Mobile
marketing and advertising may still be in its formative years, but 2011 proved
beyond a doubt that it’s a rapidly growing segment that deserves serious
attention if companies expect to stay ahead of the curve. Consider this:
- Over 8 trillion text messages were sent in 2011
- Mobile Marketing ad spend worldwide is predicted to skyrocket to $20.6 billion in 2015
- Mobile searches have quadrupled in the last year, and for many products, one in seven searches are now mobile
- 71 percent of smart phone users that see TV, press or online ad, do a related mobile search
But despite
these eye-popping mobile statistics, many companies seem to be completely
unprepared or intentionally ignoring mobile marketing altogether, from relatively simple
oversights (not having a mobile-friendly website) to more serious offenses (lack
of mobile SEO). With so many consumer devices on the market–smart phones,
tablets, e-readers, handheld games, and a litany of
others–advertisers have a tremendous opportunity before them. Because
we’re no longer tethered to our computers, brand engagement and mass content
consumption is now possible wherever we go. This brings us to our next
point…
#2 –
Develop a manageable content marketing strategy.
Long gone
are the days when companies could build a slick-looking website and call it a
day.
Today’s
customers demand timely, relevant content, and lots of it. Content
consumption is occurring in massive amounts and will only continue to gain
momentum, with blogs, video, social media, email, podcasts, webinars, and many
other channels all competing for prospects’ attention spans.
The need to
develop an effective but manageable content marketing strategy that enables
businesses to engage on multiple levels and within many different contexts is
greater than ever in 2012, as brands struggle to capture mindshare amidst the
constant ebb and flow of information. Content curation tools that cull
the web for useful, share-worthy content can help brands cope with such high
demand.
#3 –
Embrace new social media channels.
In 2011
advertisers stopped questioning whether or not social media was a fad.
(Having Facebook and Twitter presences has become just as standard as
having a website. Bonus points if you’re on Google Plus, too.) But
your social media strategy shouldn’t just stop at marketing through the usual
suspects (LinkedIn, YouTube, or whatever the platform may be).
The
maturation of social media has given rise to plenty of popular new players,
many of which cater to niche audiences and interests. For instance,
retailers would be keen to pay attention to taste-makers using platforms like Pintrest and ThisNext to get their social
window-shopping fix. Of course not every shiny new social media site is
worthy of your investment, but the point is to go beyond the familiar to
explore these new avenues, and then figuring out how to integrate them into
your social commerce strategy.
#4 –
Keep a much closer eye on competitors.
In this
digital “crazy age”, disruption is happening everywhere you look. A few
wrong decisions (or lack of decisions, for that matter) can easily turn into a
prime opportunity for hungry competitors. Even once-darling brands like
RIM and Netflix have fallen prey, left wondering how things have changed so
much and so quickly. With so much innovation, companies can no longer
afford to rest on their laurels and must compete like challenger brands to
survive. The evolution of digital marketing and advertising has, in many
ways, leveled the playing field. Smart companies who are investing in new
online marketing tactics and ad technologies must assume the same of their
competitors. As such, competitive tracking and monitoring should be an
integral part of your strategy.
#5 –
Anticipate and prepare for change.
The start
of every New Year is rife with predictions, especially when it comes to
technology. Which start-ups will fold? What devices will come out on
top? At this time last year, i-Pads didn’t exist yet. What future
tools and technologies will shape our marketing and advertising decisions?
These are the types of questions businesses need to consider when
formulating their marketing plans and allocating budget. We cannot
predict exactly what the future will bring, but we can make informed
preparations. Keeping up with technology news, marketing statistics, and
regularly reviewing search and social analytics to understand how your own
efforts are impacted will be critical to success this year. If you expect
to continue the status-quo, perhaps it would be best to just check your
expectations at the door.
Fasten
your seat belts–2012 is going to be a wild ride!
- Effective Integrated Digital Marketing
Solutions
We Offer Include, Email Marketing, Mobile Marketing, SMS Marketing, Social
Media Marketing, Website Search Engine Optimization, Online Content Marketing,
Digital Advertising, Online Sales Promotion and Other Special Digital Marketing
Communication Solutions. We Have Been Serving The Nigerian Market Since 2000.
18,
Alafia Street, Off Nelson Cole Ave,
Off
Iju Road, Ifako-Ijaiye, Lagos.
Email:
Omnibuscompany@Yahoo.Com
Whatsapp:
08185000488
