Technology is evolving at such a pace, that customers can be reached anywhere, at any time. Acknowledging that the majority of ‘first experiences’ of a brand now take place on a smart phone or tablet (and often without your knowledge), gives us the insight to seize an advantage and take a digital first initiative.
According to the Ericsson Mobility Report (June 2015)*, the total global number of mobile subscription stood at 7.2bn (including 108m new subscriptions). This total is expected to rise to 9.2bn by 2020, with smartphones making up 6.1bn.
Mobile is critical, but for many manufacturing and professional services companies targeting solutions at business buyers, it is easy to be distracted by the newest and shiniest digital marketing techniques and consequently invest in activities that will not necessarily reach their audience or create the required impact.
Delivering a considered customer experience through mobile can be achieved inexpensively but does require integrated thinking through your digital strategy, approach to website, email, advertising and use of software and applications.
We’ve identified six areas where a digital marketing led approach can payback handsomely in terms of customer engagement.
1. Responsive websites
Responsive websites aren’t new but are still, surprisingly thin on the ground in traditional manufacturing B2B sectors.
We produce most of our client websites in WordPress, so if you visit CRM specialist m-hance, the Freelancer and Contractors Association FCSA or even this Clock Creative website on your mobile – or perform the ‘bottom right corner drag test’ – you’ll see responsive design in action.
Given responsive templates can be switched on in WordPress self hosted sites with one click in the right installed themes, there really isn’t an excuse not to be able to achieve this.
Google Analytics will tell you if this investment is worthwhile as you can see visits by device type. If your site isn’t responsive and you have upwards of 20% of your traffic coming by mobile, this will be contributing significantly to your bounce rate – which itself will probably be higher than you might like.
2. Responsive email
In B2B sectors, email marketing that drives traffic to your website to complete critical actions, remains one of the most important customer journeys. So providing a solid experience is key.
Increasingly, html templates loaded into email management software (we use Campaign Monitor) can again be configured at the design stage to be responsive to mobile users.
For our mechanical seal service and repair client NASH, we have two templates – the classic newsletter and the single message promotional ‘sting’.
3. Targeted advertising on high traffic responsive sites
Pop ups and display ads have been around mobile since the early handsets. Make sure you check when taking advertising space with media partners that, not only are they delivering the right types of target but that they too are thinking through their responsive considerations.
Your brand will be affected by sub-standing positioning on their sites and in their emails.
4. SMS
Everybody reads every text message they receive. SMS can be a powerful real-time marketing tool used to communicate time or location sensitive offers and providing different types of customer service.
And it isn’t just the domain of the pizza delivery companies and major utilities companies as these mortgage intermediaries prove.
Whether it is delivery details, reminders about appointments, prompts to re-order or requests for feedback, SMS can be an incredibly cost effective way to cut through the noise and achieve immediate engagement.
5. Business software
Organising yourself and your location agnostic team whilst on the go is proving to be a lucrative market for SaaS developers. We’re seeing brands like Xero stealing a march on established accountancy facilitators like Sage because their products are rooted in the mobile experience.
With everything increasingly being hosted on the cloud, or via subscription based services, businesses can be more selective in software they use to improve their efficiency and effectiveness and this is disrupting the world of work.
Can what your product or service offers be delivered through digital channels that work in the mobile environment?
6. Apps
Apps can be expensive and deflect you from the main business of servicing customers. What price do you put on being front of mind when customers are choosing who to partner or transact with? There are an infinite number of productivity apps like Evernote and Trello that have created mass market interest and then successfully commercialised ‘pro’ packages.
Companies like Trelleborg and Atlas Copco, both operating in industrial sectors, have successfully positioned their apps as providing incredible information right when and where customers need it. Whether you working in a mine or on an oil rig platform, you can access detailed product information, calculation tools, Bill of Materials, schematics and service and repair diagrams to keep your product working.
Summary
We talk a lot about brand, positioning and customer experience on our blog. And for good reason as these things pervade every decision customers and marketers seek to make; the former as they make intelligent choices and the later as they seek to position to be chosen.
Giving your b2b marketing the best chance in the mobile space when there will soon be 9bn mobile phones in circulation is a good starting point.
* http://www.ericsson.com/res/docs/2015/ericsson-mobility-report-june-2015.pdf
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