Thinking about the evolution of marketing in the last decade alone, it’s pretty mind-blowing! Especially how mobile has forever changed the way we engage with our favorite brands.
The billboard, television or email campaigns of the past have transformed into in-app messages, chatbots, and social memes. These are just some of the marketing channels that have developed in the last decade. And it doesn’t stop here since more channels are being introduced all the time, especially with the introduction of voice-activated technology.
Results first!
But effectively utilizing these new channels seems to have gotten lost in translation. In fact, driving business value through effective customer engagement is an area where many brands have fallen short.
That’s where the bottom line comes! The best creative marketing campaign is worthless if there are no real business results to show.
So when it comes to reaching people on that little thing that’s in our hands for hours every day, results matter. We’re in a mobile-first world, and every business needs to adapt or risk losing out on the majority of their audience. And while it’s important for marketers to engage customers on all channels, that alone is not the be-all and end-all.
Experiences matter the most!
By no means should we downplay the importance of omnichannel, but it shouldn’t be viewed as the universal cure for all marketing worries.
Experiences and solutions are what matter most to customers, so focusing only on the channels and ignoring the importance of content means marketers will inevitably fall short on delivering a great experience. Simply sending messages to users on every channel is meaningless if those messages don’t drive positive changes in user behavior.
An irrelevant, poorly timed, unhelpful message, regardless of whether it’s being sent by push, email or pop-up will underwhelm or annoy your target customer the most.
Personalize as much as possible
That said, focusing on vanity metrics like clicks or views, or simply sending messages via a channel without the proper level of insight on a user is a recipe for disaster. It’s imperative that data sits at the core of every action to drive positive, personalized customer experiences.
Personalization is something everyone knows about but ignores, and it will come to life in 2018. It’s creating unique content for different types, and in some cases, individual customers, visitors, and users.
Through personalization, you can ensure that your visitors will get relevant content that makes sales and drives massive conversions.
Prepare for mobile first
According to specialists, nearly 80% of internet usage will be mobile in 2018. This is a huge shift that will change the way content operates online.
Look to design your media to be most appealing to mobile visitors, and then look to add desktop functionality as an added bonus.
The reality is, to do mobile right and to drive results requires its own focus and organization strategy. Organizations with dedicated cross-functional mobile teams outperform their peers by nearly 50 percent when it comes to monthly active user growth on mobile.
With people spending nearly 74 minutes each month in apps, now more than ever, brands can’t afford to get mobile wrong. Mobile marketing is an industry that allows for real-time, interactive communication with a customer which means it’s also unforgiving. One irrelevant message, despite the channel, and your customer may turn their back on you forever.
A better focus on results makes campaigns stronger, fosters growth and makes customers happier. And happy customers drive positive business results.