The face of the average internet user has changed quite a bit with the advent of the smartphone. Even more, the versatility of mobile devices has increased significantly over time, as well. These days, one device does it all: It’s a music player, web browser, camera, camcorder, digital recording device, and much, much more. I recently saw a carpenter pull out his phone to level a windowsill because “the app is more accurate.”
The more these devices are taught to do, the more we rely on them and the more it necessitates using them. Even though you can level a windowsill or tune your guitar with nothing but a smartphone, most people still use their phones for the basics: texting, web browsing, and… that’s right – they also make phone calls once in a while. That latter group makes up the majority of smartphone users, and their numbers are increasing rapidly and globally.
So, where does this leave you as a content marketer? One of the most important things we do in the world of marketing (in fact, I can’t think of one that’s more important) is paying attention to market trends. Most marketers who fail perpetually attempt to force their own agenda on a market that wants nothing to do with it.
Even now, too many marketers focus all their attention on larger screens when developing content. They give far too little thought to how their work is going to translate when viewed on a much smaller smartphone or tablet screen. Today, I want to show you several ways that mobile tech is changing how we do (or, at least, should be doing) content marketing. The goal of this article is to get you to think mobile first as you create or commission new content that will be viewed predominantly on smaller screens.
Content Automation and AI
Automation tools like Hootsuite help maximize the effectiveness of your content, allowing you to explore its full potential in the open market. Automation and AI tools are beginning to play a more active role in content distribution. They help you gather better metrics and form better interactions with your audience as a result. Over time, these tools will become even more sophisticated, helping you predict the overall effectiveness of mobile content long before you launch your next product.
Voice Activation
The recent rise of voice-activated assistants, like Siri and Alexa, has already had a global impact, and many experts say that the potential of this tech has barely been tapped as of right now. Over just the next three years, the number of these devices (with most being built into smartphones, tablets, and other mobile tech) is expected to explode.
The rapid rise in popularity of this kind of technology is certain to have a major impact on how we “do” content marketing. The liberation of voice activation is already redirecting many consumer behaviors, and that means that we, in turn, need to redirect our efforts in a way that helps capture that market. Since I do have a few other points to cover, I’ll direct you to this article if you wish to gain a clearer perspective on all the various things there are to consider about voice activation and content delivery.
Just one more thing on this front, though… with all the emphasis we place on SEO, that focus will start shifting, too. Before too long, you’ll be adding AEO (answer engine optimization) to your content quality checklist to capture and secure a bigger audience.
Content Customization
This is one of the trickiest areas of content marketing to master, but it is becoming more necessary over time. The good news is that mobile tech is making it easier than ever to gather the right metrics and present your content in a way that caters to very specific audiences.
Once you know just the location of a particular site visitor, you can tailor content that appeals to them in a way that leads to more conversions. Visuals and ad content are the primary variables, but even more customization options are in the works, many of which will depend on the aforementioned voice activation technology to steer the user experience.
Email marketers have understood this concept for ages, which is why most segment their lists by various demographics and test the viability of their messaging using a number of criteria. Over the next few years, the effort we put into these things will decrease significantly as customization services give way to digital customization tools.
Before much longer, the human element is going to be far less important than the devices and applications that gather the data. All mobile tech is moving in a direction that will ultimately optimize the user experience. All you will really need to do, of course, is keep delivering great content. Your overhead might even decrease as automation starts taking over the process of both customizing and optimizing your content for maximum reach.
Maintaining High Standards in Your Content
Just because it is getting easier to reach more people with your brand message doesn’t mean you get to cut corners with your content. In fact, the one place you should be spending your money is on quality, optimized written content. Words will remain the driving force behind most optimization efforts. That means you owe it to yourself and to your brand to make sure the words you use are attracting and engaging the right people.
This is why I believe that it is imperative to work with professional copywriters on at least a collaborative level. Serious writers also understand the importance of both quality and market viability when they produce content. They are familiar with the most current trends and are comfortable writing within the appropriate space.
Heading into the future, it is important to understand the role that good copy plays (and will continue to play) in your overall content marketing strategy. At BeezContent, we welcome the opportunity to work with marketing professionals like you to create the kind of content that gets your brand noticed.
If you want your content to be effective in this ever-changing and evolving world of mobile technology, you need a partner who understands how to make it so. I’m confident that we can help you present your brand in a way that communicates its forward-thinking nature and does so effectively.
