how people consume content, discover new products or services and ultimately make purchases on those products. But while many eager and innovative marketers are jumping on board with mobile-based marketing, a large percentage of them are overlooking a key component for success. Despite investing in the right tech, they are building strategies based upon what they know about desktop-first measurements and performance indicators. This is a critical mistake that can hamper any marketer's ability to succeed in driving growth. Which is, after all, the primary goal of any marketing agency, brand or company.
A Measurement Based Upon Driving Growth
Google, the most widely and aggressively used search engine, has become one of the greatest sources of information for marketers. Google's reporting of users' research queries has shown just how much mobile has changed the consumer journey, breaking down the search for goods and services into hundreds of what are referred to as "micro-moments".
Micro-moments are the real-time intent and impulse-driven moments when consumers grab their phones and take action to seek whatever they need or what's right in that moment. These micro-moments are often emotionally driven. They are the I-want-to-buy, I-need-to-know, I-desire-to-go moments that offer exceptional opportunities for brands to shape and mold consumer decisions.
This differs significantly from desktop-first searches as mobile queries are immediate. Smartphones have become an extension of a user's thought process; the user has a desire/want/need and reaches into their pocket to promptly get information about fulfilling that desire/want/need.
Yet, despite consumers radically changing their behavior, measurement practices have failed to adapt. Most marketers continue to base their measurements on norms learned from desktop-first behavior, which at best paints a faulty picture and at worst misleads marketing strategies to completely miss out on growth opportunities.
Responding to Mobile Behavior to Drive Growth
In order to use micro-moments to reshape interest and drive growth, marketers must create an entirely new set of mobile-first measurements and capitalize on mobile-based technology.
For example, location signals are one of the most powerful, yet under-utilized tools in a marketer's workshop. GPS, the Global Positioning System, is a free-to-use system, with over 3 billion GPS receivers active in the world at any given moment. Millions of Americans use their GPS-based mobile apps, whether it's Google or Apple or other Maps app, to conduct a 'near me' or I-want-to-go search. It is the savvy marketer who capitalizes on such location signals for when consumers are close and interested and uses mobile marketing to drive engagement, visits and ultimately paying growth.
This is just the beginning of how mobile-first marketing must take a different approach than desktop-first or even traditional outbound-first. Marketers need to re-build their strategies based on researching the anticipated mobile buyer's journey of their target audiences.
For more information on gaining insight into the mobile consumer journey, or about other key aspects related to marketing and driving your brand's growth, contact us at 702-270-8772.
