How to make your business go viral via mobile

Deloitte Centre for the Edge chief edge officer Pete Williams presented at the L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival marketing breakfast in Australia last week and said the world is re-platforming from web to mobile, so it's crucial for businesses to think mobile first.

As individuals, we're absorbing technology as a quicker pace compared to businesses and corporations, and it's not going to stop any time soon. As Greek philosopher Heraclitus said: "The only constant is change."

So what does the rise of mobile mean for us?

According to Williams, maintaining an innovation tempo is crucial to ensure that businesses keep up with the shifting interests of consumers.

Nothing has ever moved as quickly as mobile technology, which has changed human history by interconnecting us to the world, regardless of geographical location.

This makes it easier... and more difficult to engage consumers at the same time. While they are more accessible due to their interconnectivity, it's also a challenge for businesses, corporations and organisations to stand out from the crowd.

Here are a few tips on engaging with mobile users today:

• Start with your website - optimize it for mobile. According to a Google research study, 96 per cent of consumers say they have encountered sites that were clearly not designed for mobile devices, while up to 74 per cent of people say they are more likely to revisit a 74 per cent mobile site. Your website can be accessed from the palm (or lap) of billions of consumers, why wait to capitalize on your consumers?
• Location is key. Hypertarget your audience by using local social media platforms already frequented by mobile users. Foursquare is an example of a medium which has been successfully used to attract local mobile consumers - businesses are able to provide special offers for people who "check in" via the app, raising awareness of the location and driving new leads. Facebook and Google have also been used to attract mobile customers with great success.
• Make your e-marketing mobile. Email marketing is such a big part of campaigns and should be made mobile-friendly for consumers. Delivering mobile-optimized email marketing is no longer optional. Don't forget that consumers nowadays are easily distracted and short on time, so keep subject line and messages short.
• Give mobile consumers what they need. According to HubSpot, 40 per cent of US smartphone users compare prices on their mobile devices while shopping in a store. Your organization's most sought-after information and features should be front and center where customers can easily find them.

- Eliza Sum