Imagine yourself as a marketer from the dark ages. I’m talking really dark… like in 2005 when Britney still had her original hair. You settle into your desk and turn on your noisy dial-up internet and start your beloved orange Mac. As you give your MYSPACE business account some love and make some calls on your stylish Motorola Razor, you think to yourself, “What a great time to be alive!”
And then the adventure kicks into overdrive and suddenly the world follows in Bradley Cooper’s footsteps from Limitless. One clear little pill later and you’ll never see the world quite the same again. As we press fast-forward on the last decade, we watch as archaeologists stumble upon extinct species like the rare fax machine, VHS, and the floppy disk. And you think to yourself, “Whoa, where did the time go?”
The good news is that it’s still a great time to be alive. Technology continues to evolve and now we find our lives ruled by the tiny screens that line our pockets or our purse. We’re on our smartphones while we walk down the sidewalk, on the loo, and even under our pillow while we sleep. As our connection to the outside world, we treat our smartphones like an extension of ourselves. In fact, 79% of users refuse to put their phones down.
Unless you’ve been living in an underground bunker for the past 12 years, you’ll know that smartphones are dominating our lives. Our symbiotic relationships can be described as everything from a habit to an addiction. We need them and they need us. Together, we’re like Sonny and Cher. We’re officially entrenched in the Mobile Era and here are a few tips to help you navigate the new terrain.
RIP Snail Mail and Carrier Pigeons
It’s time to put that envelope down and release your stash of birds. Trust me. And then rejoice because email is smarter, faster, and more effective than ever before. I’d even dare to say email is sexier. Between gifs, graphics, and content that inspires, businesses can thrive or starve based on the quality of their email skills.
And the smartphone is a real game changer. This little pocket rocket has changed the way we reach our customers with a staggering 68% checking emails from their pocket. What does that mean? Well for starters, it means that mobile-friendly design is no longer an option or an after-thought. If you like your customers as much as we do, you’ll need to dazzle them with perfectly aligned columns, balanced images, and CTA buttons that really sing.
Revive Your Social Circles
Have you ever gotten the feeling that your friends are all hanging out without you? I know, it hurts. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Try hanging out where your customers like to hang and you’ll be surprised at the connections you can make. When it comes to the ruler of the mobile social circles Pinterest is the winner, followed closely by Facebook, Twitter, and Insta.
If your social accounts have dried out and gone into mummified status, I encourage you to breathe some life into them. Social media is like a garden. It takes time to plant your seeds and only through the right combination of love, attention, and sunshine will your garden bloom. But once it starts going, watch out! Companies that embrace social attract 80% more site traffic than those that don’t.
Take a Cue from The Jetsons
When it comes to predicting the future, no one did it better than The Jetsons. They absolutely nailed it from video-calls to talking mobile phones, smartwatches, and digital newspapers. The prediction that excites me beyond words is the ability to spend money and buy what you need or want from the convenience of our own pocket.
There’s probably an emoji for anything you need.
Thanks to text message power, you can re-order your favorite meat-lovers pizza by texting a pizza emoji to Dominos. Or you can repeat your Youfoodz order by simply texting rollover. Or your favorite retailer can text you when their best sale of the season happens so you don’t miss out. The power of the pocket is limitless, so I urge you to think about how you can add in some text-flavor to your marketing mix and watch the sales roll in!
