Around the globe, mobile is taking over. While there is no denying that mobile is where you need to be targeting your customer base, is that true for all industries and audiences? What about workers that sit at a desktop computer or laptop all day? Reaching these consumers takes finesse, and you need to plan your marketing strategy accordingly. That's why a dual campaign is important to reach your business’s promotional goals.
Twelve members of Forbes Communications Council share the important distinctions between mobile and desktop marketing that you should be aware of to see the most ROI from your campaigns. Here's what they had to say:
1. Amount Of Content
What works as the right amount of content on a desktop may not be the right amount on a mobile device. On mobile, you shouldn't have more content than you can reasonably expect a visitor to scroll through and consume. Make it simpler for them to understand exactly why they should scroll because you're working with a lot less real estate than on a desktop to get that point across. - Jennifer Best, ConnectYourCare
2. Priorities
On a desktop screen, it's possible to fit several calls to action. Add this to your cart, sign up for our newsletter, here's five ads, etc. A mobile device should only showcase one actionable item at a time. Order each CTA vertically in order of importance to your business. Attempting to fit two or more side by side will be too busy for users and dilute their effectiveness. Less is more. - Stephan Baldwin, franchisegator.com
3. Image Format
An issue many brands have when maintaining a cross-platform strategy is posting images in formats that do not match best practices for their destination. Images cropped to a portrait-aspect ratio tend to have better performance on mobile, while landscape-aspect ratios tend to perform better on desktops. Optimizing for the target destination is often overlooked, but can have a sizable effect on ROI. - Chris Frantz, CuriosityStream
4. Location
As is true in real estate, location is important when it comes to developing mobile- or online-first campaigns. Consider where people are engaging with your campaigns. If they're interacting with your campaign during their commute, in between meetings or from their couch, are you meeting their expectations for the amount of effort they have to put in? - Sarah Hanel, VASCO Data Security
5. Content Fitting With User Habits
Most mobile usage is done on the go, while standing in line, waiting for a movie to begin or an order to arrive, etc. You have a very limited window. Content should be short and engaging with easy-to-follow calls to action. Remove as many potential obstacles as you can. Make content easy to share, pre-populate contact information and make purchasing something simple with as few steps as possible. - Brandi Wessel, Chaparral Energy
6. How People Use Their Devices
Marketers need to decide between mobile and desktop based on the differences in use. For example, we have our smartphones with us 24/7, but we rarely run deep online research on them. My advice would be to combine mobile and desktop: Mobile can be used as an alert or interesting hook to an offer, while the discovery phase should be mobile optimized, but better fit the desktop. - Svetlana Stavreva, ibm.com
7. User Intent
The key is recognizing that there is a distinction when it comes to intent between devices. A consumer searching for your product on their mobile device likely has a different intent than when they are at their desktop. Your copy needs to address both the audience and intent, which will differ by device. Use data to drive your investment once you have segmented your reporting. - Jim Kensicki, Catalyst
8. Fewer Words, More Visuals
The rule "fewer words, more visuals" is not a surprise when we speak about desktop marketing, but it's a must in mobile marketing. Ads should be as short and eye-catching as possible. Use visuals that speak to pain points and solutions, and provide call-to-action (CTA) buttons. - Galina Grigoreva, LoyaltyPlant
9. Facebook Video Ads
If you're marketing through a Facebook video ad, keep in mind that most people look at Facebook on their phones. They may be checking it under the table in a meeting when they're bored. For that reason, their volume will be turned off. Therefore, your video must be compelling and easy to understand without sound. Facebook will allow you to add captions to your video if needed. - Alexi Leimbach, Xcellimark
10. Attribution
People don't complete the main goal (purchase/lead) of a website on a mobile device. Rather, they do it on a desktop and use their mobile device as a research tool throughout the buying journey. If a marketer were to only measure the last touch as a success metric, they would have trouble finding mobile ROI. You need to attribute all steps of the journey to the final sale. - Danny Gavin, Brian Gavin Diamonds
11. Altering States Of User Experience
When creating content and selecting platforms to expand reach, it's important to keep UX design top of mind as it will affect the way your consumers interact with your content. Just as code appears differently on mobile and desktop, marketing assets and content are experienced differently on both. Marketers that focus on creating excellent UX/UI design will see the most ROI from their campaigns. - Tami McQueen, 31south
12. Multi-Screen Opportunities
Although there has been a boom in consumer mobile purchases, desktop marketing isn’t dead. While mobile marketing should capture attention quickly and be shareable, there’s a unique opportunity for marketers to thoroughly flesh out messages on desktops. Plus, most consumers use more than one screen so you can capture them with a cohesive message across all channels -- mobile or desktop. - G'Nai Blakemore, Mattress Firm
