It's Mobile Baby Yeah

"It's Mobile Baby, Yeah"

Mobile communication is where it’s at. In the 2015 Internet Trends Report from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, time users spent in digital media was 51% as compared to 42% spent on a desktop.

 The 2016 US Mobile App Report by ComScore showed that digital media time has grown more than fifty percent in the past three years and that ninety percent of that growth was due to mobile apps. 

Mobile apps are approaching sixty percent of total digital time spent (comScore 2016). We don’t need statistics to prove this point to us. How many times are we in public or even in our own homes and see a version of the picture below?

Statistics have been showing the trend for years that eventually mobile will overtake PC’s and that is exactly what has transpired. Dollars spent in mobile digital ads is increasing as well. Mobile Marketing Magazine predicted a fifty percent increase in 2016 spend in digital advertising dollars on mobile platforms. But as we move to the mobile age, organizations must evaluate their mobile strategy in order to keep from becoming a “me too” in the world of mobile applications.

According to Nielson, apps account for eighty-nine percent of mobile media time. Consumers use apps to do everything from personal banking, shopping, research and a myriad of other activities. The challenge for organizations is to find that unique mobile application that engages users and becomes a useful tool, not just another application sitting in the digital space with no real purpose other than to say “we have a mobile app”.  Entrepreneur.com posted an article in July 2014 by Contributor Rahul Varsheya, “6 Common traits of the Biggest Aps”. In his article, Varsheya discusses that successful mobile apps must solve a problem, be easy to use, not using a cross platform, being regularly updated, have strong support and be treated like a business.

When organizations decide to create mobile apps the first question they must ask is what value does this bring to my customers?  What problems will it solve or why would your customers want to use this application. In my organization I recently pitched the idea of developing a mobile app where cancer patients across the country could connect through an application similar to Instagram®.  Patients could check in when they go to receive chemotherapy or visit their oncologists. They could post pictures or short videos of their experience. Being diagnosed with cancer can be a very lonely journey, even when you are surrounded by family. I know from first-hand experience. If cancer patients had a way to share their experiences within a cancer community, perhaps they would feel less alone in their journey. They could also choose to share on social media, but could keep their posts within the cancer community app as well. This application would solve the problem of their being a social network dedicated solely to cancer patients and for cancer patients. There are apps out there that provide resources for cancer patients but none that I have found that are solely dedicated to bringing cancer patients together through social media.

Ease of use was the next characteristic Varsheya mentioned. By using an Instagram type of platform, the app should be easy to use and have a familiar style that consumers would be used to.  This is why I chose the Instagram style platform. It allows for simple posts consisting of pictures or short videos but also allows other Followers to interact through Likes and Comments. It’s a platform type that is widely used and would be familiar to most users.  It would also adhere to Varsheya’s third principle of not being a cross plat-form with any other application.

The fourth characteristic Varsheya references are the commitment to update it frequently.  As the cancer community application evolved, it could be modified to meet the needs of the cancer patient community.  Perhaps patients might want the ability to share articles or information they find useful in their cancer care. One frustrating thing to me about Instagram is that you cannot share direct url links. In order to be able to consistently update the application and have it evolve to meet your customers’ needs you must tap into his fifth principle of having strong support. You must have a way for customers to interact with you for feedback and technical issues. A customer knowing someone is there to resolve their issues or listen to their comments is vital in the success for a digital application. How many of us have downloaded apps, had an issue and subsequently deleted the app because there wasn’t adequate customer support?

Finally, as strategic communicators we must remember to treat the application as a business. While having a purpose or solving a problem for our customers can be part of the goal, it cannot be the only goal. Questions like how we can use the application to increase revenue or brand awareness are just a few of the questions we should be asking as we develop our mobile application strategy. In the case of the cancer community application, part of my proposal would add an additional revenue stream to our business as well as increase national brand recognition. By partnering with pharmaceutical companies or other cancer organizations for advertising campaigns on the application, we could at least create an additional; revenue source. We could promote national brand awareness through the advertisement of the application through grass roots efforts in our clinics as well as a digital and social media adverting campaign.

The mobile application and mobile communication arena is the fastest growing sector when it comes to not only user time spent but also advertising dollars spent. With almost sixty percent of users total digital time being spent on mobile apps, organizations cannot afford to ignore this platform. As you can see from the picture below, I use apps to creatively capture the important moments in my life. 

Smart organizations will incorporate a mobile strategy into their marketing and communications plan. The best strategies will be the ones who pay attention to the characteristics of those who have been successful in the mobile communications field.  So what will the mobile future of your organization look like?