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The state of infographics’ appeal 0

The popularity of inforgraphics as an effective tool for marketing and customer engagement continues to be high.

A single infographic has the potential to reach as many as 15 million online users, according to Top Marketing Schools. Business topics amounted for nearly 13 percent of all infographics produced, according to data provided by Visual.ly.

The visual appeal of the infographic as content makes it highly shareable by users through social media, and searchable by people looking specifically for images on a topic. When creating an infographic, make sure it has an embed code so others can add it to their sites.

More about the impact of infographics below, courtesy of Top Marketing Schools.

State of Infographics
Source: State of Infographics

We are MyMobileLyfe and we can help your company develop a content marketing strategy to reach people on the go. Click here to contact us.

 

 

A lack of engagement opportunity by retailers 0

We posted some time ago how over a quarter U.S. companies, 28 percent, do not have a mobile strategy. Here’s more proof that some companies are still lagging behind when it comes to using mobile devices as part of an overall marketing plan.

Only a small percentage of retailers are using push notifications — messages that are delivered and displayed on a mobile device — as a tool to engage their customers.

San Francisco-based mobile marketing analytics company Other Levels recently examined retailers’ use of mobile messaging tools like push notifications, in-app alerts and the rich inbox, an email-like inbox within a mobile app. In its 2014 Retail Mobile Messaging Study, Other Levels found that while 77 percent of the top online retailers have a mobile app, just 31 percent of retailers send push notifications as part of their messaging strategy.

Push notifications play a large role in driving app usage. The majority of the top 100 retailers’ apps ask users for permission to send push notifications, yet most of the companies never actually send those messages.

The report goes on to say that fewer than 2 percent of the top 500 online retailers have a mobile app with a rich inbox that can display unique customer-focused content within the app, from special offers to confirmations.

Retailers are seizing upon mobile apps to expand and enhance their brand presence and awareness. But their limited use of mobile messaging content means a lot of missed opportunities to engage customers.

 

We are MyMobileLyfe and we can help your company develop a content marketing strategy to reach people on the go. Click here to contact us.

 

Video: Breaking writer’s block to create content ideas 0

Still fighting that writer’s block when it comes to generating marketing content?

We recently listed a few apps that can help inspire some content creativity. Coming up with fresh, interesting and informational content consistently for your audience is a challenge. But sometimes, a simple method to do it works. Sometimes, it’s a matter of putting in your two cents on a issue.

Here’s a tip from Ryan Stewman of Hardcorecloser.com on how to come up with content for your brand’s website or for a blog post, when struggling with writer’s block.

We are MyMobileLyfe and we can help your company develop a content marketing strategy to reach people on the go. Click here to contact us.

 

 

 

Best content sharing times, and how it’s done 0

When it comes to planning a content marketing strategy, it helps to know the best times of day for getting the information to the target audience.

There are peak sharing hours for content, and they vary by subject matter and preferred sharing methods, all of which is critical for brand marketers to know when planning media campaigns where success is measured in likes, page views, shares and overall engagement.

The trends in content sharing and engagement vary by category. A restaurant promoting its latest culinary creation will find a bigger audience in the morning than in the early evening. Entertainment-related content does better on Facebook in the afternoon.

addthis_artAddThis network looked at some important trends in content sharing and customer engagement in a recently released quarterly report. The trends are notable enough for brands, advertisers, content marketing pros and publishers to consider.

Among the findings by AddThis (downloadable in a PDF format):

  • The peak time for the sharing of food-related content is 11 a.m. to noon, with nearly have of the content being shared on Pinterest. People in California, New York and Texas are the most likely to share or engage food-related content.
  • Most people who share travel-related content also do so between 11 a.m. and noon. When it comes to customer engagement of travel-related content, 26 percent do it through printing of boarding passes, reservations and itineraries, followed by the 24 percent who share on Facebook.

Knowing the best times to publish your content for sharing by others is essential. By publishing it for the target audience at the right time of the day, it ensures effective visibility for your brand message.

AddThis network also found that the sharing of sports and entertainment-related content is more concentrated to Facebook, with more than a third of users doing so from, respectively, 11 a.m. to noon and 2 to 3 p.m. Politically related content, usually of a news nature or general punditry, is most often shared between 10 and 11 a.m., with a quarter of the content shared on Facebook.

 

We are MyMobileLyfe and we can help your company develop a content marketing strategy to reach people on the go. Click here to contact us.

 

 

Gallup poll: People connecting more through mobile tech 0

The results of a new Gallup poll is shedding light on how mobile technology substantially affects many aspects of our lives.

mobilecontentFor one, we’re in contact with friends and family more. Sixty-two percent of Americans polled say the use of smartphones and tablets has increased interpersonal communication a lot, with another 27 percent saying it has increased it a little.

We’re also working a bit more because of mobile devices. Gallup finds that two-thirds of U.S. workers say the amount of work they are doing outside of working hours has gone up a little.

The same cannot be said, however, about political activity. Even as candidates and elected officials pursue more effective ways to connect with voters and campaign contributors, more than half of those polled by Gallup say their involvement in political campaigns and similar activity has not increased because of mobile technology, although 17 percent say it has increased a lot.

Gallup polled 1,505 Americans 18 and older from March 21-23 to assess how mobile technology has affected their behavior in the personal, political and work areas.

The results are from a March 21-23 Gallup poll designed to assess how much mobile technology has affected Americans’ behavior in the personal, political, and work areas. The poll finds that seven in 10 Americans use either a smartphone or tablet.

The poll finds that mobile technology has increased Americans’ opportunities to stay in touch with each other. Those ages 30 to 49 are just as likely to use mobile devices more to communicate as adults 18 to 29. Americans older than 50, particularly those 65 and older, are less likely to be affected to a large degree.

