By Rieva Lesonsky
We’re hearing a lot about mobile marketing these days, with the proliferation of smartphones and tablets. But while most of the talk is about consumers and their changing shopping habits, it’s equally important for BtoB marketers to realize their customers’ behavior is changing, too.
For years, business decision-makers have relied on smartphones to get stuff done on the go. The advent of tablets, and their increasing adoption with the introduction of the latest iPad over the holiday season, has only accelerated the trend. Enterprises are adding tablets for their teams or, if they aren’t, a growing number of employees and executives are just showing up with their tablets and expecting to use them for work purposes (BYOD, or “bring your own device”).
Busy execs, in particular, are taking to tablets and using them for all types of purposes, from catching up on their industry reading to giving presentations to watching videos to taking notes during meetings. How can you take advantage of the fact that decision-makers are spending more time on their tablets?
Make sure your website is optimized for mobile viewing. You’d be surprised how few entrepreneurs do this. According to Web.com‘s recent Small Business Mobile Survey, only 26 percent of small business owners have a mobile-friendly website ( the same layout/content as standard site adjusted to suit a smartphone screen), and just 14 percent have a stand-alone mobile site. Of those who do have a stand-alone mobile site, however, a whopping 84 percent saw an increase in sales as a result. Consider both tablets and smartphones, and be sure to include all platforms. Although the iPad is by far the dominant tablet, when it comes to smartphones, the market is less clear-cut and, especially in big business, many execs still rely on BlackBerry smartphones.
Consider adding a mobile app. BtoB apps need to be useful and solve a problem your customers have by making a process more fun, easier or faster. Think about how typical activities your customers engage in could translate into apps, or how apps can make it simpler to communicate with your business.
Look into mobile advertising. With more execs reading and researching on the go, you may want to move part of your ad budget into mobile. True, you might not be able to afford an ad in the mobile version of The Wall Street Journal, but think about running ads in the mobile versions of your industry’s key trade publications or in their mobile apps.
Get visual. The popularity of video online is skyrocketing, and today’s tablets with their crystal-clear displays are ideal for video viewing. Think about creating short videos demonstrating your product or service, providing customer testimonials or talking about a key issue in your industry.
Whatever tactic you choose, keep in mind that when it comes to BtoB marketing, it’s all about relationships. How can mobile marketing improve your relationship with customers and prospects? How can you provide answers to their questions or solutions to their problems? Make yourself a mobile resource, and your relationship can continue wherever the customer is.
Image by Flickr user Siddartha Thota (Creative Commons)
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Can Building a Blog Community With Unfinished Posts Really Work?
May 7th, 2012 :: Monika JansenI’m always open to new ideas for getting more comments and building community on your blog. After all, a blog that is more engaging and share-worthy is a more effective blog.
But when I read a recent article suggesting bloggers leave their posts unfinished, I had to wonder – could this really work?
Why It Could Work
Writer Jeff Goins gets a lot of comments on his blog, so when he advised other bloggers to stop finishing their blog posts, I examined his reasons closely.
1. Goins believes leaving posts unfinished makes readers feel important because they enjoy fulfilling the role of content co-creator. Readers enjoy being part of the process and feel a sense of purpose when they participate in your blog’s creation.
2. He also believes inviting readers to finish posts builds community around your blog. Readers crave interaction, and they are not satisfied with blog posts that read like monologues. Goins suggests letting go of perfection, using a human tone, and showing your flaws.
3. Goins believes unfinished blog posts are springboards that launch the comments bloggers crave. After a few readers break the ice with their thoughts to complete your post, other readers will feel encouraged to leave comments as well. In other words, unfinished blog posts help get the momentum going for commenting.
Why It May Not
These reasons theoretically make sense, but I can’t help but wonder if they’d have any traction in the real world. For example:
1. Your readers likely look to you as a thought leader – a knowledgeable professional in your industry. Are they really looking to you to feel important, or do they expect you to provide them with helpful information on the topic you cover? Leaving blog posts unfinished could undermine the authority you’ve spent time building with your audience.
2. Building community is important to any blogger, but what if that community takes a spammy turn? You risk losing the focus and trustworthiness of your blog when anyone can significantly change its content. If your blog cannot be counted on for relevant, verified content, readers make seek their information elsewhere.
3. Numerous comments may make a blog look successful and engaging, but what if things don’t go according to plan? Readers may not always have the time or inclination to leave a comment, much less complete your blog posts for you. What if you end up with a blog full of empty articles? This plan could backfire, leaving your blog looking – well, unfinished – if you don’t get the comments and participation you expect.
What do you think? Is leaving blog posts unfinished a smart way to generate comments and build community, or does it leave too much on the table, threatening the relevance of your blog?
Image courtesy of dstracywrites.blogspot.com
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Tags: blogging, building community, comments, Marketing, writing
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