Users are accessing your content on mobile devices. But, are they really engaging with you and your brand? To retain interest, you must go beyond simple mobile engagement. If you have a strategy in place to engage mobile users, then you are almost there. Let’s examine how to work toward better mobile engagement that will keep your customers interested and excited.
Before we start, absorb this quick bit of information. The Pew Internet Research Project released a Mobile Technology Fact Sheet reporting that 58 percent of American adults have smartphones. Forty-two percent of American adults own a tablet. You’ve heard similar reports about device ownership.
Knowing this, are you still not sure how to engage your users on mobile? Maybe your marketing messages still need to optimized for an increasingly mobile audience — which will continue to grow. Do you know how consumers feel about what you have to offer — your products and services?
Here are five tips to better mobile engagement:
Tip #1: Use More Images and Video
If your content is nothing but words, people will lose interest.
Why?
Because people respond to images. Images and videos help break up text. It also gives readers of your content a chance to rest their eyes… from reading every single character… of every single word. Give users a visually pleasing way to consume your content. It will be more memorable.
Don’t add too many images though. Keep in mind that images large in size will affect performance by increasing load time. You’ll need to optimize your images. Read Google’s article, Optimizing Web Graphics for more detail.
Quick note about video for content marketing: Videos on landing pages could increase conversions by 86%. For more about this, check out Business 2 Community’s 20 Captivating Content Marketing Facts In 2014 (Infographic)
Tip #2: Develop a Loyalty Program
Your customers want to be rewarded for their loyalty. They want you to demonstrate how much you value them. They chose your business over others. One way to do this is to offer premium content to customers that spend over a certain amount. Perhaps you could even do a giveaway like a free-download, access to an in-app purchase, a gift card, or a limited subscription to a service your provide.
Not all customer loyalty programs work for every business. For more ideas on customer loyalty programs that work, read HubSpot’s 7 Customer Loyalty Programs That Actually Add Value.
Tip #3: Make Information Easier to Find
Engage users by making sure information like dates, phone numbers, hours of operation, and location details are easy to find. These key pieces of information can be set before your content, after, or both. Users don’t want to view your sitemap to access your contact page. Go another step further by putting an interactive map of your business on your site.
Tip #4: Don’t Be Pushy
Picture it. You’ve finally finished binge-watching your favorite television series at night. Your eyes can’t take another 5 minutes of dramatic television. You turn everything off… all is quiet. Then you get a push notification about a new offer, or discount from your favorite retailer. How annoying!
When we turn devices off, we want them to stay off.
Don’t bombard your customers with messages, push notifications, and excessive alerts during sleeping hours, unless its absolutely necessary. Users also frown upon constant communication that is way too frequent. And, remember to use analytics to get better insight on your message’s effectiveness with users. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Read Push Notifications: A How-To and Why-To Guide from Tweak Your Business for more about notifications.
Have trouble finding the best times to deliver information to users on mobile? Move on to tip #5.
Tip #5 Communicate With Select Customers
Your customers will not hesitate to tell you what they find wrong with your current mobile engagement strategy. Customers are a great source of information and should never be overlooked. If you want to try out a new idea before rolling it out to your entire customer-base, target a small group and get their thoughts. Your questions can even be in the form of a simple 10-question survey.
I can’t blame you for wanting to engage your users more on mobile devices. You should. But, do it in a way that is considerate. Some will unsubscribe, or leave. You simply cannot win everyone. However, those that stay – give them best tailored content on mobile to keep them coming back. Keep them engaged.
Consider using these five tips to better mobile engagement.
I’d love to hear what you are doing to engage users on mobile.
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