Spending on print advertising is down. Companies are slashing travel budgets and cutting out tradeshows. Printing and postage costs are continuously rising. What’s a B2B marketer to do?
Take a look in your pocket, or purse, or that leather thingy strapped to your belt. That’s right: it’s your mobile phone.
I’m of the opinion that the most efficient and effective way for B2B marketers to reach their target audience will soon be through their smart phones and MIDs (that’s Mobile Internet Devices, for you non-geeks. You geeks can go here).
As those who know anything about me will attest, I am an iPhone junkie. I’m talking JUNKIE!!!! I’m always on it. Mapping out routes. Looking up movie times. Booking flights. Solving factual arguments. Searching for solutions to my business problems.
Wait. Back that one up. ‘Searching for solutions to my business problems?’ Why on earth would I do that?
Because with the wealth of information on the Internet, you can find educational content on any topic you choose with a few taps and maybe a swipe. And with web browsers for mobile phones becoming more technologically advanced, people can search for your solutions any time, anywhere. Plus, it’s getting easier and easier to deploy lead-capturing tools on mobile devices.
Here are a few quick tips for B2B marketers to make sure your prospective customers find you when they’re tapping away on their smart phones and MIDs:
Go Mobile: Please make absolutely sure your website and e-mail marketing campaigns are smart phone and iPhone accessible and include a phone number, as most smart phones have a click-to-dial feature. Or, you could always create a dedicated mobile site.
Get Out There: Optimize your website with ‘solutionizing’ key words and phrases by cramming it chock-full of meaty, educational content. When your prospective customer types or taps their problem into Google, you want to come up first (or at least on the first page).
Be Social: Develop (and frequently update) a blog and use social media tools. Then, make sure to promote this in everything you do. That’s a surefire way to build up your street (er, web) cred.
Get Wired: Send newsworthy press releases to online trade media outlets and post them to the wire.
Don’t Worry. Be Appy: Create an App that your prospective customers will benefit from using.
Texter Beware: I recommend limiting SMS campaigns unless it’s a reminder to attend an event someone has registered for or something like that and they have specifically agreed to receive text messages from you. Otherwise, it just reeks of intrusiveness to me.
Don’t just take it from me. Check out the results of this research study, which found that SEO, PPC and e-mail had the highest influence on conversions. Adapting these strategies to mobile devices is a surefire way to cost-effectively reach your target audiences.
What do you think? Are texting campaigns the best thing since sliced sashimi? Are you reading this blog post from a mobile device? Can you refer me to a 12-step program for iPhone addiction? Let me know.
