A running joke among many marketers is “Yes...Really!...THIS is the year of mobile.” Because, let’s face it, we’ve been hearing and saying it for many years. (In our defense, we’ve genuinely meant it every year that we’ve said it.)
I remember way back in 2000 when I was working with a client on a B2B financial-services application that was truly breakthrough. The problem? We couldn’t break through until 3G was a reality, and readily available, as the data that the application provided was just too in-depth and up-to-the-minute. Like an anxious kid on a long road trip, I just kept asking “Are we there yet... are we there yet... c'mon, how much longer ‘til we get there?”
Ah, to be at the cutting edge and waiting for the world to catch up. Just like Goldilocks, your porridge (marketing) can’t be too hot (too early) or too cold (too late), it’s gotta be “just right”. And insofar as mobile, the time is just right. And the time is right now.
Yes, B2Bs, this very much means YOU. Because if you think the modern-day worker isn’t accessing the Web from magical little devices that fit in the palms of their hands, then we really need to talk, as the world has changed. Your markets have gone mobile and they're not going back. So your marketing must move forward, too.
But just because of silly ringtones, fave fives and zillions of apps that offer more entertainment than efficiency, don’t be remiss in relegating mobile to the consumer corner as this set of media offers super-sized opportunities for B2Bs, too. In fact, there are many approaches and tools that you can leverage to either increase the impact of existing programs, or to create altogether new strategies for interacting with your business-centric prospects and existing customers. And THIS is the year that you should be learning, experimenting and integrating with mobile.
Why, praytel, is THIS the year of mobile? Here's some B2B food for thought:
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