As if the turn of the decade is not enough challenge for businesses, we had to face a global health threat in 2020 plus the uncertainties of what 2021 will bring in terms of technology, health, economy, and governance. Now more than ever, it is important for businesses to be prudent, to understand the parameters of what changes will come in this year and the next ones. Are you ready for the many unexpected challenges in digital marketing?
Because believe it or not, your market will even be more dependent on the internet than they already are. Digital media, marketing, advertising, and social media will be massive in the coming years. Hold on to your seats tightly.
Organizations will have to continue navigating a new world order where people will be wearing masks, practicing social distancing, and being prudent with their money because the economy is in shambles. But aside from that, businesses must also deal with digital trends that come and go, and those that stay and become traditions. You need to understand one thing when it comes to digital marketing today: mobile usage will boom in ways no one can imagine.
Shifting to a Mobile-first Lifestyle
The shift to a mobile-first lifestyle has been happening for years. The pandemic, however, accelerated that shift. You will notice that with how you’re using your smartphone for the past year. From where did you order those boxes of pizzas? How did you buy gifts for your loved ones during Christmas? When you waited for the Black Friday sale, did you line up outside Apple’s physical store or did you wait for the notification in your email?
What this meant is that the mobile app market is saturated with apps that want the same thing — for consumers to download them. Stores that didn’t use to have an online presence now have an e-commerce site. App developers have to attract clients with their end-to-end marketing strategy. Businesses have to navigate an ever-increasing reliance on mobile search engine optimization or SEO to increase their ranking chances.
Optimizing Mobile Apps for App Stores
Organizations are not only concerned about their ranking on Google’s search engine. They are now also concerned with how their apps rank for key search terms. If mobile users cannot find your app in the app store, how are they going to download it? Your app needs to be in the recommended and suggested lists. For that to happen, you need to focus on keyword optimization and app store optimization.
There are three ways to do rank in app stores. The first is to optimize the title and description to include high-value keywords. Next is to include two preview photos of the app’s user interface. The last is to upload as many screenshots as possible and highlight the app’s value through them.
Making a Superapp
In the past, developing an app is all about it doing one function — either to sell or inform. Apps are different now. The rise of the multifunction superapps will change the game for many in the industry. A superapp is capable of doing many different things. It allows users to shop, interact, and pay through the app. One perfect example of a superapp is WeChat. It’s a messenger, social media, and mobile payment app in one.
Facebook’s Messenger will follow suit as it now allows payments using a bank-issued debit card or a PayPal account. Other apps are more multidimensional. Indonesia’s Gojek lets users book a ride, track the ride, order food from restaurants, and pay through the app.
Focusing on Transparency
People are increasingly worried about their data being out there. So, whenever an app asks for more information than they are willing to provide, they balk and delete the app. Do not ask for more information than you need. Or, if you have to ask, make sure there’s a way for them to opt-out of it. Significant changes are coming up in data transparency this year.
One of the biggest will be Apple’s depreciation of the Identifier for Advertisers. When this rolls out, mobile users have to opt-in to the IDFA so mobile apps can request permission to track user data and activity. This will change how advertisers and marketers use big data analytics to come up with and implement business strategies.
With these changes in mind, you have to be ready not only to follow such trends but also to identify what works and what does not for your business. The world of mobile usage is a fast-changing one. It will not slow down and wait for you to keep up.
