Quick question: how much time has passed since you last checked your phone? If you’re like me, it was probably a few minutes ago. Mobile devices are a norm and there’s nowhere you can go without seeing someone consumed by their cell phone – waiting in line, on the train, eating lunch and more.
Today’s consumers are constantly mobile and demand on-the-go access to everything they care about. And that means everything is mobile.
So if you don’t have a strong mobile presence, it’s time you start thinking seriously about this. Here are seven steps to help you develop a mobile strategy.
Step 1 – Start with Your Website
Although it may sound basic, many businesses and organizations forget that their mobile presence begins with their website. To help you determine if your website needs help becoming mobile-friendly, put your site to the test with Google’s Mobile Friendly Test. Review the results and if they’re anything less than stellar, work with a developer to make your website mobile-friendly.
Step 2 – Take Stock of Your Content
While many may think that writing is writing, the platform you write for matters a lot. If your site’s content is lengthy and looks overwhelming to read, chances are that it is. Take stock of your content and analyze it for mobile friendliness. Content for mobile devices should be structured so that it’s easy to read and digest. This means short paragraphs, lots of headers, bullet lists and engaging elements like video or images. If your content doesn’t look like that, it’s time to revamp your content for consumption on mobile devices.
Step 3 – Test Your Mobile Search Friendliness
From Google My Business to other local directories, it’s critical that your business be front and center when people are doing searches for your business or organization. If you search your business name and you can’t easily find your phone number, address and hours of operation, you really need to work on your mobile visibility.
Step 4 – Check Your Social Engagement
People spend hours and hours on their mobile devices. Many of these hours are spent on social apps like Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. So if you’re not fully engaging your audience on these platforms, it’s time you get started. Start by checking out your social profiles. Are they up-to-date? Are you engaging with your audience on a consistent basis? If the answer is no, you know what you have to do.
Step 5 – Plan for Mobile Content
While the traditional definition of content may refer to text, content in today’s context involves video, images, social posts and text. Did you know that over 8 billion videos or 100 million hours of videos are watched on Facebook every day? If your only content today is in the form of blogs, it’s time to expand your content repertoire. This can be a tall order for many businesses and organizations, but a necessary one.
Step 6 – Embrace Live and Mobile
Another aspect of being mobile friendly is being able to deliver content straight into consumers’ hands. That means embracing popular mobile micro-content like Facebook Live videos, Instagram stories or Snapchat videos. This will help you reach your audience in the apps that they enjoy.
Step 7 – Don’t Be Afraid to Try
There’s something to be said about those that embrace new things before anyone else. Maybe it’s a risk. Maybe it’s a big win. Either way, you need to stay on top of changes and be open to trying anything and everything.
Developing a mobile strategy requires discipline and fearlessness. As marketers or business owners, delving into a world where mobile rules can be daunting and overwhelming. However, the sooner you embrace your journey towards being mobile ready, the easier things will be.
