People today have short attention spans and don’t want to take the time to view websites, emails, etc. on mobile devices if they aren’t mobile-friendly. As mobile dominance continues to increase, it’s important to incorporate mobile into your B2B marketing strategy.
More than 59% of B2B purchase decision makers and influencers use their smartphones to gather information when purchasing products or services. This is the reality we are facing in our digital world. And with the B2B sales cycle being longer than B2C, it’s even more important that your digital marketing is set up for mobile. Here some key elements to consider including in your B2B mobile marketing strategy.
Responsive web design
We know the B2B sales cycle can be research-intensive and long. So it’s even more imperative that your website is easy to read and easy to navigate, no matter the device it is being viewed on. Don’t let your website be the reason that you lose potential clients. If your website is complicated, slow to load or simply outdated, then get started with planning a new website.
Mobile-friendly email campaigns
Not only should your website be responsive, but every piece of your digital marketing needs to be mobile friendly. In December 2013, 51% of email opens occurred on a mobile device, which is the first time we’ve seen mobile cross the majority threshold. Email marketing can be a powerful tool for B2B companies if utilized correctly and implemented strategically.
Video
Video accounts for 50% of all mobile data, so video provides an opportunity for marketers to reach their audience with compelling and engaging video content. This can be in the form of a brand video, message from the president or short blog videos. Any way that you can condense content into a video will increase engagement with your visitors.
Mobile apps
According to ORM’s survey, 41% of respondents amongst B2B employers said apps could be used as tools to increase sales. Mobile apps don’t just have to be for B2C companies. Apps come in all shapes and sizes and can be valuable to your clients and prospects. Apps for B2B companies can be used externally or internally for:
– Information collection (e.g. registration forms)
– Dataprocessing
– Results Evaluation (i.e. sales reports, accounting reports, etc.)
For example, does your B2B company hold events often for clients? Mobile apps can be developed to improve the user experience at meetings, conferences or other events your company hosts throughout the year. Creating an event-specific app could provide session schedules, speaker bios, maps and contact information that is easily accessible to attendees.
Another example includes B2B companies in the financial industry that are highly regulated and worried about compliance. A financial services firm could create an app that answers legal questions, provides guidelines for clients or gives safety requirements so clients can know if they are being compliant at all times. It would also be a value-added service for your clients—making your company more valuable and providing better customer service.
Big data and CRM integration
It will be necessary in 2014 for marketers to integrate their CRM and/or marketing automation software with mobile. Because of this, marketers will be able to analyze big data and analytics from the integration. Marketers will also begin to better understand the context of content that users need and how to adjust content to better serve their clients and prospects. Big data will continue to be a trend in 2014 as more targeted and informative data becomes available.
Contextual awareness
In 2014, people will own more devices, not fewer. Because of this, it will be important for marketers to know what their audience is using each device for and how to adjust content based on this data. It will be important to know where your clients are hitting pain points during their cross-screen experience.
For example, for a B2B financial services firm, people might be doing research on the company via desktop but want to contact the company via mobile. This means the contact form needs to be front and center on mobile, but not necessarily on desktop.
Privacy as a priority
With the recent Snapchat hack and stolen credit cards from Target, privacy is a huge concern for mobile users. If your B2B company has an app or website where sensitive information is transferred, be sure to put security at the top of your priority list. Visitors will want to know that their information is secure before they fully engage in any kind of information transfer.
As mobile use continues to grow in 2014, it will be increasingly important for B2B companies to think strategically of how they want to engage in mobile marketing. We hope these tips and trends will help you define your mobile strategy.
