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In 1789, Benjamin Franklin wrote: In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes. For the sake of time, let’s skip death and taxes for now. From my standpoint, the conversation regarding mobile technologies is more appealing. We are more mobile today than ever before. While email has its purpose, many of us prefer the immediacy of texting. We own Blackberries, iPhones, iPads, and so on. In essence, we want information while on the run. We don’t have time to boot up our laptop, run a web search, and get back on the road. It’s now or never. How is your business catering to the mobile customer? Do you have a plan? Perhaps the best question is the following: Do you know the type of information that mobile customer wants to receive from you? You can rest assured that your competition either knows this answer, or is currently doing the research. Knowing Your Customer A recent Harris Interactive survey revealed the following regarding mobile users: • 81% indicated that when they are looking for information on their mobile device, they need it right away. • 40% of the smartphone users stated they are more swayed by users’ opinions given in the last 24 hours than those expressed a month ago. • 68% were interested in learning whether a restaurant was busy at the moment. • 63% of the respondents indicated that the current tone of the crowd was important when choosing the location. • 40% of smartphone users wished they would have known more about what was taking place when observing a crowd. Your Vibes Matter Regardless of the business you own, you must have a plan in place to capture the mobile audience. Are you sending out vibes to let everyone know about the products and services you offer? It’s imperative you use social media to spread the word. From a marketing standpoint, this means we begin with a push approach. In essence, we are pushing the message to the customer. Getting Started Targeting mobile users requires a plan, and it’s not that tough to get going. Start with the people who frequent your business. You need to collect social media information, such as Twitter and Facebook. It’s also helpful to request mobile phone telephone numbers, and ask for permission to text specials, promotions, and event information. Second, create a simple plan. Remember that a plan requires that you measure performance. The first step in planning is to determine where you are, otherwise known as your baseline. For most businesses, the level of sales is an excellent metric. If your business is slow on Tuesday nights, perhaps you can run a promotion on a product or service for that timeframe. Avoid getting discouraged when a marketing initiative fails to work. In some cases, a simple adjustment to the delivery can make a positive difference. You can change the headline, increase the discount, or target a new age group. Once you have a plan in place, making adjustments is easier, especially since you will learn what is effective, and what you should avoid doing. The bottom line is that mobile technologies are here to stay. Electronic gadgets will continue to get smaller in size, and even more powerful. The expectations are that businesses will be proactive in providing updated and immediate information to consumers. We are undoubtedly becoming digital nomads.
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