The adoption of mobile (smartphones/tablets) has changed the face of online marketing and ecommerce (Mobile Marketing and Mobile Commerce). Some have coined the phrase ‘Digital Darwinism’ to describe the speed at which digital evolution is taking place due to this disruptive technology. Simply put, technological advancements are being engineered, tested and consumed in a shorter time-frame than ever before. The world of m-commerce, apps and location-based marketing is making light work of targeting, engaging and converting for businesses in today’s society.

 [Image credit: ericsson.com]

The business case for mobile marketing and mobile commerce

• 82% have researched a product via their mobile and 67% that view a mobile-friendly site will most likely buy/use the service (Eric Daly, DMI Mobile Marketing Conference, Dublin 2013).
• The market penetration of mobile usage in Ireland is actually over 100% with 5.52 million active mobile phones at the moment and 5.9 billion mobile devices in use worldwide (DMI Mobile Marketing Conference, Dublin 2013).
• Retailers’ apps take up the most of consumers’ time at 27%, followed by online marketplace at 20%, purchase assistant at 17%, price comparison at 14%, and daily deals at 13% (AdMedia Partners via Marketing Charts, 2013).
• Of 42% of people who clicked on a mobile ad, 35% visit the advertiser’s page (Google via Mobithinking, 2013).
• 27% of companies worldwide planned to implement location-based marketing in 2013 (Comscore via Econsultancy, 2013).
• By the end of 2013, there will be more mobile devices on Earth than people (Cisco via Mashable, 2013).

Those born in generation Z have not been exposed to ‘dumb phones’. Many of us however will remember the days when a mobile phone was a portable phone for emergencies with a typical shrill ring (that couldn’t be set to silent or vibe) and text messaging if you were lucky. It weighed much the same as a small dog and had an obvious aerial. We had no idea then that phones would become our handheld worlds to browse the internet, share updates, star in videos, connect with businesses or allow us to make purchases.

Why choose mobile?

The benefits for users are 10-fold - lightweight, portable, ability to connect to the internet and functionability that mirrors the standard PC. Mobile gives you all-in-one connectivity, flexibility and mobility. For businesses, the benefits can be summed up in this one statistic  - 67% that view a mobile-friendly site will buy/use the service (Paul Dunne, DMI Mobile Marketing Conference, Dublin 2013). In short, viewing via mobile is more likely to precede a conversion.

Mobile purchases breakdown by category, Paul Dunne, Mobile Marketing Conf, Dublin, 2013

Let's break down some of the benefits for users and businesses:

• Connectivity: Wi-Fi hot-spots are helping to provide a highly connected experience for consumers and businesses. Slowly, but surely, more and more are free, although there are paid Wi-Fi hot spots. Those with internet packages (Bluetooth/WAP) on their phone can use 3G, which boasts 95% coverage within Ireland.
• Flexibility: The mobile device is more than just a way of making phone calls from any location. It facilitates a range of uses from work, consumer/business transactions, leisure, planning and communications (text/email/conference calls).
• Mobility: The standard PC is tethered by leads (and weight) and the laptop is cumbersome (although they are becoming more streamlined and light-weight). A phone or tablet is a small, portable device. It fits in your pocket or bag with ease and is light-weight enough that you hardly notice it.

A Mobile website

Why do I need a mobile website?

Almost every website can be viewed on a mobile device, however there are negatives to mobile browsing from a user perspective. If the website isn’t supported by mobiles or designed to suit a mobile device, then the website will be:

• Fragmented: images and text positioned incorrectly on the screen.
• Invisible (all or part): Flash is used, then Apple device viewers will not see the animations.
• Too small: mobile screens are small, so buttons and text need to be bigger (especially for those with big fingers!)

Designing for mobiles

When designing a mobile-friendly website, you have two main choices:

1. Responsive Design and Adaptive Design
2. Pure mobile

Responsive design

A responsive design adjusts to any width. This is a better solution, as it will 'flex' for all devices and is a 'future-proof' option that will work on future mobile and tablets. Example: Yesterdays store

Adaptive design

A website using adaptive design, adapts to device widths and viewpoints. While this approach is quicker and easier, it doesn't account for device screen changes and so could be obsolete in a short time-frame.

Pure mobile

Pure mobile websites differ from responsive/adaptive websites, as pure mobile are honed for mobile use. True mobile websites like Daft.ie, The Open University and The Journal account for mobile devices by designing mobile websites with the following in mind:

• Compress the site navigational menu system and prioritise options. Use collapsible navigation, as opposed to full.
• Add 'click to call' options.
• Screen swipes.
• Insert big buttons that stand out against backgrounds and are perfect for big fingers.
• For retailers – include maps/GPS and the ability to check stock at stores.
• Auto-detection feature that sends all mobile users to the mobile site.

Websites like Mobdis and Wix mobile help website owners build their own mobile websites.  Mobile applications (apps) are synonymous with mobile devices.

