Ok marketers, the year’s in full swing so it’s time to get your mobile strategy in shape.
In 2015, mobile traffic for the first time exceeded that of desktop. 100% of Facebook’s revenue growth comes from smartphones and tablets. Plus, with Mobilegeddon, Google has conveyed a strong message…
“Non-mobile-friendly sites will disappear from top results”
2015 was the year that mobile surpassed every other device and in 2016 we will see its full effects. Including more integration between the online experience and the real one, as well as even more multimedia communication with users, texts, images, video and live streaming.
To perform well and stay ahead of your competitors, you need a strong mobile strategy. Is your site ready?
The workout plan for your next mobile strategy
Keeping up with the pace of these changes isn’t easy. Mobile is a new world and the strategies that were valid up until a few years ago are now unfashionable and inadequate.
To help you out I’ve put together six exercises that will help your projects get back into shape and strengthen your mobile marketing strategy. If you are dedicated, you’ll be faster than your competitors and you’ll become more flexible for future developments.
1. Tone up your mobile site
After the recent Google search algorithm changes, it is clear that a great desktop site has less and less relevance to Google. What matters is that it has to be mobile-optimized, have fast loading time and rich content for users.
The key is to tone up your website content: text, structure, images, and everything else must be reduced to the essentials.
Your mobile site doesn’t have to be an exact copy of what is meant for desktop because the way of using it is completely different. People who browse on smartphones are interested in finding information they need right away. So opt for much less information, but make it all relevant.
With technology you can do so much more than just offer a “recommended product”. You can offer the users the possibility to choose items in their preferred color or price and suggest the nearest store where they can buy it. Why not take advantage of this opportunity?
Your equipment
To streamline your content, these are the tools that are a must in your training bag:
- InboundWriter and Scribe to improve content optimization
- CloudWords and OneSky to locate users and translate the content of your site
- SumoMe and Optimizely to increase conversions
2. Cross-fit the formats
Which format do website visitors engage with the most?
That’s right, video. 50% of mobile traffic consists of video, and by 2017 it will reach 69% of all online traffic, rising up to 79% in 2018 (source: Hubspot).
Facebook offers advertisers the possibility to insert video ads. Google is also planning to introduce video ads in search results in 2016.
Here’s the secret – don’t just create video and stop. Create a path of multi-format content. Slideshows, infographics, guides, branded comics…
That’s how you will keep your audience engaged for longer.
Your equipment
Here are some free tools that will help you along the way:
- Canva and Venngage to create fantastic infographics
- Oomfo and Projeqt for animated and interactive presentations
- Makeagif and Freegifmaker to create gifs to share on social media
3. Stretch the app
Some have already figured this out for some time now, but in 2016 most brands will fully realize the importance of an app in their mobile strategy.
Apps can do anything that a website can, but in a more intuitive and accessible way. For this reason, they will gain more exposure even on Google’s search results.
But how do you create one that works? Put yourself in the shoes of the user. Today there is an app for everything: to plan your meetings, check your sports activity and performance, or help you follow your diet. Most importantly they all deal with one thing at a time.
Your equipment
There are two ways to create an app depending on the time and budget you have available. If you’re time poor but have some budget, contact a specialized web agency.
Otherwise, choose an online system for creating websites and apps. These systems do not require technical expertise and offer ready-made templates to create your own app in a couple of minutes on a tight budget.
4. Pump-up Facebook campaigns
Do you know how many advertisers there are on Facebook?
2.5 million (source: Venturebeat), an increase of 80% over the past two years, while 57% of their budget is dedicated to mobile (source: Socialbakers).
Advertising on Facebook is becoming increasingly difficult and expensive, and it will be even more so in 2016. However, considering that it has 1.1 billion active users, we’re forced to be part of the game.
To get noticed by your customers without an unnecessary waste of resources, you should focus on increasing conversions.
Your equipment
Integrate these tools into your daily routine
- Hootsuite Ads to automatically generate your ads from the content on your Facebook page
- Qwaya to automate testing on best performing ads
- AdEspresso’s Facebook Ads Compass to have a full report of all the data of your campaigns
5. Jump in the conversation
Mobile will grow in 2016, that’s for sure. While many marketers are focused on advertising, emails and digital coupons, walk an extra mile and start a conversation with your customers. This is also what smartphones are for – to connect directly with other people. It is no surprise that messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Messenger have 900 million monthly active users (source: Fortune).
There will soon be marketing spaces here, as announced by Facebook, and they will provide more opportunities compared to traditional ads. Keep this in mind for your strategy. Allocate a portion of your budget to these novelties and be the first one to try them out.
Your equipment
While waiting for these new spaces to promote your brand, start monitoring what your customers are talking about.
- BuzzSumo will help you find out which topics your target market is most interested in
- Mention keeps an eye on people’s opinion on your competitors
- SocialSearcher will help you monitor the status of users on Facebook and Twitter
6. Remember to breathe
Focusing on your own mobile strategy is important, but you should also look around from time to time. During the year, new trends that are currently emerging could become significant such as Echo, Cortana, Siri and other personal assistance systems. Being among the first ones to ride the wave of the latest trends will give you a great competitive advantage.
Your equipment
Keep up with the latest trends. Participate in webinars and join events. Check out marketing novelties on a daily basis.
Do you think it will take too much time? Here are some tools that will help you quickly absorb ideas:
- Feedly to have an eye on news of the sectors that interest you
- Wordtracker to find out the most relevant keywords in the past 48 hours
- TweetStats to know the hottest topics on Twitter
Now it’s your turn
If you adopt a mobile attitude to strengthen up your marketing strategy on a day-to-day basis, with perseverance and confidence in your abilities, we assure you that you will obtain great results.
The tips mentioned above can apply to everyone and your job now is to understand how to apply them – every athlete has weaknesses they have to work on. Take your mobile strategy for 2016 and look at its critical points.
What will you start working on?
Guest Author: Silvio Porcellana is the CEO and Founder of mob.is.it, the online tool over 1,000 agencies and professionals use to build mobile websites and native apps for customers worldwide. From his retreat in the Monferrato Hills in North West Italy, he bootstraps companies, writes about web and mobile marketing, and helps customers succeed online. Read more from Silvio at mob.is.it blog. Twitter: @silvioporcellan
The post 6 Workouts To Strengthen Your Mobile Strategy appeared first on Jeffbullas's Blog.
