Tablets, Smartphones & Strategy

The use of mobile marketing such as tablets and smartphones are on the rise. What does the increase in mobile marketing mean for small business owners? As a social marketing agency, it’s our job to keep an eye on Internet marketing which includes SEO. One fact has become increasingly clear to us: using websites as a mobile marketplace or optimizing content isn’t really understood by many small business owners. Many owners often treat mobile marketing or social media as an extension of their websites, not additional marketing tools.

Mobile Marketing’s Popularity
Every year seems to be the year for mobile marketing. Maybe that’s why you’ve heard so much about mobile marketing for over a decade without actually seeing a surge. Why was there a delay in the marketing’s popularity? Well, there were a couple of reasons. Bandwidth limitation stymied the growth and created problems with the websites and content. With the lack of speed, developers didn’t want to engage potentially frustrated users. Also, without the demand, infrastructure development slowed.

Finally, 2012 is really the year for mobile marketing! The infrastructure is ready and the demand is here. For example, social media websites such as Facebook have shown an interest in using mobile marketing. Tablet sales have outperformed the most positive sales projections.

Mobile Bedlam
Although the increase of mobile couldn’t be better for SEO and social media marketing agencies, it may be challenging for small business owners and the general public. For instance, there are some basic differences in devices. Tablets and cell phones aren’t the same. So each compelling mobile marketing campaign must include properly formatted content to solicit interaction with users. OK, you’re thinking, if each device connects to online content, there can’t be that much of a difference!

Yes, there’s a Big Difference in How Internet Users Connect
At the end of 2012’s first quarter, statistics show that approximately 92 percent of Internet users connect using a computer. The rest of the users connect via a cell phone or tablet. Once users are connected, three notable facts standout: users’ behavior, intended use and type of content. The three factors have strong implications for both firms, focusing in social media and small business owners.

Users’ Behavior

Let’s look at tablets and smartphones separately.

• Smartphones: These are on-the-go devices. People use smartphones to look up information such as restaurants, compare shops and find directions.
• Tablets: Although tablets are like smartphones (they can go anywhere with users), they are typically used at home. Internet users log on via WiFi networks and work on them during their leisure time, such as watching television.

What does all that mean for marketing? Keep in mind smartphones are heavily SEO dependent. So, optimize on-the-go, or “need-to-know,” information such as maps and contact forms for cell phone Internet users. Optimize traditional Internet activities such as viewing movies, social media and online research for tablet users.

Making a Profit per Click
As a savvy small business owner, you’re probably way ahead of us and already wondering who spends more money: mobile or desktop Internet users. Research, as recent as February 2012, shows that per click revenue is about the same for both. This is actually a surprise given how new the tablets are. Another surprising fact is how much is spent. For example, tablets and desktop users generated $2.50 per click revenue verses $2.00 for mobile users.

Strategy
In the near future, making a strong social investment will help your small business become successful. For now, you need another social marketing and mobile strategy. Optimization is the key to reach smartphone users. Websites need to be in the top one or two search results to cater to the on-the-go users. If catering to tablet users, it’s safe to go lower in the search results.