If you have a 'linked' set of devices, ie. Apple iPhone and Apple iPad, the apps can appear on both devices. Some apps however are only suitable for a smartphone or tablet. The value of apps for businesses are based on:

• Trend (apps are 'in').
• Public Accessibility (Their website, Apple store, Google).
• Ease of use for users and the fact that apps are added to the main screen to access them quicker.
• Dynamic applications - integration functions for a seamless user experience.
• Make instant updates in-line with technology, feedback, etc. and make changes available to users (they must update app).

There are countless apps on the market and more businesses are investing in them as they drive customers to the business.

Examples:

• Democratic apps is a business that is based on an app product. This app is designed so that Politicians and Councillors can enter their details and the general public can use the app to contact them directly.
• Sage 50 app allows you to access your finances, produce instant quotes and even generate invoices. Both of the examples above utilise mobile by giving smartphone and tablet users access to their products on the go. Accessibility is key to a successful mobile strategy.

Mobile Commerce (M-Commerce)

Ecommerce allowed businesses to conduct instant transactions via websites and mobile commerce allows people and businesses to conduct financial transactions on mobile devices. This video by Erisson explains mobile commerce with some catchy cartoon drawing.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Mobile (M) Commerce is a growth area for businesses that sell online: 'Amárach [predicted] that the acceleration in smartphone use [would] stimulate demand for mobile commerce in Ireland and [forecasted] that €800 million worth of transactions [would] be conducted through mobile devices in 2012.'

And in the UK, James Connelly, co-founder/Managing director of mobile agency Fetch has said 'In the first half of 2012, mobile advertising revenues reached an all-time high – peaking at £181.5m with mobile ad spend up 132%. Mobile advertising revenues will undoubtedly continue to increase in 2013.'

As mobile adoption and ownership increases, along with the mobile ability to do almost anything with them (almost!), the opportunities are endless. Via mobile, you have a connection anytime, anywhere. Mobile commerce opens up the arena further to capitalise and profit from this connection.

Payments

One of the greatest advancements for mobile commerce is the ability to generate an instant payment. Through the use of technology and the 'buy in' from global payment systems like Visa, there are a number of payment technologies with products in the mobile commerce market. Mobile payment technologies:

• Realex payments remains one of the top players for online payments, allowing payments from credit cards, debit cards and even the Irish Laser card (although this is being phased out 2012/2013). Their service is in conjunction with most merchants such as Visa, MasterCard and American Express.
• Visa (in conjunction with Samsung) has enabled NFC (as opposed to chip and pin) payments on Samsung devices. These utilise a secure element chip,  embedded within the devices that stores your payment account information.
• MasterCard has launched MasterPass - which is a secure digital merchant checkout service.

Mobile marketing

Mobile marketing is mobile-specific marketing which concentrates on:

• Advertising (you can create mobile-only ads on the Google search/network with Adwords and even specify the exact phone brand and model)
• Location-based / Geo-targeting
• Augumented Reality
• Mobile-focused apps like Amazon's PriceCheck that takes account of Showrooming 

Mobile advertising

Google Adwords has a multitude of ad types. One of these is mobile. The settings allow you to target specific devices 'mobile' / 'tablet' and even brands 'Apple iPhone' (Via Legacy Settings).

You are also able to create a Mobile app to feature on Google’s app network.

Geo-targeting and location-based marketing

Smartphone ownership is at 50% in Ireland and location-based marketing for retail stores like Subway, Brown Thomas and Walmart is an excellent way to entice shoppers to the store.

• Subway UK's ‘You Are Here' campaign targets customers based on their location. Opted-in users near a Subway store were sent an MMS (multimedia messaging service) with vouchers that are scanned in-store.
• Walmart's 'Store Mode' mobile app uses geolocation and geofencing technology to detect when customers are in a store. When they enter, the screen below pops up on their mobile.

Augmented reality

Augmented reality (AR) is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data. Augmented Reality brings a campaign to life by allowing customers to interact with the brand. Examples:

• National Geographic brought Dinosaurs to life in an AR campaign designed to allow customers an opportunity to interact.
• Tesco's virtual stores have been rolled out in Korea and the first virtual store in the UK has been set up at Gatwick Airport, London. The stores are a virtual representation of a store, so the food items are seen in graphical form. Customers use their smartphones to scan the QR codes associated with the items they wish to buy and the items are then paid for via an app.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Showrooming

Showrooming is the term used when a mobile user accesses an online store while in a physical store, to compare prices. They may use Amazon's 'Pricecheck' app to check the price on Amazon, and all they need is a search term, an image or a scan of the barcode. 

