Download Mobile Content Optimization Content Marketing on the go

Whitepaper
Mobile Content Optimization
Content Marketing on the go
Making Sense Of The Trends In Mobile Content Marketing
Management
It looks like 2013 really is the year that a mobile content strategy needs to take priority in most
organizations. A report released in February by industry analyst firm comScore found that at the
end of 2012, nearly 53% of “all U.S. mobile subscribers now use smartphones”. The number was
even bigger in Europe – and especially in the UK with 58% of those that use mobile phones utilizing
smartphones.
Colofon
Author: Robert Rose
Get in touch with Hippo: [email protected]
North America: +1 877 414 47 76 (toll free)
Europe: +31 20 522 44 66
Amsterdam • Boston
Follow the Hippo trail: onehippo.com
Whitepaper
PQ Media’s CEO Patrick Quinn summed it up nicely when
Association late last year found that a third of US Internet
he said “mobile will also reach the $100 billion mark in
users now own tablets.
2015 – faster than any other communications industry.” He
went on to say that this growth will be influenced by several
This explosion in mobile devices that can access rich Web
drivers including: “strong growth in overall mobile device
content means that marketers that want to engage with their
penetration, the transition to smartphones and tablets and the
audiences must start to include mobile content creation to
torrent of new mobile content launches.”
their already-busy plans. And certainly, just like the desktop
Certainly the most recent comScore numbers mentioned in
optimized Website, the audience engagement and conversions
the overview, as well as a recent study conducted by Google
through this channel need to be created strategically,
that found that 69% of smartphone users access the Web
managed efficiently, and measured effectively. So a very
every day support this forecasted trend.
capable Web Content Management system is critical to this
strategy.
Mobile Apps Are Trending
But many digital marketers and Web managers are still trying
As Well
to make sense of how to best reach, and ultimately engage
their audiences across mobile devices. Today it’s not enough
The comScore study also found what other research has
to make your Web strategy compatible with Mobile – you
shown that mobile app usage is growing even faster than the
have to optimize your content for Mobile. Simply making an
Web. According to comScore in 2012, “both the U.S. and the
automated “mobile version” of the full Web site isn’t going
EU saw the growth in mobile app use exceed the growth in
to create success. Smart marketers and communicators are
mobile browser use.”
taking specific content strategies to their mobile channels.
In fact, the explosive growth of apps have caused quite a bit of
In this whitepaper, we’ll attempt to outline some of the trends
confusion for many marketers – as they try and make sense of
– list some of the best practices and cite a few successful
which strategy to follow: App? Or Mobile
examples of organizations deploying a mobile content
marketing management strategy.
Key Mobile Content
127
120
100
94
80
There is little doubt that content marketing has changed the
way that many organizations are approaching the marketing
source: comStore, Alexa, Flurry Analytics
Marketing Trends
Figure 1: Mobile app usage is growing explosively
60
process. But what has changed most recently is that mobile
40
content marketing is becoming as – or in some cases more -
20
70
66
72
70
important than the desktop Web content strategy.
In a study published by Nielsen in 2012– the results
showed that of all mobile phone time, 64% is spent on apps.
Additionally, a study from PQMedia found that content
2010
2011
US Mobile apps vs Web Consumption,
minutes p/day
marketing was responsible for more than $39 billion in
revenue for businesses.
Amsterdam • Boston
Follow the Hippo trail: onehippo.com
2012
web
mobile
2
Mobile Content Optimization Content Marketing on the go
And, it’s not just phones. A report from the Online Publishers
Whitepaper
In the coming years, it may become a secondary or (with the
Flurry, the mobile app economy has exploded. By the end of
growth of Social Media) even a third or fourth priority.
November, 2011 there were a trillion app events (completed
actions) across the 250,000 applications that it tracks.
At Hippo – we’ve seen a number of trends of deploying
example, publishers that are looking to publish content in a
magazine-like format and optimized for iPads and iPhones
have been challenged with either “scraping web content”
and making them images – or expensive app development.
2000
source: Morgan Stanley Research
a hybrid model that has worked very well for clients. For
Figure 2: More mobile users then desktop users
within 5 years
1600
1200
Hippo’s recent integration with the popular PugPig
800
framework has been an extraordinarily beneficial model for
400
those looking to take a “hybrid” approach to publishing their
Web content – and a mobile optimized version alongside of
it. Additionally, we’ve explored and integrated platforms such
0
2007 2008 2009 2010
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
as Phonegap - which is currently incubating at the Apache
dektop internet users
Software Foundation under the name ‘Cordova’. Cordova
mobile internet users
is an HTML5 app platform that allows you to author native
applications built using HTML, CSS and Javascript from a
CMS.
