With the rapidly increasing use of smartphones across the globe, we are quickly evolving into a mobile-first society. Smartphones and mobile apps have become the new storefront, grassroots advocacy rallies, a social watering hole, and advertising billboards that have traditionally been physical endeavors. Mobile technology slightly levels the playing field to allow even the smallest associations to share their mission message without physical barriers like location or ad budget. However, implementing a mobile communication channel can be a hit or a miss if you don’t keep up with the ever-changing trends.
Fortunately, we have you covered. Our 28-page, 2019 Mobile Trends guide breaks down the five trends your association must try in 2019 – but if you like it fast as much as we do, then here’s the shorten version.
TREND 01 | The Power of Emotions in Mobile Videos
We are entering an emotional economy. It’s an environment where consumers are doing more research around brands’ purpose, charities, and customer reviews, so it’s imperative that associations build their “know, like and trust” factor quickly. In 2017, watch time of “does it work” videos grew by more than 11x as consumers sought out visual proof that the items they were considering were worth it (Google, 2017). Combine that with a rapidly growing emotional economy, and we’re sure to see quick videos that provoke a feeling as a mobile trend in 2019.
TREND 02 | Talk Where Your Members Are Listening
The constant bombardment and distraction of digital ads, limitless information, and instant connectivity has diminished your members’ attention spans. In 2015, Time magazine reported “Microsoft found that since the year 2000, about when the mobile revolution began, the average attention span dropped from 12 seconds to eight seconds.”
Additionally, “Heavy multi-screeners find it difficult to filter out irrelevant stimuli- they’re more easily distracted by multiple streams of media.” We are now trying to balance more work with the same amount of time in the day, but with more distractions. There has never been a more challenging time to communicate with your members than today.
Omnichannel mobile marketing, a multi-prong communication approach to engaging members, is your solution. It provides instant access to your association’s members where they are most of the time; on their smartphones.
TREND 03 | Use Mobile Technology to Improve Human Experiences
Mobile technology is comfortably a part of our daily routine. We wake up to a cell phone alarm, check the weather, and check our email, but when we encounter an unexpected issue, we seek human guidance for help. In fact, “83% of consumers said they prefer dealing with human beings over digital channels to solve customer service issues” (Marketing Dive).
What if the customer experience is poor? You’ll most likely lose your member. According to Marketing Dive, “52% percent of consumers switched brands last year due to a bad service experience.” So how can mobile technology free up your high-valued staff to increase member satisfaction? Use quality mobile technology to replace administrative processes.
TREND 04 | The New Word of Mouth
Sharing stories and experiences has been a part of human culture since the Paleolithic era when our ancestors painted scenes of horses and buffaloes on cave walls. Thousands of years later, the internet allows us to blast our moment’s thought to others around the world. Your members want to be empowered with instant information, and they’re willing to put in the time searching before making a decision. Eighty-four percent of people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation (Inc.). Your association needs to embrace mobile reviews, partner with thought leaders for social endorsements, and encourage one-on-one interaction with your members.
TREND 05 | Gamified Mobile Apps Create Brand Ambassadors
According to a MarketsandMarkets report, the global gamification industry will be valued at $11.1 billion by 2020, up from $1.65 billion in 2015. Long gone are the days of generic leaderboards and badges. A long-term gamification strategy engages members at an emotional level while collecting predictive data to generate membership revenue projections.
The key is understanding the motivating factors within each segment of your membership base and then creating a fun and emotional experience to keep them coming back for more. According to Gartner, gamification motivates your members— “to higher and more meaningful levels of engagement. Humans are ‘hard-wired’ to enjoy games and have a natural tendency to interact more deeply in activities that are framed in a game construct.” This year, mobile apps will predictably be the front-runner of gamification platforms, especially with smartphone usage on the rise.
While it’s easy to get all consumed by this rapidly growing mobilefirst world, it’s refreshing to acknowledge that the human experience is not lost behind the screen. Your members are beginning to feel disconnected and truly value emotional moments through human interactions – in person or via video. The sweet spot is being able to stay true to your mission while embracing the digital-age by testing a few mobile trends in your strategic plan this year.