5 Innovative mobile campaigns for inspiration

1. QR codes embedded in pavements in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Scan with a mobile to read information on the city.
2. Parkbytext that allow you to text your parking place and time and pay via a card linked to your phone number.
3. Walmart 'Scan & Go' service that lets consumers save time by scanning store items with their iPhone device and bagging straight away. Consumers can head to a self-checkout lane, transfer their basket wirelessly and complete their payment.
4. Eventbrite app that send event QR codes to your phone that can be scanned at the event.
5. Burberry Watch mobile campaign 'The Britain' focuses on mobile-only content. The site features a 3D watch and uses the user's geo-location to add their local time to the dial of 'The Britain'.

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Ever since the first department store (Le Bon Marche, 1850s), the rate of consumerism has seen rapid growth. Prior to this date, there were fewer shops and the ability to consume could only be afforded by the wealthy classes. The reason I state ‘department store’ is due to the relevance - that is, the department store provided a safe shopping experience for wealthy women, minus a chaperone. Whilst I could defend the entire female population, it’s apparent that throughout the ages women have participated in the shopping experience with more vigour. Men would have spent a great deal of their time at work, and so women were a ‘better’ target for retailers. The department store brought shopping to the masses and provided items that were deemed affordable for all classes.

This was a fundamental change for both retailers and shoppers, as it created:

• Retail to the forefront
• Increased demand (and supply)
• Jobs
• Equality (to a point)

The power of consumption

We may believe that living in contemporary society equals freedom of choice, but if you actually think about what you consume, you would be surprised at how many purchases are:

• Items relating to Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs, ie. food, drink, power
• Everyday essentials (given little thought, other than replace)
• Contemporary items deemed ‘a must’ in modern times, ie. TV, DVD Player

I want never gets

My late Nan was full of phrases and "I want never gets" was one of her favourites. I would often be chided for saying "I want this… I want that" and this phrase was her way of saying that a want mentality is wrong and that simply wanting an item doesn’t necessary mean I should have it. For me however, as an adult, I feel that this phase highlights how society is breeding a predominant "want mentality". No sooner do we see something or hear of something we like; we buy.

To further add to the list above, I could mention:

• Desire items – those heavily promoted as ‘must haves’ by the media
• Trending items, usually prompted by season, technology or innovation

The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Purchases

If ‘want’ is the driver, then we become creatures of ‘desire fulfilment’. Never satisfied until we have what we want. We are then so used to having what we want that the items themselves have little value. The emphasis shifts to a feeling of power and ownership. Although, it is questionable who the power resides with.

To add to this conundrum, the pace of technology further amplifies the decrease in value (psychologically and monetary – depreciation). A ‘new’ TV in 2012 is an ‘old’ TV in 2013. While not obsolete, the owner will look to replace in a shorter time-frame, and with greater frequency – while the TV is functioning perfectly. As the pace ‘new’ becomes quicker, our pace of replacement does too. Environmentally speaking, this means more items being dumped and a higher degree of waste.

What are your thoughts on consumerism? Do you replace items that are out of season/not in trend because you want to or do you wait until you have more of a need?

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High street retailers are dropping like flies – HMV, Jessops and Game are just a few that we have waved goodbye to in the last 12 months. But could they have change their fate? My 3 BIG considerations are all important points for retail owners and may well save their businesses.

# 1. Pause and reflect, monitor and analyse

Reflecting, monitoring and analysis. All extremely important, but for many retailers; completely forgotten.

Naturally it’s easier to carry on doing what you’re doing. It’s safe, comfortable and requires less and less thought each time you carry out your usual duties. But by cocooning yourself in autonomy, you’re formulaing a barrier between your business and future developments at macro level.

Who knew that the ecomony would turn so quickly in 2008? Could we have predicted the unprecidented growth of technology in operations and communications over the last five years? While your answers may be ‘yes, no’, the reality is that a business should be flexible enough to respond in a timely mannor to macro-level changes.

Understanding buyer behaviours (Chart by Millennier.com)

By monitoring activity, customer perception and buyer habits, by training in new forms of business such as social media, mobile and online selling, by assessing the uptake (and profitability) of these channels, a retailer can confidently use the facts to make decisions for the future.

It’s up to management to decide the strategic direction of the business and use internal and external advisers to pinpoint where ‘soft points’ are. If you’re HMV and Amazon are steamrolling all your hard-earned customers, then understand why and use that knowledge to start leveling the playing field.

What do your customers want – lower prices, online access for purchases, innovative products, trending products, a refreshing brand that listens to them?

# 2. Educate and up-skill

I remember my first job in Fashion and the moment when I realized that my dream of being a Fashion Designer wasn't going to happen. I won’t bore you with the details, but I was scared. I was scared because my skills up until that point were focused on Fashion design, and little else.

The savior for me was to consider what role was sustainable, a growth area and of course, one that would yield a decent salary. It was at that point that I learnt about websites, digital media, databases, marketing and began to feel the value of my new skills. After one year I had a new job as Marketing Co-ordinator for a digital marketing consultancy and after 9 years+ in the field, I now know the power of that choice.

Up-skilling and re-educating yourself is vital. I can’t stress that enough. Never stop learning. Make sure that you (shop/store owner) are aware of new advancements and skill gaps. That’s yours AND those of your staff members.

