-heavy reports and whitepapers on an iPad or Kindle? Are they getting the best experience you could give them?
Have you ever tried reading a long PDF on a Kindle? It’s like reading a novel through a letterbox – possible, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Providing an alternative in MOBI/ePub is simple and can make a world of difference to those viewing.
And that, in turn, means your content is more likely to get read. Which is the point, isn’t it?
Use apps tactically
So… you thought that responsive site would mean you never had to think about apps again, right?
The fact is, they’re still a useful tactical tool to have at your disposal – especially when it comes to campaign planning. It’s pretty powerful to be already in your client’s pocket, just tap away.
Stripping out the preamble and presenting your content at its leanest and meanest gives you the best chance of driving home that one important point, or making your call to action that much easier.
Think outside the (tick) box
The message is clear: mobile is all-pervasive, so your whole strategy – not just the website – needs to be “mobile first”.
For every piece of your digital jigsaw, you need to think long and hard about how, when and where your audience might receive it, and plan accordingly.
Yes, it’s a big change. But it gets you closer to your customer than ever before. It’s a strategic opportunity to give your digital work – and ultimately your brand – that critical edge over your competitors.
And isn’t that what a marketing strategy’s all about?
