Branding Your Mobile Business

We are facing a completely technological era, where social and consumer demands require us to be in constant evolution and communication with the world.

Why Do I Need a Mobile Business?

There?s no escaping it. Mobile devices have drastically shifted the online landscape.

• There are an estimated 8.8 million smartphone users in Australia, and there are predictions that they will reach 12.2 million by the end of 2012.
• According to research from Google, mobile Internet usage by Australians now rivals that of PCs for activities like social networking and, soon, shopping.
• Behind Singapore, Australia has the highest smartphone penetration in the world at 37% and we?re also consuming more apps, the research revealed.
• Australians have on average 25 apps on their phone (8 of which are paid) vs. 23 for the US and Britain.
• The rise of smartphones is dramatically increasing the use of the Internet overall in Australia, and we?re seeing mobile and smartphone usage starting to approach, or even match, PC usage.
• Searches are one of the most popular uses of the mobile Internet. 2 in 5 Australians search on their smartphones daily, as opposed to 3 in 5 on their PC.
• Australians are also using their smartphones to find local businesses, and a third of Australian smartphone users have made a web-based purchased after conducting a local search.

A Marketing Plan

Companies should build a strategy based on the entire customer experience and not just based on technologies on hand, or just on features and functions.

It?s imperative to evaluate how your customers are actually using mobile technologies across their entire customer lifecycle.

If integrating a mobile strategy, such as an iPhone app development, is on your company?s radar, then these tips will help to get you going:

• Initiation of a mobile strategy should always begin with thinking about the basics ? who, what, why and how.
• Who are your customers and who are you trying to reach? Who will want to engage with your mobile content?
• What tasks and needs does your audience have?
• Why do your customers need information from you in a timely manner?
• Why do you need to create content to be viewed both in standard web browsers and on mobile devices?
• A solid mobile strategy will include several ways to connect with consumers via their mobile devices, including easy contacts such as a 1300 number.
• How will your target audience access your mobile content (which type of handheld device)?
• How will they use your content in their daily lives?
• How will you make your mobile content sticky and engaging?
• Text or SMS/MMS, Bluetooth messaging, marketing campaigns, mobile coupons, and geolocation are all very different and provide assets that if used correctly, will cover your basic mobile ecosystem.

Mobile Apps

There are now numerous mobile apps serving informative tips, educational bits, or pure entertainment or gaming. Mobile apps boost brand awareness and affinity, but again,you must have a thorough understanding of your audience.

The best way to use apps is to create something that is both useful and valuable. More importantly, it should be functional (like a calculator), entertaining (like a video, game or music), or provide some sort of social connectedness (like an app for a special user community). Also, most mobile users don?t want to spend an hour interacting with your content; they usually want one very specific thing.

Without a doubt, mobile marketing could be the greatest opportunity to differentiateyourself from your competitors and build loyal customers.

Source: http://www.urbancartography.com/branding-mobile-business/

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