If stock control and ordering is inefficient, move to a seamless system and let the technology manage the process for you. The benefits will outweigh the initial costs. If your TV advertising is falling short and costing too much, then look at high-value cost reduction methods. Social media has proved itself to be an exceptional marketing tool for B2C (business to consumer) marketing.

# 3. Evolve to innovate

The wheel was invented in 3500 BC and began as a wooden kind-of circle. Now look at the wheels of today – tyres of various sizes, materials and treads. Over time we have taken the wheel and improved it. Naturally it has evolved as we have.

Example of a virtual store (Homeplus)

Your business needs to do the same, otherwise it will be an ancient wooden wheel next to an elegant rubber tyre.

It’s still a wheel, and it’s purpose hasn’t changed. All that transpired is new research, ideas and technology, that have prompted us to ask the questions

• ‘Can we make this better?’
• ‘Is there another way?’
• ‘Considering how people ‘drive’, do they need something else/more?’

In pursuit of being better, finding another way or considering differing needs means being willing to explore the possibility that what we have needs to change. That’s a powerful thought (and not always an easy one).

Innovation has been hailed recently as Ireland’s way out of the ‘R’ phase. If we’re honest, innovation was always the smart way of beckoning in a new normal. Innovation caused people to take notice – both staff members and the public. So how can a retailer use innovation to stay in business?

It’s one of my favorites and crops up on numerous occasions, but Tescos virtual stores was an innovation that really paid off. First in Korea and then onto Gatwick, UK, virtual stores are made for the people of today. Why? Today’s people are time-conscious, are increasingly using smartphones for longer periods and for more than calls. They are drawn to technology and virtual stores are located at points where the majority commute or convene.

These are just a few ways that retailers can consider thinking about in order to stay stable in the marketplace. If you are a retailer, comment with some of the recent changes you’ve made to your business or the struggles you’re experiencing.

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Social scientists for years have used the 'street' as a way of observing, analysing and reporting on social interactions. Although we may refer to the street as a metaphor - Facebook could be classed as a 'street' for fans and Small Business Can a 'street' for small business owners; the physical street shows engagement in it's truest and most natural form.

Story 1: Socially interactive QR Codes on the Pavement

QR Codes are scrambled images that can be scanned by smartphones to direct you to a digital location (web page, social media page, map, event page). For the rapidly growing smartphone population, QR Codes are ideal marketing tools for increasing goal conversions in real time. Due to popularity and availability of wireless internet, QR usage has proved an instant success.

BUT, what if you could take QR Codes to the next level. What if, instead of printing them on flyers or business cards and waiting for wannabee customers/clients to come to you, you created your QR codes in the most public, socially-interactive zone on the planet? I'm talking about a place that the whole world has in the common; the street.

Well in Rio De Janeiro that's exactly what they did with this socially interactive street-based digital campaign. In a bid to 'pave' the way for the 2016 Olympics, the travel sector has again come up trumps. All across Rio you'll see QR Codes on the pavements. If you scan them, you'll be presented with tourist information on historical monuments and maps of the area.

Story 2: Burberry and the Offline Digital Store

Whilst it isn't exactly the street, a retail store is not dissimilar in that it works as a highly engaging social zone. The act of shopping fulfils a social need in a feel-good setting. Popularity again makes it an ideal spot for a digital-social interaction.

Burberry's flagship London store has been modelled on the website, so that the customer experience mirrors the online one. That's clothes embedded with chips which activate when you look in the mirror, so that you can view the item on the catwalk and see how it was made. There are checkouts that come to you and in-store iPads.

This kind of digital-social upgrade has transported Burberry into a digital-savvy retailer that understands the power of social in the real world. It works as a benchmark for all other retailers to follow and it will be interesting to see who accepts the challenge to join them.

Burberry also upped the outdoor social ante with QR Codes on clothes tags during Catwalk shows and live streamed events.

Story 3: TNT Benelux Sells Public Drama with a Socially Interactive Red Button

This story starts in a quiet Belgium square, where those seeking drama could click a red button with the arrowed remark 'Push to add drama'. And boy if you're brave enough, do you get a reward!

TNT Benelux set up this social promotion to share TV drama by creating a kind of 'flash mob' style event. When the red button was pressed, a dramatic scene was played out in front of the public's eyes.

This socially interactive street-based digital campaign cleverly represents the dramatic tone of the TV channel and despite it being location-based, the 'viral' video of the enactment became one of the most viewed globally.

Click here to view the embedded video.

These are just a few street-based digital examples and I know there are countless more, but do you know of any unbelievable ones you can share?

