OPTIMIZE CONTENT FOR USER EXPERIENCE.
It is difficult to know exactly who is going to access information about your brand digitally, or what device or means they will be using to do it — but when they do, shouldn’t you be prepared to put your best foot forward? Even on the most sophisticated mobile devices, content consumption varies drastically from other digital channels. What you see on your computer screen may look fine on an iPhone, but could be illegible on a BlackBerry or standard flip phone — or vice versa. It’s important to remember that only a minority of Americans own a smartphone. While adoption continues to grow each day, we must remember that MOST consumers are still navigating all mobile content from non-smartphones, and marketers need to tailor content accordingly.

Here’s the reality: It is NOT safe to assume that your content will render appropriately on all consumer devices, including PCs, Macs, iPads (or other tablets), and mobile phones. In fact, don’t even assume that it will render appropriately on ANY of these platforms without performing robust testing across multiple devices and platforms. When a consumer is actively seeking information about your brand on the go, nothing turns them toward your competitors faster than receiving unusable or impractical content. If content requires non-streamlined navigation or an otherwise undesirable user experience, consumers are much more likely to abandon ship than invest time to sift through the mess.

Think about it: if an equipment manufacturer employee, using his BlackBerry, navigates to a well-known engine brand’s website to read about the company’s plan for emissions compliance, and the page renders a distorted screen with 4-point font that is almost impossible to read—is he going to keep trying to read the page and look for a work-around? Or is he going to pop a competitor’s website into his browser and look for the exact same information on a mobile site that works? Here are some key points that marketers should consider, broken out by mobile mechanism (more…)

KEEP IT RELEVANT.
It’s really a marketer’s dream when you think about it — through mobile, customers are now beginning to knowingly and openly grant permission to allow branded messages into their most personal information channel. Advertisers can craft a marketing message, hit “send,” and within seconds an audience of micro-targeted, opt-in recipients feel a buzz in their pockets and are reading that message. Given that fact, it is absolutely crucial that we as marketers maintain a high level of responsibility, and are only sending out relevant information that is going to be valuable to specific consumers.

Let’s take a brief moment to recognize mobile marketing for what it really is: If your messaging is seen by a customer via mobile, it’s because that person granted you permission to be there. Whether that means they intentionally opted-in to an SMS (Short Message Service, i.e., text messaging) subscription program or they see banner ads when perusing the latest “free” app, that person is welcoming branded messages onto his or her phone. Offering up a mobile number is far more personal than providing an email address, home address, or even home phone number — and marketers need to recognize that.

It’s all too easy to get distracted by the innovative glitz and glamour that mobile marketing brings to the table. However, the moment we take consumers’ receptivity for granted and send even one message that is perceived as spam — is the moment mobile starts to lose traction and appeal in the marketplace.

It’s really not that complicated. If you promise exciting, deliver exciting. If you offer an exclusive deal, make sure that deal is going to be enlightening for your customer. If users have opted-in to receive messages from your brand, it is critical that you hold up your end of the bargain and provide them content they can really use and will appreciate. As marketers, we must respect mobile as the highly personal channel that it is.

B2B case study: USPS Deliver Magazine — one giant QR code

What they did right:
Talk about showing innovation and embracing the level of inherent intrigue that mobile creates — what better way to utilize the channel than filling the entire cover of an issue with a giant Quick Response (QR) code? Plus, Deliver did let its readers know what to do with the QR code right on the back cover — something many marketers seem to forget.

What they did wrong:
Deliver does get points for explaining what to do with the QR code. However, this brief description fails to mention that a smartphone with an Internet connection is required — and it doesn’t offer a URL where the user can navigate to find the barcode reader mentioned. But, that isn’t even the biggest problem with this QR code use — see the third point on the back cover’s numbered list: “Be amazed at what you see.” What is the so-called “amazing” place where this QR code redirects users? A contest page perhaps, or access to some exclusive downloadable mobile content?

Not exactly — readers who took the time to actively download a QR code reader and scan the code arrived at the good old Deliver website. This is a classic example of what happens when marketers fail to keep their mobile content relevant. I’m not saying QR codes should never link to companies’ websites — but if that’s what Deliver was going to do, they shouldn’t have promised “amazing.” User experiences like this one will weaken the channel’s effectiveness over time — we don’t want our audience to see a QR code and hesitate, questioning whether or not it’s going to be worth the time to stand there and scan it.

Mobile Marketing in a B2B World — Read what you’ve missed in the series so far, or check back in the coming weeks for more:

• Part 1 — Introduction
• Part 2 — Keep it relevant
• Part 3 — Optimize content and user experience
• Part 4 — Be concise
• Part 5 — Integrate with other channels
• Part 6 — Rich offers or no offers

In the fast-paced world of marketing and advertising, mobile marketing has taken a strong foothold in recent years and continues to grow. Mobile is constantly evolving with new technologies, handsets, and forms of communication becoming available — more than ever, we have a marketing channel that has managed to stay “cutting edge” as it continues to develop in the marketplace. Whether your company is B2C or B2B, mobile has a place in your marketing efforts. As with any medium, it’s just about finding the right fit.

It’s no secret that B2B marketers have not embraced mobile as quickly or completely as their B2C counterparts. The “right fit” might be a full-scale mobile-based marketing campaign, or it might be minimal integration points into the marketing channels you are already using. Regardless, it is important to show your customers that you understand the mobile channel and that you are doing everything you can to reach them in the ways that are most convenient and useful for them. After all, a Pew Research Center study conducted in August 2011 concluded that half of all adult cell owners (51 percent) have used their phones at least once to get information they needed right away, and 27 percent said they have experienced a situation in the last month when they had trouble doing something because they did not have their phones at hand (Pew Research Center, Aaron Smith, Senior Research Specialist, August 2011 study: “Americans and their cell phones”). These statistics don’t discriminate between B2C and B2B customers — and neither should we.

With B2B companies, the connection to mobile may not always be as clear as B2C — but that doesn’t make mobile’s impact on marketing less important. To date, the most utilized mobile channels among B2B companies are mobile Web banner ads, in-app advertising, mobile search engine optimization (SEO), and iPhone application development. While mobile Web advertising and mobile SEO may not be the most glamorous aspects of this emerging channel, they have proven effectiveness and continue to produce positive results.

When formulating a B2B mobile strategy, there are five key points to remember:

• Keep it relevant.
• Optimize content and user experience.
• Be concise.
• Integrate with other channels.
• Rich offers or no offers.

Check back in the coming weeks to catch posts on each of these important topics.