Marketing podcast with Chuck Martin (Click to play or right click and “Save As” to download – Subscribe now via iTunes or subscribe via other RSS device (Google Listen)
The term used in the title of this post is the current favorite for those that write and speak about the growth of mobile devices in our everyday life. The mobile screen has now outpaced screens one and two, the TV and Computer monitor.
Focus on the mobile device has really picked up of late in marketing circles and will probably go down as one of this year’s hottest topics.
My guest for this week’s episode of the Duct Tape Marketing podcast is Chuck Martin, CEO of The Mobile Future Institute and Director of the Center of Media Research at MediaPost Communications Inc and author of The Third Screen: Marketing to Your Customers in a World Gone Mobile
I love the title of the book because it reinforces the idea that it’s not that marketing has change, the world around us has changed, and that requires a shift in how we apply our already stated objectives to this evolving space.
In this interview Martin sets the table for “why now” by sharing what had become overwhelming evidence that mobile behavior is overtaking pretty much any other kind of business and consumer behavior.
From a business standpoint there are some interesting aspect inherent in the current use of mobile – the buying intent of a mobile surfer is often very high. In some cases they are literally searching for a place to shop right now.
In addition, the size of the screen also changes the psychology of the surfer. Snack sized facts, ease of contact, laser sharp calls to action and minimal need for navigation – all things that might hamper a desktop visit – are an essential part of the mobile experience.
Mobile intensifies the importance of inbound marketing (being found) and couples it with the need for ease of discovery (just the facts mam)
I still get pushback from some small business marketers that can’t seem to get past the idea of spam text messages for lead generation as the sum game of mobile. Like much of the “Twitter is total waste of time” talk that emerged in 2008, there’s truth, hype and money to be made and lost in every new direction the Internet takes us.
Use this filter question as you analyze any new tool or direction: How could this help me do a better job serving the customers I already have? Figure that out and you’ll never be led astray.
I’ll share my thoughts on how small businesses should start viewing mobile and just how they might get started in tomorrow’s post.
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