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Image: Source: http://www.thedrum.com/news/2013/01/28/rio-de-janeiro-puts-qr-codes-pavements

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# 1. Grow your Mo for Movember  (Prostate Cancer)

The Movember social concept is simple – grow a moustache for the month of November in aid of Prostate Cancer and make a donation. The social aspect is the sharing of photos and videos of the ‘growth’ taking place. It’s a social concept that is easy to adopt (for the men folk) and fun to follow. Just join in and share your photos/videos. Top marks for simplicity!

# 2. Create a Gathering (Ireland) for the Gathering 2013

The Gathering is set for 2013 and is a tourism-led event that inspires Irish residents to invite their families from abroad, to visit Ireland. While the government do have a hand in promoting the initiative, it’s down to the residents in Ireland to jump on the band wagon, so to speak.  Via the website, you can set up an account and create an event with invites. The real question on everyone’s lips is – will there be enough room on the planes and ferries for all the Irish immigrants to travel in. We hope so, because it’s sure to be one hell of a party season.

# 3. #GivingTuesday

Giving Tuesday is a follow on from the popular cyber Monday and Black Friday digital concepts and it's designed to ‘give back’ via companies and non-profits. To take part, just use the hashtag #Giving Tuesday on a Tuesday and state what you intend to give. Example: Sony is giving $1 for every re-pin it gets on Pinterest between #GivingTuesday and the end of the year to the Michael Phelps Foundation towards the Boys and Girls.

This “Pin It to Give It” is the first we’ve seen to donate money for re-pins (though Elizabeth Arden has donated eyeliner for re-pins). The electronics company will give up to $25,000 toward the cause, as part of its Love to Give program. (Thanks to Elish for finding this one!)

# 4. Hope Foundation and the Gifts of Hope Christmas Promotion

This social concept is linked to the Hope Foundation’s ecommerce website and allows the customer to select a practically personal present (a packaged donation).  Purchasers can choose from Education, Healthcare, Training, Rural Family or Life Changing Gifts, and within each category there are a selection of gifts such as a pair of shoes, money towards a coach, a hospital care pack, nurse care and much more. This switch from the typical general donation means the giver can specify their present and know that their money is being spent on their preferences.

# 5. Electric Ireland and ‘Powering Kindness’

Random Acts of Kindness is not a 'new' idea. We've seen the 'free hugs' campaign already.  So it's encouraging to see how the concept is adapted. Electric Ireland took it to a new ‘media’ level with Powering Kindness Week. A website, Facebook page and advertising, outdoor advertising and TV adverts were all part and parcel of the campaign. Via the website you can share your kind ‘deeds’ (for one week only) and decide which of three charities you would like to benefit. The choices are: Special Olympics Ireland. Focus Ireland and Concern Worldwide. At the end of the week, the €100,000 donation money will be split, with the ‘winning’ charity receiving a slightly higher portion.

The rise of social and digital concepts is raising the game for businesses, brands and social sector initiatives. In keeping with social, these ideas are exploring how the media world and the social world are connected.

Have you any social concept examples to share?

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We're in the midst of a content revolution that is amazing - the whole concept of news has been adapted and the power and speed of that news has changed. The current expectation is that news is delivered in real time for real time communications. After 24 hours, it's old news.

Communications are noisy

With social at the fore and real time communications like updates and tweets vying for attention, it seems we are living in a world full of noise. If only minds could filter the relevant information and channel out the unimportant so easily.

As we crave  real time information, we suffer the effects of over-stimulation which could affect our health.

Real time communications can be powerful

On the flip-side, being privy to so much information can be powerful. It expands the mind and works to be not so dissimilar to studying a course.

This knowledge could save us - how many of you check the progress of a hurricane or view twitter updates of a recent storm? Twitter has been praised as the best way to follow natural disasters when tweets display real-time reports. It means followers can track hurricane paths.

FOMO leads to real-time communication dependency

Unfortunately, everything that has a strong positive, also carries a strong negative. Real-time communication activity can cause us to obsessively check updates and become unable to switch off from the online world and absorb the one beyond the screen.

To be so dependent is harmful. Suffering from FOMO (fear of missing out) is harmful. In truth,do we need to know everything?

Digitally connected

We are more digitally connected that ever before. The Futurama episode (eye phone) while extreme, does highlight how connected we can be. Imagine a phone that is connected physically to your brain and the effect of the constant attachment to real time communications.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Cool ? Yes. Dangerous ? Hell yes!

A possibility…..definitely maybe.

Too many online updates can lead to stress

It's an ugly word and scares the life out of most, but stress is a prominent reality. It does not only apply to a move of home, difficult boss or new baby. Being obsessed with real-time communications can actually cause undue stress.

Tips to filter out irrelevant real time communications

• Think about what you're reading and how much is really important.
• Limit your time online so that you have focused slots.
• Copy any good news sources into a notepad file or word document and read later on if you have a deadline.
• Time between slots is not a prison sentence; it's a way to fully absorb what you have read.
• Sign up to RSS feeds and have updates from popular sites mailed to you.

Are you obsessed with real time communications?

Are you fed up with the constant noise? What are your tips for dealing with information overload?

