I recently wrote a blog on why mHealth brands must embrace a mobile strategy. It seems like a natural extension of what these companies already do, but when it comes to marketing, somehow the mindset goes directly to tactics rather than strategy. When you stop and think, it makes more sense to examine what you’re doing right that’s working now, and tweak it to embrace your consumer’s current mobile habits.
So, if you know your customer’s habits … you can tailor a meaningful and relevant mobile strategy that fits their needs.
mHealth Brands: Your Customers Love Mobile
Here are three ways consumers are using mobile today, condensed from an article by marketing author John Jantsch:
1) Content is getting consumed on mobile devices on the go
I have a Nexus7, iPhone, iPad, Kindle Fire. I use apps like Reeder and Flipboard on most of those devices to consume content. And, while I’m not your average online folk, my wife does the same and so do my kids.
Content must be made to be consumed by people using really small screens riding in a car, at the library and at a conference. Right now, there are very few business that can pull off a generally useful app, but every business should invest in making all of their content pitch perfect for the various ways it’s being consumed.
2) Mobile is a key element in the buying process
And, here’s the most important aspect of that behavior – mobile shoppers are proving more valuable then traditional shoppers, including demonstrating less price sensitivity according the July Mobile Retail Insights report from Mobile Ad Network Greystripe.
Mobile shoppers, people who do research on the fly looking for somewhere to shop, eat, drink, visit, or even hire a service, are more likely to jump on the things they find first, conveniently and seamlessly. The key is to understand that mobile is a link in the buying chain and proper integration is where conversion comes from.
3) People expect mobile engagement
Once you understand this behavior you’ll stop bad mouthing text message marketing. That’s not to say that there aren’t people doing it poorly or using it to spam, but it is to say there are terribly powerful and valid reasons to use SMS.
Enabling mobile engagement through tools such a click to call, click to chat or click for driving directions is another way to help people get what they want in the highly impatient, highly motivated world of mobile commerce.
So start thinking like your customer and understand that it isn’t about the technology, it’s about delivering a mobile experience. Figure out how you can use the technology to make something your customer is already doing easier and better. If you do that, you’ll be engaging with your customer on their terms … when and how they want to be. That can only be a good thing.
For more information download our free Mobil Marketing Tip Sheet.
