According to stats, mobile usage will outpace desktop usage within the next year. In fact, at the end of 2013 there were 1.3 billion smartphones in use and 1.6 billion PCs in use. And while mobile usage is about to surpass every barrier, it’s mobile marketing that has yet to catch up. But, as with any marketing medium in healthcare, things take a while to get moving.
What's surprising is that mobile advertising spend hasn't been keeping pace. In an article for The Atlantic Monthly in 2012, Derek Thompson laid bare a few telling facts:
- Consumers were spending 10% of their media attention on their mobile devices while the medium only commands a mere 1% of total ad-spend.
- The quickly "dying" print medium attracts only about 7% of media-time, but still captures an astonishing 25% of the total U.S. ad-spend, with print receiving 25-times more ad money than mobile. – The Huffington Post
Why are people flocking to their mobile phones over their desktops? The answer is simple, people want an instant connection between the point of sale and the research behind that decision. Whether a patient is researching what you’re telling them as your stating your case, or a consumer is price-checking a product or browsing reviews of that product, both patients and consumers want to make increasingly informed choices within seconds. It’s your job, as the physician, to give your patients the opportunity to make those informed choices in the most efficient and safe ways possible.
Why do mobile marketing and social media go hand-in-hand? It’s simple, really. Mobile marketing and social media are active, consistent and engaging mediums. They are constantly evolving and constantly seeking out new ways to keep consumers and patients engaged. Digital marketing via banner ads and desktop strategies are static and becoming boring to the average consumer and patient, while social media and mobile marketing is fluid, dynamic, flexible and personal.
How can you cater to your audience? Have you ever clicked on a website and two seconds later you see that website in an advertisement on Facebook? Within two seconds you are bombarded with personalized ads tailored to your most recent purchase or online browsing history. This customized advertising strategy is not to be ignored, and can be implemented across mobile marketing with incredibly success.
How can I get started? There are some steps that you can take today to bring your marketing efforts up to par for the mobile takeover:
1. Social Networking: Get a Facebook Page, Twitter account and Instagram page set up. More consumers and patients utilize social networks on mobile devices then any other digital medium, so in going mobile you’ll have to go social.
2. Optimized Websites: There’s no longer any excuse for having a static website. A ‘responsive’ website is built with mobile marketing in mind, and can automatically conform to whichever device the user might be using, from a desktop computer to a tablet or smartphone. Get a responsive website, and notice your bounce rate decline.
3. Mobile Advertising: Consider running advertising on Facebook and Google for mobile devices only.
Get started today with Quaintise!