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Online

Experience the Web

The web was always cold with reams of text and zero personality, but the persuasive force of humanisation has revolutionised the internet and the advent of social has caused developers, designers and marketers to change their whole viewpoint. The time of creating content is dead. The time for creating experiences has begun.

But what does this mean for businesses?

Creating a web experience is the process of devising content with the intention of user interaction. This means steering clear of creating run-of-the mill static content and creating content that produces an experience for visitors - one that has a personal context.

Now this might be hard to visualise, so a strong example would be worldirish.com. WorldIrish uses the theme of Irish to create relevant and changeable content. This content is then shared with fans and followers to instigate an interaction. There's no hard sell. What there is, is a running theme and purpose behind the content and a place for people to ‘experience’ being Irish.

Related: Darragh Doyle of Worldirish.com

Businesses everywhere should be tapping into this concept as each generation is steadily growing used to (or growing up in) a socially-connected world. Real-time communications and social media has caused surfers to respond  immediately to content that interests them, with an emphasis on 'immediate'. One way conversations have turned into two way and readers are looking to respond to content that resonates. Experiences resonate.

It's powerful for businesses as it gives them a direction, a movement to their online content, a consistent drive, innovation and open communication with their audience.

Online …offline… online

Tesco has completely blitzed the FMCG sector with astounding innovation and a concentration on market research and technology, but virtual shelves of food in subway stations for time-sensitive commuters was a blinder. Clever, responsive and merged an online activity with an offline experience. You will now find a virtual Tescos in Gatwick  and we're sure others will follow around the globe.

How do I devise an online content strategy with experiences in mind?

The art here is to unearth your message in a tangible way.

• Use the message within your brand or the campaign focus to steer the concept.  Not the other way round. Platforms and places are tools.
• Know your customer, know your objective and know your core message.
• Tap into an emotion or shared feeling like Benetton's shock campaigns -- >
• Be innovative.
• Be fearless (yes, this matters. Any new idea is fearful, so you have to come to terms with the fear).
• Use technology at your disposal – video, web, email. One may be stronger than the rest or each may have a benefit. Use the one that matches your aim or a combination.
• Simplicity is key. It really is. Never leave your audience in doubt of your message.

Offline

It's a similar story for offline. 3D, virtual and gamification have all forced their into the offline world as businesses begin to experiment with creating experiences to appeal to a new social awareness.

Related: 100 Guerilla Marketing Ideas: Grow Sales With Zero Budget

Experience…anywhere

Sage make a huge name for itself in the social space when it created an experience for the public in Dublin city during the launch of Sage cloud. This video shows how Sage created foam clouds which floated upwards to the skies. The experience? The interaction from the public. Instead of viewing it on TV, then could connect themselves to the activity in a physical way. At the heart of the campaign was the core message: Sage cloud.

Colgate’s Oral Health Month

The guys at Eightytwenty devised an experience-led campaign for Colgate to celebrate Oral Health Month. Not content with traditional TV adverts alone, they treated consumers to a roadshow with a difference. Adults and kids alike could have a photo taken against some uber cool backgrounds and share them online.

The ideas are endless.

Have you tried your hand at creating an experience for your customers? Would you consider it in the future?

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The post The Art Of Experience Marketing appeared first on Tweak Your Biz.

The idea of this post is to make you aware of some insights surrounding People, Products and Promotion that affect the purchasing decision and should help you align your product (or service) offering with your chosen audience.

# 1. People

When you have a physical store, your customers fall broadly into these categories:

1. Customers who know you exist (and where).
2. Customers who 'stumble' across your store.
3. People who have seen/heard the shop advertised somewhere like a newspaper, LivingSocial or on the radio.
4. Those who know someone who recommended you.

Related: Bringing A Traditional Butcher's Shop Into The 21st Century In Meaty Style

For an online store, your customers fall broadly into these categories:

1. Those who know the store domain name or copy it from a piece of advertising and type it in (direct customers).
2. Those who search in a search engine and your website appears in the results as a match (search).
3. Those who connect via a third party website like Facebook, a directory like City Local or an ad like Adwords or a banner, and click on a link to your site (referral).

The two are not alike in any way.

In a physical store your competitors have a store nearby. On the internet they can have an online store in Australia. Physical location is unimportant (although where they deliver to is!)

When you sell via an online store you are appealing to people who have an interest in what you are selling. Your role is very much dependent on finding the right people and targeting them. The best thing you can do is assess your chosen audience. Find out:

• who they are?
• where they are?
• how they search?
• and most importantly, who makes the final decision to purchase?
• What style appeals to them?
• What brand personality will you adopt and how will this be perceived?

# 2. Products

Men and women shop differently. Its true. Men like to know what they are buying, check the spec, price, etc and buy. Women like to browse and feel the items. For women, shopping is more of a sensory process. But how does this insight affect the products that you sell online?

