Thoughts on Mobile Mania

According to Mashable, Facebook has announced that its Like button and Open Graph platform will be going mobile, a move that is sure to delight the estimated 150 million Facebook Mobile users. I am surprised it took even this long for Facebook to get on board with mobile functionality for these features.

It is obvious that smartphones have revolutionized daily life in even the most minute ways and it’s incredibly important for businesses to understand and take advantage of this mass adaptation.

I, myself, did not realize how vital mobile features are to my everyday life until it hit me bluntly in the face numerous times this past week. The first time, I had an unexpected expense come up that I needed to address. I took care of the expense online and then ran off to go out for the evening. About two hours later it hit me that I made the payment from the wrong bank account, so what did I do? I hopped on the iPhone and logged into BofA’s mobile banking app to correct the situation. Done and done.

Then I went to visit my parents as they are moving out-of-state tomorrow. All that was left of their abode was a blow-up bed and random items scattered among boxes. No internet. But my dad had forgotten to pay a bill and there was a transfer that he needed to make between bank accounts. I pulled out my iPhone again and within minutes, everything was completed.

And mobile is not just for errands and chores either. Foursquare is a fantastic example of how important the “fun” apps are to users. Apps that use geolocation have proved incredibly popular in the social media universe and in real life. People can check in to locations and see which of their online and IRL friends are there. With Facebook, people can interact with and comment to businesses or events in real time at each location.

The popularity of mobile also serves as proof that social media is a key component to any successful marketing and advertising campaign. Those that are dragging their feet to get involved will soon find that customers are dragging their feet to patronize businesses that are viewed as slow to adopt tech trends or “unhip”. People want to participate in your campaigns. People want to help drive your campaigns. But if you don’t give them the chance, they’ll interact with someone else’s.

Business Marketing on the Web

A tweet with a link to this article crossed my path today and it caught my attention because it’s blunt about what makes Facebook count for online marketing. While the article is fairly thorough on how to make the most of Facebook as a marketing tool, I think some of the key points can be expanded to other social networks and online marketing tools as well. I’ve grabbed what I view as some of the more prominent pieces of advice and added my own thoughts.

1. Content Matters

I couldn’t agree with this more. When I talk to people who are new to the social media marketing scene, the first thing they always say is “I want to set up Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. Let’s do it all.” That’s fantastic! But what are you going to post to those sites? A significant amount of forethought needs to go into any social media campaign. For the most part, I’ve  gathered content for social media campaigns from a blog associated with a brand or business. But this is not always a viable option for some businesses. If you don’t have a significant content source that will generate fresh, interesting material, you need to think carefully about how to frame your campaign.

2. Contact is Just as Important as Content

You need to have content in place to be effective as a social media marketer, but you also need to be willing to reach out and interact with people. If you think using Facebook and Twitter as virtual billboards is going to cut it, you’re wrong. That’s not to say that these tools cannot be used to disseminate relevant information or to position your brand as an industry leader and knowledge source (this is especially doable and reasonable for B2B companies, as the article notes). But, you need to remember that it’s social media and people are often a fan or a follower because they want to talk with you, not just hear from you.

Aside from creating relevant and meaningful relationships, interactions are also an important component of measuring effectiveness. The more metrics you can measure, the more you can tie back your interactions to successful conversions (or whatever your goals may be).

3. Try New Things

The article points out that the most successful pages are those that utilize features like customizable tabs and interactive components. They are correct. Anyone who is a regular to Facebook knows that the newsfeed and simple plethora of information pouring down in front of people’s faces makes them anesthetized to what may be important to them. Differentiate yourself. For some, that means using FBML to create a customized graphic to draw people in. That’s only one option.  Explore the different possibilities Facebook offers. Check out the developer side of things. Do whatever it takes to grab people’s attention. Just like a news story, you’ve only got a few lines, a few seconds to make someone decide that your message is worth it.

4. Spread the Wealth

I especially like the point in the article about making social media a team responsibility. The bottom line is that you can’t please everyone, but the more voices and ideas you amplify makes it easier to grab people’s attention and keep them interested. So cast a wide net. Let multiple people be involved in strategizing and interacting with your fans and followers. You may be surprised at the response you see.