#COVID

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How to boost your content on mobile screens

It’s official: after the pandemic, not only the use of the internet increased -because people were spending more and more time at home – but the use of all kinds of tech equipment as well (smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, etc). The average time per day of smartphone use during the pandemic is higher than ever before. This research shows that 122 (66.3%) participants spent more than 4 h per day during the COVID-19 pandemic, while those before the pandemic were only 30 (16.3%).

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Cellphones and mobile apps sought an exponential increase in those last 3 years. For marketers and communicators strategists this means more challenges as the smaller are the screen, the small is the attention spam.

Customers are not only reading more on small screens, but sometimes dividing their attention with children at home, working, and there are more and more businesses calling for attention on social media as well. Now, we not only need to use all the analytics and strategies to do a good post but also, increase the readability of the content. Check out some great tips I collet about how we can make it work!

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If we want to have successful campaigns on mobile equipment, we need to create new strategies that will catch even more attention. If you already know that you need to write short paragraphs, and include subheadings, you should also try bullet points, numbered lists, and extra explanatory tools -about the same subject -such as audio, videos, or infographics could also be a great way to do it.

Keep it concise

Keep in mind that your mobile consumer will probably have lots of interruptions, as he can be reading you in the bathroom, in a subway, bus, etc.! So, keep your text as concise as possible, or produce “snackable content“. Split attention can happen often on the internet when we saw links or images, but on mobiles, this is absolutely the rule!

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Use QR Codes

As you may have noticed, with COVID, QR Codes just returned to be noticed and used. This could be a great tool to implement directly in your posts promoting access to a website, download, or even to request feedback or re-direct to a survey. Check out here the variety of QR Codes your can be using.

Communicate in a real-time

We certainly have lots of challenges with small and mobile screens, but also benefits. One of the wonderful ones is the easy way the mobile could provide two-way communication. Use robot chats; promote virtual meetings; and insert links to make direct phone calls. All of this should be used to enrich the customer experience. In this competitive world to get attention, even geotags could be used in your plan to identify your clients inside their store and send direct messages, notifications, or even forms that need to be filled doing lives more practical.

Make sure to be useful

With mobile, it’s also easier to share content. Most users access instant messenger apps like skype, messenger, google hangout, WhatsApp, directly on their phones, so super useful and sharable content it’s necessary. If you wanted to be noticed, do lots of brainstorming, research, and produce “how to do it” kinds of content that will promote sharing, or that could go viral. Try to write the content directly on your phone could be useful too! Try some of these writing tools that can make it easier and quicker for you.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post! Do you have any good or bad customer experience on a mobile? I would love to know. Please share with me in the comments!

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 Did COVID impact your use of social media?

I have to say that I don’t have a preferred social media account. Although I’ve been using Instagram a lot in my spare time, it looks like the future is signaling directions towards videos. So, between reels, Tik Toks, Facebook stories, and my doubts, I decided to write here about social media trends for business. My research showed that COVID-19 has been playing a huge role in how people interact and consume the internet nowadays. Actually, it’s almost impossible to return to where we are before the pandemic starts.

 Almost half a billion users joined social media in 2021, taking the global total to 59,5% users, or 4.2 billion people. Every part of this equation results in an enormous amount of online” baby boomers” which means people, with different backgrounds, and ages, that have started using the internet for their very first time because of the physical distance imposed by COVID.

https://www.pexels.com/

 It’s not only generation X or Z online looking for information on social media anymore. Another surprise is the public who’s accessing brands’ content online.  Now studies demonstrate that  Facebook users aged 55-64 post an average of 10 times per month. This brings us to the new trend or challenge, that is to deconstruct marketers’ strategies “blinded by stereotypes, or ageism” (Hootsuite Digital Trends), and put us in a position to better evaluate target demographics.

 In addition to the increase of people online – 1 billion in the past three years-, smartphones are now considered as “first screen”, and not TV’s anymore, with a daily time, spend on mobile devices ranging 6h54, comparable to only 3h24 on TVs (Hootsuite Global Report). So, if some businesses and people were able to ignore the internet, and social media before, now this is not possible any longer. Being present online today, for business, is almost like confirming your existence. 

https://www.pexels.com/

Also, research shows that people trust more in companies that actively communicate and engage with the public. Close to 45% of internet users, for example, research products on social media when researching products or services (Hootsuite Digital Trends). According to Forbes, in 2022, connection with purpose and fun, for example, seems to be a high tendency; two things that TikTok videos have been easily doing with high demand. 

An article published with the vision of the Forbes Communication Council (2022) mentions that “It is time for people and organizations to be real, authentic, human and compassionate online. As a marketer, use social media to offer transparency into the challenges in your industry, be empathetic to clients and humanize your brand”. 