With a physical store, you are limited by the space you have. This doesn't apply to online stores as the actual item isn't there. However, you will still need to make choices on the range of categories, the balance of brands you sell, if you are selling private brands and how deep the product line is. These decisions are important to you as a store owner, and all will impact on the numbers of items sold and the image that you portray.

• Will the brands be high street brands or unknowns?
• Will you only select brands that match your pricing and positioning strategy?
• How do these decisions impact on total sales?

The answers to these questions are all based on your target customers. It's imperative that you know your customer and the % share of the marketplace that they represent. If you are producing a cash flow projection, then the sales figures will be based on the potential in the market and the numbers you expect to purchase your goods (this feeds into selling few at a higher price, or selling many at a lower price).

Related: Can A Brand Belief Help You To Be More Successful In Today's Tough Environment?

# 3. Promotion

If you think that promotion is just a ploy by marketers to entice you to buy something you don't need or a rushed job which features the channels and media you can access at a moments notice - then you are missing out on the rewards of promotion and the reasoning behind the actions.

Promotion is not a stand alone task - it's an integration (many agree that Marketing is the 'hub' of a business). For example, if your pricing strategy is EDLP (every day low price) like Walmart or HILO (high-low) with a solid use of promos, coupons and offers - then your overall promotion strategy will be vastly different. In fact, private brands tend to avoid promotion altogether.

• Your promotion strategy should start with an objective such as; increase brand penetration and equity.
• This is usually a long-term objective and may involve PR, newspapers and TV adverts.
• If you are running a sale with a time limit, then your promotion strategy will utilise platforms and channels that are instant like Facebook, your website and email.

Again, consider brand image. If you are traditional or innovative, active or professional will affect not only the channels you use, but the way you use them.

Did you consider people, products and promotion in your online store or are you just scoping out the market ready to launch?

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The post Learning To Sell Online: People, Products And Promotion appeared first on Tweak Your Biz.

Ok, so this may seem at first glance a far-fetched term. Measuring something intangible like an emotion is hardly a metric top level online marketers use. They use hard facts - market research studies, visits / source over a one month time-frame, tracking digital campaigns, assessing open-rate numbers against opens, counting visits and banner ads.....etc

But - my dear readers, digital marketers that only measure cold hard statistics are starting to shiver like the Mammoths during the ice age, because as we enter the age of social, the online world is beginning to heat up as everybody expresses online love in a tangible way. To coin a phase - we are adopting esocial.

Social Expressions - Social expressions are what makes us human. They are our way of interacting with each other and the world around us. A wave, a smile, a curtsey, a black suit, a thumbs up, a nod. Non-verbal, many globally understood and translated. From children, we learn to express ourselves so that we 'fit' in with people and become socially acceptable. Zorka

Expressions not Impressions - What are social expressions in an online capacity? This post should clear this question up! John Twohig

Mari Smith - Mari Smith's blog is blasted with the power of love, just take a look at the expressions next to the social media buttons - corrr Mari Smith.

Business Blogs! What, When, Where, Why and How? - Blogging is a wonderful source to gain expressions. Many top marketers and high-profile businesses have caught onto the power of blogging....maybe not the power of love via blogging, but you have to start somewhere. Here is a real humdinger of a post on blogging, with all the know how to go from novice to pro in 60 seconds flat (or however long it takes you to read them).  Sian Phillips

Facebook Apps to Drive Facebook Timeline Engagement - And what do these expressions do, other that make us feel all choked up? They improve ENGAGEMENT. Facebook know this, which is why timeline was invented. Amy Porterfield, Social Media Examiner

Fords Social Business Model Seeks Multi Directional Expression Capability (MDEC) -  While it may sound like a mouthful, does Multi-Directional Expression Capability (MDEC) shed some light on the idea of social expression? Because if the big boys at Ford are using it, then we must be close.  Tweak Your Biz

 4 Ways to Get Much More From Your B2B Content Marketing - So it seems that gaining expressions is all about content, content, content - defining. targeting, delivering content for users and diversifuying. Gareth Cartman

Collective Intellect Interview - There are tactics we can employ to influence this expressive behaviour in this artful interview with Jennifer Roberts. Jennifer Roberts and Small Business Trends

When Aaron Met Bruno - And remember, text-based blogs are not the only way to go to gain expressions (of love!), you can have a video blog or mix it up by including video. CG Online Marketing

How to use expressions and customise for your own purposes - This example is fan-tab-ulous! it's an 'I care' button for MTV. Clickz

Facebook to Marketers Its Time for a Click to Action - The click is just the beginning because it's the 'post click' that seals the declaration of love. Brian Solis

SOPA Cyber Laws Impact on Business - But beware, some online laws could stifle our expressions like SOPA. Small Biz Trends

Using Google Analytics Social Reports To Measure Your Website Content And Engagement in Google+ - And the actual expression measurement is easy to monitor if you use Google Analytics. Daniel Waisberg, Analytics.blogspott

Related:  The Hold Grail of Online Engagement, Online Video - Likes Through a Global Lens

Are you feeling the love online? Do you use your social expressions to measure this love, do you use cold hard stats or a mix of both?