It is likely, Gallup says, that mobile technology will foster even greater activity in the areas of communication, work and political activity in the future.

 

We are MyMobileLyfe and we can help your company develop a content marketing strategy to reach people on the go. Click here to contact us.

Netflix to take up brand content 0

You may have heard of Netflix. The company started out as a DVD-by-mail service before expanding to on-demand Internet streaming of programming seven years ago, allowing customers to watch shows like the acclaimed “House of Cards” and “Orange is the New Black” on their PCs, tablets and smartphones.

More than 35 million customers in the U.S. subscribe to Netflix’s streaming content service, with much of the growth of its subscriber base coming through word of mouth from satisfied customers.

But Netflix is about to ratchet up its marketing efforts with plans to rely on brand content centered around its original programming.

Executives addressed the strategy this week during the company’s quarterly earnings call. In its letter to shareholders Netflix says:

“Original series represent a tremendous opportunity to raise awareness of, and build consumer enthusiasm for the Netflix brand. We’ll be investing more in marketing high-quality exclusive content, and spending less on direct response advertising such as banner ads touting free trials.”

Netflix is airing ad segments that try the “tell, don’t sell” approach to enhancing and promoting its brand to customers in an emotive, personal manner, including this recent one:

The move to brand marketing has advantages for Netflix, which has emerged as a major player in online streaming programming. But the company must engage its loyal customer base more effectively, Andrew Solmssen of Possible Los Angeles tells Clickz.com:

“I think brand advertising is important, but not as important as trying to activate their existing user base to be brand advocates. And they haven’t been able to do that particularly well. They have a really strong community, but they have not historically given people avenues to tell friends about Netflix. They don’t use social media marketing particularly well. When you have a great brand, that’s a lost opportunity.”

Stay tuned.

 

We are MyMobileLyfe and we can help your company develop a content marketing strategy to reach people on the go. Click here to contact us.

A billion mobile users are on Facebook 0

One out of every seven people in the world uses Facebook on a mobile device.

The social media giant reported in its quarterly earnings statement that it has exceeded the 1 billion mark for monthly active users on smartphones and tablets. The number of people who log in and visit Facebook on a daily basis with a mobile device, either to access or share content, is 609 million for the quarter that ended March 31.

That’s not counting those using Instagram or on Facebook messenger, which in themselves are each at over 200 million monthly users.

Of note in the company’s earnings report — and one that will have the attention of content marketing pros — is the 59 percent of advertising revenue that Facebook earned from mobile advertising revenue, up 30 percent from the first quarter of 2013.

Much of the revenue growth came from Facebook’s newsfeed ads, which inject paid marketing messages straight into a user’s stream of news and content and are ideally suited for the smaller-sized screens of smartphones and other mobile devices.

 

We are MyMobileLyfe and we can help your company develop a content marketing strategy to reach people on the go. Click here to contact us.

Market for wearables is gaining momentum 0

smartwatch_artShipments of wearable computing devices are expected to more than triple as they become functional, stylish and increasingly popular with the general public.

Leading the way are complex accessories like the Nike + Fuelband and Fitbit fitness and activity monitors that operate when connected to a smartphone, tablet or PC. Research from International Data Corporation says interest in the market for these devices will grow.

Says Ramon Llamas, research manager at Framingham, Mass.-based IDC:

“Complex accessories have succeeded in drawing much-needed interest and attention to a wearables market that has had some difficulty gaining traction. The increased buzz has prompted more vendors to announce their intentions to enter this market. Most importantly, end-users have warmed to their simplicity in terms of design and functionality, making their value easy to understand and use.”

IDC says overall shipments of wearables will exceed 19 million this year, more than triple last year’s sales, and grow to nearly 112 million units by 2018.

Another segment of the market, smart accessories like the Pebble smartwatch, Samsung GALAXY Gear, and Sony SmartWatch that allow users to access third-party apps, is projected to surpass complex accessories by 2018.

The third segment, smart wearables that include Google Glass and function with full autonomy, has yet to reach millions of units shipped, IDC says, and is not expected to reach that point until around 2016. But according to IDC, it is not a question of “if,” but “when” wearables as a whole will extend into the enterprise.

 

Comcast weighing plans for Wi-Fi phone service 0

Could mobile phone service soon be on your Comcast cable bill?

The communications giant, which is currently in the midst of a $45 billion acquisition of rival Time Warner Cable, is reportedly developing a wireless service that would mostly rely on Wi-Fi capable phones. The service would use Wi-Fi from wireless routers and public hotspots.

When Wi-Fi isn’t available, the service would use spectrum leased from traditional carriers like Verizon, AT&T and Sprint.

CNET is laying out Comcast’s plans, citing a report appearing in The Information.

The country’s largest cable operator also offers Internet and phone service, as well as home security systems. Over the past couple of years Comcast has been building an expansive public Wi-Fi hotspot network for its broadband customers to access.

The number of its Xfinity hotspots in public locations nationwide has now surpassed 1 million.

 

 

Stagecoach tales: The storytelling content of Wells Fargo 0

Much of content marketing is about brand storytelling. The creator’s role is to weave compelling narratives about the product that connect with the customer, and inspires brand loyalty.

The latest company to take up this approach is Wells Fargo. The financial services company last month debuted its “Wells Fargo Stories” channel that features creative content about its employees, communities and brand values. Wells Fargo calls it an online magazine that shares its stories through written content, slideshows, blogs, infographics and videos.

“Wells Fargo Stories” focuses on the people in the company, the team members who work with small businesses, volunteer in the community, and promote the company’s vision.

This is content marketing that is consistent, shareable, engages and motivates, and goes beyond Wells Fargo’s status as a banking giant.

You can see for yourself how it works in this segment here: