Nowadays you can’t help but be struck by the fact that more eyes are tuned to mobile screens than actual surroundings. While that can be annoying if not downright rude if you’re talking to someone, it actually bodes well for your mobile marketing. Are you mobile ready?
What Does the Average B2B Buyer Look Like?
While you may have thoughts of the average B2B buyer stuffed in some dark, impersonal office with a giant PC monitor in front of him, the reality is far different.
In fact, at least 42% of B2B buyers use their mobile device to begin the research process. And they’re not just scanning web pages on the morning train commute. Actually, 49% of B2B researchers that use mobile devices are doing so while they’re at work.
In addition, don’t assume that B2B buyers are all grey-haired oldsters. In fact, nearly half of all B2B researchers are millennials aged 18-34 — another compelling reason to up your mobile marketing game.
Ready to learn how to attract mobile buyers? Let’s go!
8 Ways to Improve Your Mobile Marketing
You may have implemented a few of these suggestions. However, they work best in tandem. Plus, it never hurts for your buyers to see a continuity across your brand.
1. Optimize Your Website for Mobile
This is one suggestion that you have (we hope!) already implemented since the April 21 Google deadline for “mobilegeddon”. However, there are a few of you out there who are stalling. You know who you are.
Now, it’s time to get on the bandwagon, because guess what? We can no longer find you in our search results. That’s right. When I’m looking for your service or product, Google isn’t as keen on giving me your name as it is your mobile-friendly competitor’s.
Optimizing for mobile means that your web pages load quickly, without interruption. Need to check your speed? Check out one of these testers, listed under “Free SEO and Website Analyzers.”
If you need some help going mobile, or if you’re not sure that you’re completely optimized, check out our how-to SlideShare.
2. Use Responsive Email
Did you know:
64% of decision makers read their email via a mobile device?
If your emails look the same on a mobile device as they do on a desktop, you’re in trouble.
Emails should contain brief subject lines, preferably 3-5 words.
They should also contain few graphics to limit page load time. Some studies have shown that a 0.1 second load time makes viewers the happiest, while even a one second delay causes users to interrupt their flow of thought. And a 10-second delay is likely to lose the viewer altogether!
3. Engage with Video Content
Can you imagine life without Google? Where would your business come from? How would buyers find you?
Well, now that YouTube is now the #2 search engine, it’s imperative that you make your video presence known as well.
If you’re a little camera shy, don’t worry. We’ve got some tips for you in this SlideShare. Check it out.
4. Don’t Abandon Your Facebook Page
While the popularity of advertising with Facebook has taken a bit of a nosedive, there’s no reason to close your business page forever. In fact, there’s no reason to abandon your Facebook promotions, either.
Your buyers are using their mobile device to access their beloved Facebook and many of them are using the Facebook app to find your business, even if only to reference your phone number or web address. Facebook has become a sort of modern day Yellow Pages. You need to be in the “book” so that your fans can find you on the fly.
A word of caution about Facebook:
Make sure you are posting organically, rather than with a scheduler. Automated postings may never even reach the light of day.
5. Optimize Your Forms
While it may be tempting to use long forms to collect marketing data from your prospects, it’s annoying to those seeking a quick download. Keep forms short and easy to fill out on a mobile device. There should be no need to zoom way in just to type your name. Zoom the form out so that it is easily readable.
6. Make Your Online Content Readable
B2B buyers typically do more research than anyone before they commit to a product or service. Therefore, they need content. Readable content. It needs to be available during the morning commute, when they’re lounging on the sofa at the end of a long day, and when they’re sharing a lunch table with their tablet.
Content should be broken into shorter paragraphs. Remember, if it looks long on a desktop, it’s going to look insurmountable on a mobile device.
Also, avoid using directions in your content, such as “click to your left.” This can be confusing on a mobile device since the area to click may, in fact, be several page scrolls down.
7. Make Your Content Shareable
Many B2B buyers are not the sole decision makers. Not only that, but B2B buyers have some of the biggest appetites for valuable content.
Therefore, you’ll want to make sure you add share buttons to all of your mobile content.
8. Be App Friendly
Americans spend almost half their online time, not surfing web pages, but using apps. There’s a strong chance, that unless you are a large corporation, you don’t need to develop your own app.
However, your presence and availability on other apps is vital. On any given morning commute, it’s likely that one or more passengers is roaming around on their Facebook or LinkedIn app.
Are your social media profiles detailed and thorough? Researchers do not want to waste clicks trying to find your phone number or your location.
Design Your Mobile Marketing Campaign
Buyers are making decisions on the move. Are you reaching out to them in a way that they’ll respond?