Talking about videos, TikTok was the world’s most downloaded app during COVID, this app surpassed the 1 billion user mark in September 2021. That made it the 7th most popular social network in the world (Hootsuite, 2022). “with more and more consumers choosing to use the creative and humorous entertainment platform, brands are waking up to the opportunity to capture a new audience and showcase their brand personality” (Hootsuite, 2022).

To sum up, COVID not only required social distance but also created indispensability for businesses to communicate thinking completely“outside the box”. With almost all the world connected, there’s a different public online (an old one) that also needs messages and services provided especially for them. Finally, and most important, marketers now have a big challenge in their hands – but not an impossible one: to create messages that are fun, human, empathetic, and that promote the brand’s personality, emphasizing videos and relatively “new apps” as a TikTok. Do you think that we are able to do this?

References:

https://www.facebook.com/business/news/insights/5-reasons-messaging-is-taking-flight-with-travelers

https://www.tiktok.com/business/en/inspiration

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2022/01/25/social-media-trends-taking-off-in–2022-and-how-to-leverage-them/?sh=62e056f76f5d

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COM0014 – Blog #1: Not so much bitten by the travel bug, but rather, a puppy

From stockpiling/panic-buying toilet paper to baking sourdough bread, tie-dyeing our wardrobe and learning the latest TikTok trends, it goes without saying that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial influence on how Canadians spend their time (and money) while staying at home.

One “trend” that I’ve become particularly interested in is far more adorable and exciting than bringing home a value-sized pack of Charmin from Costco – puppies!

Approximately 3% of Canada’s population – a whopping 900,000 people – were reported to have gotten a pet over the course of the pandemic (and yes, I am one of them).

Image source

Why a puppy? Why now?

I suppose, like many, I felt a need for companionship, but ultimately, I had always longed for a dog of my own at some point in my adult life, being the dog person that I am. I had just gotten out of a four-year relationship, moved back home with my parents, and was in the midst of transitioning from an office setting to a virtual/digital environment. Lots of change was happening in my life, so naturally, my response was to throw an adorable corgi puppy into the mix (and with open arms nonetheless).

I know it sounds like getting a puppy was a rash decision on my end, but rest assured, this was a decision I had been ruminating on for years prior. I always knew I wanted a round, fluffy corgi butt in my life and I thought to myself, “if not now, then when?” (or #YOLO as the kids used to say – do people still say that??).

via GIPHY

After months of searching, I had discovered a reputable breeder who had a few tri-coloured corgi puppies available. We set up a meeting over Zoom so I could assess their temperament/personalities, ask questions, and to ensure I was a good fit. Needless to say, all went well and I ended up calling “dibs” on a sweet little boy, who I have since named “Norman”, and one week later I brought him home!

Lessons learned; memories made

To say that becoming a dog owner over the course of a pandemic is time consuming, challenging, and sometimes, downright stressful is a bit of an understatement. In the past year I have…

  • sacrificed a lot of sleep
  • said goodbye to countless pairs of underwear, shoes and furniture (R.I.P)
  • gone through bottles of stain remover and carpet cleaners
  • lost my train of thought mid-Zoom-meeting on account of barking in the background
  • learned to repair baseboards (not well, I might add) that had fallen victim to a teething puppy
  • and succumbed to being a chew toy to a teething puppy as well
An artist and his artwork

However, all challenges aside, having Norman in my life has also been one of the most rewarding, life changing experiences that I will probably ever have. I cannot imagine a life without him!

Norman on his first birthday in July, 2021

I start and end each day with a sense of purpose and pride knowing that I am responsible for this living being and that I play a pivotal role in his happiness and overall well-being.

My priorities have shifted, and for the better. Many, if not all, of the decisions I make are no longer about me, but rather, about Norman. This is not to say that I don’t do anything for myself anymore or no longer have needs to fulfill, like maintaining a (socially distanced) social life, but I am better able to assess what is truly important to me and be more cognizant of how I spend my time and energy.

Norman makes me laugh, smile, always greets me with kisses and a wagging tail when I walk through the front door, and he beats any alarm clock I’ve ever had by waking me with a morning snuggle.

I feed off the excitement and commentary from strangers who see Norman, whether it be on our daily walks, at the dog park, or local, dog-friendly trails.

“Oh my gosh!! A corgi!!!”

“He’s such a fast runner for a dog with small legs!”

“Norman?! That is THE perfect name!”

I guess, in summary, a lot of my time spent throughout the pandemic has been tailored to being the best dog mom I can be. Throughout the process, though, I also happened to learn a lot about myself, my needs, my priorities, and how to foster independence for both myself and Norman when required.

If there’s one thing that becoming a dog owner has taught me, pandemic or not, it’s simply: dogs are not our whole life, but they certainly make our lives whole.

Shameless plug

To those on Instagram who enjoy puppy content, I encourage you to follow Norman’s Instagram (I may be biased, but you won’t be disappointed): @norm.the.corgi