Mobile devices are an indispensable part of our lives. We live-stream our lives through them, we keep them in our palms anywhere we go, we reach for them a thousand times a day (American even do it 14 billion times daily, according to this research). Recently, another milestone was hit: TV time was overtaken by mobile. So, in this broad aspect of things, as a digital marketer, what should your content strategy be? What type of content writing services should you hire? Here’s my take on it.
Some facts…
The way people consume media has been monitored by researchers closely. What they have found is that as of August 2019, mobile market share surpassed desktop. This means that people turn their attention to mobile devices instead of the TV and also other digital channels. What is more, Google started to rank and index mobile versions of websites and pages before desktop and that’s pretty much the moment to realize that you should be on top of your mobile marketing game.
So, what do we know so far?
Now, you know that you have more eyes on your mobile ad or campaign, so you don’t have to spend valuable resources to get people away from TV commercials and sponsored ads. This creates both opportunities and challenges for the digital marketer who wants to put out there their most engaging and effective content pieces.
So, without further ado, here is what digital marketing agencies and experts should keep in mind when it comes to mobile-friendly content:
#1. It’s all about the speed
Short, to the point, concise. Basically, this is what mobile users are looking for in your copy. Remember snackable content? We’ll talk about that later, though. Let’s first look at some non-copy related factors to worry about. People don’t have time. That’s one of the reasons they use desktop computers less. They want websites, which are easily accessible on their mobile devices and that load quickly.
Loading speed is so, so important.
A company can lose a good number of visitors because of it. People won’t even end up being exposed to your marketing copy or any copy, for that matter, because it takes too long to load. So, make sure the imaginary road they are walking on, from that initial click to the very last second spent on your mobile-friendly website or page, is an easy and trouble-free one. Start with testing your page speed on a 4G connection.
#2. The visual side of it
Let’s talk about what people see seconds after they click on your website. Imagery, text, buttons, and functions. Simply said, content. This tip here has not so much to do with your written content than with how you present it and the choice of creative means you use to grab the attention of your target audience. What’s the most discouraging thing you can put in front of someone’s face.
That’s right – a wall of text, lengthy paragraphs, no headlines to guide the visitor and inform them. That’s one side of it. Then, when you jump to social media, things tend to get even more interesting. Take for example Instagram and Facebook stories. They are another great way to capture attention and they are so easily consumed (yes, it’s not called snackable content for no reason).
Advertisers can no longer count on a captive TV audience watching in full size, sound, and color. But even with the short attention span that today’s users have with the right creative content writing services, it is possible to turn these content opportunities into cash cows. That is if you employ or hire writers who take into consideration the visual side of content.
#3. Shameless promotion is less likely to get shared
We already mentioned social media and that’s because we can’t be talking about mobile devices and fail to include one of the biggest time-consumers of our time – scrolling through social media apps. The content angle here will be brand messages and how they get to target audiences. It’s a part of your mobile marketing campaign that needs to be well monitored and thought out.
If you ask me, the shameless promotion has never been my cup of tea, although many argue that it’s a strategy that often works. There are times and places to boast about yourself but on social media, it’s just another “bla-bla” post and has little value to people. Imagine if, throughout this article, I was putting our content writing services in your face, while you came here for something completely different, i.e. to educate yourself or see a different perspective. Chances are, I would have lost you as a reader a long time ago.
For some people, getting across a branded message might actually make people refrain from sharing it because they are unlikely to want to be associated with brands on social media. To me, there is a way to promote yourself or a brand in a very elegant way that does not include shameless promotion. No matter if it is a post on Facebook or a blog article.
Tell a story, place the spotlight on what your target audience and product users will associate with or be super interested in. In the mobile context, the content needs to grab their attention and make them want to know more. So, not only does it need to be clear, engaging, and meaningful without too much self-boast, but you also need to make the key message clear within seconds. I know, it’s not easy, but it pays off.
Those were my tips for everyone out there who needs a bit of extra advice on how to master mobile marketing and content writing in a growingly phone and tablet-obsessed world. Mobile devices are changing the digital marketing landscape whether we like it or not, so we must adapt.