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The post 12 Expressions That Measure Online Love appeared first on Tweak Your Biz.

I remember the day when I first set up my Facebook profile; full of curiosity, hope and excitement. It felt like the beginning of a valiant unnamed quest. An adventure that kept changing, with daily challenges to test the most worthy socialite.

When business pages kicked in, I was pitching and rolling with the best of them; eager to slay the social dragon, grab a golden egg and walk away victorious. This victory I termed 'social happiness' and life was good.

Unsocial behavior

But in recent weeks, it seemed that this enlightened place had metamorphosed into a somewhat faded replica of what once was. For the first time I found myself dogged by an unfamiliar presence.

I likened this new place to the 'Matrix' where the phoney outer layer was ripped away to reveal a painful truth. In this new and unfamiliar place I experienced unsocial behaviour that was the antithesis of social. That is; the opposite.

But like all milestone events, there comes a point of realisation and reflection to put things into perspective:

1. I realised that social is the now AND future of online communications.
2. I reasoned that any social activity has an 'ebb' and 'flow', and that by understanding this natural movement, I could harness the positive, leading to social happiness.

The social world righted itself again almost instantly and I watched the unsocial instances unravel, with a renewed sense of understanding.

I'd like to share an example of an unsocial instance - how they were handled and how they could have been handled. The idea is to switch unsocial into social happy ; 0 )

Related: The 10 Tell-Tale Signs Of Social Burnout

The incident

A business with a natural ease and flair for online communications, has taken it upon herself to share daily insights on the art of healthy relationships on her Facebook page. More often than not, she was rewarded with shared experiences and 'ar ha' moments from fans. Overall, her friendly tips were well-received.

To promote her services on a promising marketing platform, she created a Facebook advert with a message about her support in this area.

• From out of the blue she was hit with a string of negative comments accusing her of 'making money from someone's pain' and 'hitting them when already low'.
• They remarked that she had 'no shame' in nice big caps and ended the comment.
• To many a page owner, this type of attack would come as a huge blow.
• But for a relationship guru; to sell a cliche, the response should have been a walk in the park. I was instantly confused (and disappointed) then, when the comment was deleted and never referred to.

Whilst deleting comments is your choice, it does signal that you are afraid of two-way communication or that you cannot handle the issue. We may not be all trained to diffuse awkward situations, but if we think logically about the situation in an intelligent way, we can break down the comment, understand what they are saying and why, then offer a solution or next step.

Here's my break down:

• The guy in question had seen the advert when on Facebook and misunderstood how the advertising system worked.
• He felt singled out and intruded upon after a painful personal experience.
• The timing was poor and his mood was a mix of anger and deep sadness.
• His outburst was a way of lashing out. He may have been eager of a retaliation OR he may have been seeking help.

Related: The Not So Sweet 16: Common Mistakes Businesses Make With Social Media

How to turn a negative into a positive:

Consider your reputation, the pitfalls and pluses of your action and how you can gain the best advantage for you and your business.

As an example, I would:

• Explain how the ads are shown on Facebook, with an emphasis on not singling him out.
  and the advert may have spoken to him directly because of his current hurt.
• Provide a next step -  I 'heal' not 'hurt' and that I would be happy to offer my time to help him come to terms with his pain.
• State he is always welcome on the page and to speak privately.

Internally, weigh up the possible outcomes and have a plan to deal with each one. This guy could become your best client. He could have reached rock bottom and this your cue to help him.

From the above, he could:

• Decide to not reply (but leave you in a positive positive as you have used your knowledge to respond, thus showing others you know how to handle people).
• Reply with an apology.
• Privately reply (anger fashion or not - it's then away from the page).
• Respond again publicly with anger.

My guess is that the latter is unlikely, as by drawing attention and offering support in the face of his anger, his anger has dissipated.

Just because social networking is an online communication method, doesn't mean that we don't all suffer from the usual misgivings experienced at face-to-face events. In fact, it's easier to comment antisocially when there's no physical person to look in the eye.

Being socialable 24/7 is not healthy or natural (sorry, it really isn't!) and you can't expect that people will constantly be upbeat and jolly.

The benefits of having a social presence are less to do with the platform itself and more to do with what you do on it. You cannot treat your content as a press release, because the action doesn't end when you have sent it to a newspaper.

You must consider the after affects and the reactions of your viewers and readers. Each one has the ability to be your greatest advocate or worst enemy, and switch between the two at leisure.

Related: The Holy Grail of Online Engagement (In 15 Steps)

Have you experienced a similar incident to the one above? How did you handle it? If no, what advice would you give to a business experiencing this?

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The post Unsocial Me TO Social Happy: How to Turn Online Negatives Into Positives appeared first on Tweak Your Biz.