You’ve spent precious time and money crafting your marketing message, and now you’re ready to show it off to the world. Today, your new Web banner ads are going live, and the moment of truth has arrived.
On the 5:15 train, your first prospect is browsing the Internet on her tablet when your ad catches her eye. She touches the banner to view your video, and a short message appears on the blank screen: “Sorry. Your device does not support this type of media.” Your prospect sighs in disappointment, and moves on to another web page. Chances are you’ve lost her for good.
It’s a nightmare come true for any business owner. You’ve targeted your audience, developed a killer message and stunning Internet movie, then let the customer slip away.
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Not so long ago, producing rich media for the Web was much simpler. Most people browsed the Web on a PC or laptop, and they could view your video or Flash movie with a couple simple plugins. You designed a high-bandwidth version for business users, and a low bandwidth version for viewers on a dialup connection.
Today, people are more connected and mobile than ever. They are consuming their media using different devices, bandwidths, and screen sizes.
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For example, consider the iPad, which did not even exist three years ago. Now, more than half of large businesses are planning to provide tablets to their employees.
Mobility is changing the way we work, live, and learn. But it’s also creating new challenges for marketing. How can your Internet movie make an impact when your audience is on the move and difficult to reach? By thinking about mobility as part of your overall marketing strategy, you can be sure your content reaches the most people possible, and produces the best impact.
It starts with a holistic approach, where your marketing message and design elements are in sync and complement one another. If you’re hiring a marketing company, consider a vendor who can deliver messaging and design services as part of one package. Focus on delivering a consistent experience to your audience—no matter how they will be viewing your content.
As you develop your message and design elements, think about how your content will come across when viewed on different devices. Complicated, wordy on-screen text won’t fly if your viewer is trying to read it on a 3.5-inch screen. Design elements, fonts, and colors should be attractive and easy to read, even on a smart phone.
The same tips apply for video footage. If you’re shooting video, consider how scenes will look when they are cropped or downsized to fit on small devices. To give yourself the most flexibility, a good rule of thumb is to shoot in hi-def. You can always convert your video to a lower resolution format if it’s needed.
Flexible video and design elements are only the first step in developing mobile content. In our next post, we’ll discuss bandwidth, platform options, and other tools you can use to make sure your message gets out to customers on the move.
