Waking up to multiple notifications from different applications to watching one more video on Instagram before sleeping, do we really have a void in our lives anymore? Thanks to our mobile screens! Also, if you look around, all you see are necks craning down, scrolling pages, switching from one app to another. Coffee breaks, daily commute, breaks during meeting sessions, all these gaps occurring in a day are filled by mobile content that keeps people engaged on the move.
What does this indicate?
Being in the industry I am, I can only infer one conclusion: The impact content can generate through mobile marketing is incredible! Because today, our audience prefers a mobile screen instead of a desktop for content consumption. The number of mobile users today is a tremendous 4.68 billion, forecasted to cross the 5 billion mark soon. This number is not limited to young users as the smartphone penetration in the age group 55-70 is expected to reach 85 percent by 2023 in developed countries. In India specifically, the penetration of the rural population in the internet space is already in progress and by 2020, they will form 50% of India’s internet users which has led to 400% growth in Hindi search. To provide value to these mobile-only users, competition among manufacturers to provide devices with state-of-the-art features at minimal price is on the rise. Also, an interesting fact is that many of smartphone owners rely on their mobile data instead of installing a connection at home. All these developments boil down to one thing – today, people need engaging content on the move, anytime and anywhere. If your content is not optimized according to their needs, there’s a fair chance you might lack behind in the race.
What are brands doing?
Understanding the evolving demands of customers, several brands have joined the bandwagon of mobile marketing. Doritos and Coca Cola both initiated mobile-oriented campaigns and games, exclusively for their mobile users. The game of mobile marketing was given a twist by Krispy Kreme who geo-targeted their audience. For their annual ‘Talk Like a Pirate Day’ promotion, they reached out to their customers within 5 km of store locations and encouraged them to share content created by them in the context of pirates to receive a free donut from an employee! One of the key players who leverage this location-based technology is Google, as it is going to start generating personalized map recommendations and sell ads by convincing drivers to alter their routes and drive to nearby stores or restaurants. Audio content marketing has expanded their reach thanks to voice-enabled assistance and the rise of mobile phones. Recently, Spotify launched voice-enabled ads on mobile devices so that listeners could verbally engage with the ad’s content. Whirlpool collaborated with Amazon and developed a product line of voice-activated appliances to address customer queries and provide guidance during the purchase.
Why this sudden rise in mobile-centric marketing?
As per KPMG, a mobile device is the central part of any consumer purchase cycle. Even if your buyer is in a physical store, a mobile phone is the in-store shopping companion for them before they make an actual purchase. In fact, Google found that a single makeup purchase generated over 40 organic searches and 125 digital touchpoints and it ended with the consumer searching for a nearby store and purchasing it. With an array of social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok, brand positioning becomes even more important as today’s audience does not follow a linear path during purchase and considers these platforms for review. To make things easier and provide a pleasant experience, almost all platforms removed black bars on vertical videos in 2019. Instagram started supporting horizontal content to deliver creative freedom to content creators. Sachin Sharma, Director-Sales and Partnerships, TikTok India, said, “What makes TikTok unique for brands is that a user is invested and engaging with the content on the platform, thus adding to the recall value of any brand campaign.” Hence, it becomes essential to make the most of the recently launched user-friendly tools and features to create effective and engaging content. Swiggy manifested the power of TikTok through the ‘Swiggy Starhunt’ campaign where its delivery partners had an opportunity to showcase their talent and make their jobs more entertaining. The 1500+ videos uploaded by 350+ delivery partners garnered a total of 44M+ views. This not only boosted brand visibility but also helped Swiggy to position itself as the place to work. With Instagram stories becoming extremely popular these days, apps such as Myntra, Dunzo are also using them across platforms for their advertising. Another brand that observed a 17% lower cost per install was Dineout, who ran an app install campaign on Instagram and its stories.
What's in store for the future?
Emerging technologies like augmented reality are finding their space in this mobile-only future of content marketing. By 2020, many organizations are expected to invest 42% in AI, 40% in blockchain, 35% in IoT and 32% in AR or VR. From experiencing a real-time view of locations through a camera lens to understanding the suitability of a product fully before purchase, AR and VR are going to be the champion runners in this race of mobile marketing. Currently, Snapchat makes use of AR video effects where users can insert virtual objects into their videos. 360 videos have proven to be the most engaging video format in recent years which can be posted on YouTube, Facebook & Twitter at present. Focusing on videos becomes crucial as 2019 saw 96% of the video consumption through mobiles. Video content is no more a ‘can-have’ format, but a ‘must-have’ format in any content strategy. Today, Zomato has videos of its restaurant partners and recipes, and Amazon has videos of certain products to provide a better understanding of their consumers. Since 70% of its viewership comes from mobile devices, YouTube launched vertical videos. Netflix also introduced previews of their new shows in vertical video format.
To set foot in this mobile-only future, having a comprehensive understanding of the small screen is a necessity for any content marketer. Notifications from different apps still work as my alarm and different platforms accompany me during my break times. But now all my content marketing ingrained brain thinks of is – How do I make my content work on a mobile screen? And unless every marketer thinks like this, their growth is going to be static in this dynamically changing industry.
Disclaimer: This post was first published on Brijraj Singh's LinkedIn profile.
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