2011 is “The Year of Mobile” – again.

Please, you had me at mobile. As a long-time smart phone user and mobile marketer, it seems (and is) natural – even expected – to me that mobile usability is maturing.

Industry experts MarketingProfs go as far as to say “mobile was officially given a seat at the adult table” in 2010 with mobile advertising outperforming on-line advertising. Sure we can debate chicken-or-egg evolution as to if usability is accelerating the mobile adoption curve or vice versa, but that isn’t crucial to discussing tactical implications in our 2011 marketing mix.

We do know that today’s B2B customer is changing due to technology. It is no longer enough to simply know how to market using technology. We need to be proactive in optimizing our marketing efforts to an increasingly mobile-empowered prospect. But, what does that really mean?

Do we need to create a mobile site?

Do I need to offer a mobile delivery option for my e-mail marketing campaigns?

Now we need to make a mobile app…everyone has them!

Must we have KDL SERP dominance?

Maybe so, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Admittedly it is easy to become glassy-eyed and overwhelmed in our mobile manic society. Snap out of it and do some due diligence at the strategic level before throwing time and money at mobile channels.

1.  Determine the appetite of your target audience for mobile content consumption. Move beyond thinking of your audience as titles and develop personas for your prospects.

Answer detailed questions such as:

• iPhone or BlackBerry or Droid ?
• Fast Company and/or WSJ? (+ print or digital)
• RSS or e-mail subscriber?
• Gartner or UCG reviews?

Answers will help segment your audience based upon comfort, adoption, technology and channel preferences. The goal is to make informed mobile marketing decisions rather than reactive bandwagon choices.

2.  Next engage with the persona(s) asking detailed and measurable questions on interacting with content, using e-mail as an example.

• Do they read your e-mails from their desktop or mobile? More than 1 billion consumers will be accessing email on their mobile phones by the year 2013 -The Radicati Group (2010)
• How long do they spend viewing your message?
• How many mobile platforms are in your collective personas?  

Answers to the above will help you determine if you need to create a mobile delivery channel/option. You may choose to make all e-mail mobile aware (think skinny, concise + easy engagement), offer a “view on mobile” option in the header, or create a 3^rd subscriber option for mobile (to complement HTML and text options).

And hopefully you are already testing your e-mail campaigns for deliverability and rendering, which mobile additionally warrants.

3.  Define your digital approach as mobile aware or mobile optimized.

Mobile isn’t simply a smaller version of the desktop (for both e-mail and web clients). Mobile browsers often can’t render JavaScript and Flash. And viewing a website from your mobile is not the same as viewing a mobile website as visible below.

Mobile design and development are directly impacted by your decision. Page width and height, text size, and clickable button specs all have mobile design impact. A mobile aware site maximizes the desktop display while ensuring the mobile experience is functional.  Conversely, mobile optimized sites prioritize mobile rendering without sacrificing desktop display and usability.

4.  Understand the distinctions between a microsite and mobile site and a mobile application. “There’s an app for that”, or so we’ve heard.  But as a marketer, you need to evaluate which web and mobile options meet the needs of your audience, not just sound cool.  And get clear on the tradeoffs of your decision.

• Is display control critical – not desirable, but critical - to your content delivery? Will the information simply not be understood if the display width changes?
• Do users require off-line access to functionality?
• Is loyalty a key driver of revenue?

If yes, then an app may be a good choice. Note that budget implications – time and dollars – for both development and support increase accordingly with the complexity of an app vs. a website. Many people want an app when demand is satisfied with a mobile site or even a content-focused microsite. Pay for [only] what you need or at least make an informed decision.

5.  Be cognizant of the off-page impact of your mobile strategy. Mobile market maturity is beginning to have significant implications for search and SEO. As the algorithms adjust, you will need to do the same.

• Manage the differences of mobile search behaviors and results (different than desktop web, especially for paid).
• If geography drives your business, get hands-on with Keyword Defined Local Search Engine Result Pages (KDL SERPS). 
• Don’t let a mobile site trip up your SEO performance by inadvertently creating duplicate content issues.

Mobile is not [just] a trend. It is here and now. Treat it like other tools in your marketing mix – with strategy, measurement and performance driving your decisions – and “dial it in”!

What do you see driving mobile adoption in your marketing? And how are you planning to make the tough funding decisions as mobile expands in 2011?

mobile screen graphics courtesy of Juicegraphic, Inc.

I’m proud to say I was one of the lucky few who were able to attend the wildly popular BCS National Championship football game in Glendale, Arizona the other night. Although my surrogate team, the Oregon Ducks (go Pac 10), didn’t pull out the win against the Auburn Tigers, I still had an excellent time cheering them on with the rest of the yellow-clad yellers. Plus, I noticed many parallels between the game and business-to-business marketing that I’d like to share with my faithful readers of the B2B Fishbowl.

1)      Image is everything: from the Oregon Ducks’ strategically designed uniforms to the Auburn Tigers’ marble-white cleats, it was all about projecting an appropriate image on the football field. For the football squads, they’re using this image to intimidate the other team, and even to appear fast. For your B2B brand, it is important to have a professional, polished image to attract prospective customers by inspiring trust and credibility for your organization.

2)      Competition is key: By playing on a national stage for the honor of being known as the number 1 NCAA football team in the country, the Ducks and the Tigers know the true meaning of competition. B2B marketers also know how critical it is to gain an edge over marketplace competitors. That’s why a unique positioning and differentiated value statements are so vital to success. And, generating more leads than your competitors will help you pave the way toward increased market share. Canyon and Loop can help with both of these initiatives.

