Over the last few days we have been reviewing the Salesforce 2015 State of Marketing report. A large segment of the report is based on analyzing what marketing tactics companies are most interested in for the coming year. It is no surprise that integrating different marketing tactics creates a stronger marketing campaign. Not only does integration help ensure that your messaging and brand remains consistent across all channels, but when different tactics support each other they all become stronger.
A particularly interesting note in the Salesforce report, however, focuses on the integration of mobile into marketing campaigns. Between B2B and B2C companies, 43% of respondents indicated that mobile was becoming a higher priority as they shifted from traditional advertising to more digital methodologies. The survey indicates that mobile is more effective in generating sales/ROI when it is fully integrated, and of respondents who said mobile was fully integrated, 84% said that they planned to increase their budget for their digital spend.
When you think of mobile you might solely be thinking of mobile apps. Many companies today are feeling pressure to do one of two things – create a mobile app or create a website that is specifically designed for the mobile screen. The report indicates, however, that mobile integration involves far more than simply generating new apps for your company. The needs for B2B and B2C companies tend to vary, so let’s take a look at each segment of the marketing world and how integrating mobile has impacted them.
The B2B World
Two technologies were rated as especially effective when mobile was integrated. Of the respondents who participated, 72% said that CRM tools and Marketing Analytics technologies were very effective when mobile was integrated. Those numbers plummeted to 54% and 55% respectively when mobile was not integrated. It is important to note that 69% of respondents said apps were very effective when mobile was integrated, but that number decreased to 46% when mobile was not integrated. This confirms what all companies should consider before investing in an expensive mobile app – the app cannot be effective in a vacuum. There need to be support from other marketing channels to help make sure the app will work as it is supposed to.
The B2C World
Mobile integration seems to make a much bigger difference, currently, in the B2C world. Here are a few points to consider:
• Apps – 74% indicated mobile apps were more effective with mobile integration versus 40% who found apps effective without integration
• Marketing Analytics – 75% said analytics were very effective when mobile was integrated. That number decreased to 42% without mobile integration
• ERP Software – 73% indicated that ERP software was very effective when mobile was integrated versus only 38% who found it effective without mobile integration
The Year of Mobile, For Real
The executive summary of the report notes in a somewhat tongue in cheek tonality that 2015 is REALLY the year of mobile. Experts have been touting every year for about the last five years by that moniker but it seems to actually be true for this year. Mobile is clearly maturing and evolving beyond just apps and advertising to incorporate other marketing channels and other technologies that previously were not impacted by the mobile world. Not only does mobile make other technologies and platforms more effective, the report establishes as well that mobile can’t exist on its own in a vacuum. Effectiveness of all marketing technologies and tactics is increasingly hinging on how well everything is integrated within the campaign.
What do you make of the Salesforce findings about the effectiveness of mobile integration? Are you seeing facets of this in your own business? We’d love to hear from you.
Image Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/athomeinscottsdale/5171125430/ via Creative Commons