3)      Opportunities are everywhere: I saw many B2C and B2B companies, including our friends over at Insight, taking advantage of the sponsorship and promotional opportunities at University of Phoenix Stadium. From the goodie bags taped on our seats to the rolling electronic signs, companies developed clever ways to reach the nearly 160,000 eyeballs at the game, and the more than 25 million viewers following the action on TV. Sometimes B2B marketers get stuck in a rut in terms of the marketing communications vehicles they utilize to raise awareness and generate new leads, but there are always new unconventional opportunities that are worth exploring to garner extra attention.

4)      Scarcity breeds value: If the skyrocketing ticket prices taught us nothing else, it’s that scarce items are highly valuable, especially for highly engaged stakeholders. That’s why ‘limited time offers’ and ‘exclusive content’ prospects can’t get anywhere else are still huge motivators for B2B buyers. In addition, it’s important for B2B marketers to attract brand ambassadors and help them carry your messages and value propositions to other target prospects.

5)      Real-time information is critical: It’s a little-known fact that GE deployed mobile ultrasounds and X-ray machines to monitor player injuries in real time at the game. Just like the teams’ trainers employed technology to track injuries, your business should be able to monitor prospect and lead information instantaneously, so you can act on that data quickly. Marketing automation applications and CRM systems can help you accomplish this.

Did you learn anything else from the BCS Championship game that you can apply to B2B marketing? What other events or industries do you look at to draw parallels with your marketing efforts? How is your business taking advantage of unconventional marketing vehicles to generate new leads in 2011? Was anyone else at the game cheering on the Ducks with me?

It’s that time of year again; time to stash away the holiday décor and party hats, go out on a limb and boldly predict the big-time marketing trends for 2011.  So, without further ado (drum roll please), my prediction for this year’s big marketing trend is: an explosion in mobile marketing! 

Phew, I’m glad I got that off my chest.

Actually, now that I’ve announced it, I guess it is not a very bold prediction after all, especially considering the fact that SmartPhone sales have increased by 96% over the past year; a trend that shows no signs of stopping any time soon.  According to Mary Meeker of Morgan Stanley, SmartPhone sales will overtake PC sales by 2012.  This huge shift in technology will not only impact the general work environment, but it will also significantly change the way marketers communicate in the B2B sector. 

Over the past few years, B2C mobile marketing has grown tremendously, allowing marketers to reach customers and influence decision makers directly at the point of sale.  This growth has led to a major expansion in retail-based mobile technologies designed to generate foot traffic and increase loyalty. 

But now with the continued growth of SmartPhones, it is time for B2B marketers to step into the forefront and focus more attention on developing communications that are optimized for mobile devices as well.  More and more firms are starting to accept Apple and Android operating systems on company-issued mobile devices, providing an opportunity for B2B marketers to communicate to customers in fresh, creative ways. 

Only time will tell how the increase in demand of SmartPhones will impact the presence of B2B mobile marketing.  But one thing’s for certain; it is now up to us as marketers to take advantage of this open gateway and speak to our customers on the most accessible medium possible; their mobile device.

Do you think there will be a huge increase in mobile B2B marketing in 2011? How are you preparing to use mobile in your 2011 marketing mix?

Happy 2011!  I find myself again writing the first blog contribution to the B2B Fishbowl in the new year. Did you take my challenge last year? It’s ok if you didn’t, but seize 2011 as your opportunity to define, or redefine yourself, or more appropriately for this blog, any brand associated with your company, and its products and services. When done right, the process can be relatively painless, and the outcome will give you good reason to celebrate, which is the real topic of this post.

While you look to ramp up following your week-long holiday hiatus, my challenge for you this year is to plan reasons to celebrate all year long.

How many times have you been part of a marketing initiative or project that seems to get off track even before it leaves the proverbial station? The excitement at the beginning is electric, but before long, delayed deadlines, too little budget and office politics deflate everyone’s passion for achieving the set objective. Eventually you come to the end, and everyone is just relieved to be done. It’s easy to get caught up in the negativity. Do you want to spend the next twelve months at work this way?

The fact is, business is about people. People have personalities and opinions, and not always ones that agree. I’m not naïve to think that the challenges of business are unavoidable; however, you can be better about understanding and anticipating the challenges that will be encountered, and plan ahead on how you will deal with it.

In B2B marketing, it pays to plan. At Canyon, we emphasize planning because it creates a clear path that can be followed. If direction is clear and everyone’s expectations are managed appropriately, your road to marketing success is sure to be less bumpy. You can then focus your energy on the achievements your team will work so hard to attain. And, since marketing is never an isolated event, you can celebrate every planned milestone that carries you forward to the next step of your ongoing marketing program.

 So take some time at the onset of 2011 to figure out what marketing path you will follow.

• Do you have new products or services to launch?
• Do you need more personality behind your brand?
• Are there leads you generated in 2010 that are still sitting in a dusty heap inside your CRM?
• Are you finally going to delve into Social Media?

If you haven’t already, spend the next couple of weeks planning the steps that will enable you to take your marketing objectives head on. Build consensus and agreement with your team about where you’re going, and start moving.

In the end, you won’t be celebrating a job well done, but the gratification of where your plan has taken you, with plenty of enthusiasm about where you will go next.