One of the main benefits of this approach is that by using
HTML5 and normalized formats of content – the marketer
Best Practices In Mobile Content
Marketing
can also quickly and efficiently change strategies. For
example, in the past, designers were limited by proprietary
Certainly best practices in designing for the Mobile Web are
plugins for multi-media and creating alternative versions
still changing. As devices come onto the market – designing
of sites for browsers (such as mobile) that couldn’t display
for things like touch screens, smaller interfaces – and
this content. With HTML 5 there is greater efficiency in
browser and device limitations are all having a great effect
developing similar sites for desktop and mobile platforms.
on the way organizations will present their Web content.
Then, if a completely native application for mobile begins
Additionally, taking advantage of new options such as access
to make more sense over time – the application can be
to the device camera, voice activation or other information
developed and access the already-existing content through a
from other applications (e.g. Social Media) are providing new
REST based interface. This makes adding new types of device
opportunities for marketers to “appify” their strategy.
centric strategies (e.g. Blackberry, iPhone, Tablet) very easy
to roll out.
Mobile First - Web Site Second?
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has published some
guidelines for developing Mobile Websites – and this is a
good starting place for many that are looking to design for
these devices.
Mobile is closing the gap on web usage quickly – and some
even estimate that within the next few years, it may overtake
At Hippo though, we have a tight product relationship with
desktop access entirely. This would certainly shift the priority
both our developer community – and the customers who
of many marketers Web content strategy. Job number one
actually utilize our CMS solution. And as such, we’ve been
was once to create a Website presence for the corporation.
able to keep up to date and a record of what we see as some of
the best-practices being deployed.
Amsterdam • Boston
Follow the Hippo trail: onehippo.com
3
Mobile Content Optimization Content Marketing on the go
Interestingly, as you can see from mobile analytics company
Whitepaper
is critical. Tagging and taxonomy structures should be
• Don’t Re-Format Your Existing Site
completely flexible in your WCMS to ensure the flexibility
Many organizations have responded to designing their
to describe “how” to deliver content to particular devices.
Web content platform by simply trying to scale down their
The structure will be critical in being able to deliver all (or
existing site. While this is an “easy” way to approach a
some subset) of your content to whatever mobile device is
mobile “compatible” platform – it doesn’t really provide
requesting it.
for a “mobile optimized” platform. So, best-practices
suggest that a different content strategy should be applied
• Know Your Users – And Their Devices
for your mobile content. This is where context begins to
Certainly persona development is a big piece of a good
take an important role in the strategy, and where Hippo’s
content marketing strategy. But ensuring that you know
Context Aware Server can begin to provide automated
how and why those users will access your content on
delivery of relevant, personalized content. Whether it’s a
the Mobile Web will be critical in your content delivery.
subset of the entire Website, or entirely different content
This has two components to it. The first is to ensure that
your organization will be uique. But – but in most cases
your Web Content Management system can dynamically
if the user is coming from a mobile device they will have
re-direct users based on their device to the content that’s
very different content wants and needs – and so different
appropriate for that device. For example, you may want to
content is almost always a better idea.
deliver a mobile web site to Blackberry Users – but redirect
iPhone users to a splash page that encourages them to
The exception to this is some of the trends happening in
download your new iPhone App.
Responsive Web Design. This is an approach to design that
allows the interface to be fluid in the way that it reacts to
But secondly, you should have an understanding of your
the device attempting to access it. The concept is to mix
users and their content consumption habits. Only then,
a flexible “grid design” with flexible CSS (cascading style
will you really know if a Hybrid solution may work better
sheets) and then automatically detect what kind of device is
for you. For example, if your users really only access from
requesting the content. If it is a device with a smaller screen
iOS enabled devices – then perhaps a hybrid solution like
– only prioritized content is delivered to that screen. Now,
PugPig will be the best option for you. But on the other
there are equal challenges with Responsive Design, and this
hand, Phonegap/Cordova may make the best sense if you’re
approach isn’t (quite literally) a “one size fits all”. Of course
optimizing for Android platforms. And, finally, if you’re
at Hippo, we are passionate about delivering contextually
looking to optimize for Windows platforms – you may need
relevant experiences to audiences – and Responsive Design
to look at even other types of solutions.
does not take this into account. Responsive design ONLY
takes into account the device accessing the design – and
• Make Sure Your CMS Is Mobile-Ready
doesn’t look at location, connectivity speed, behavior and
Before you develop your Mobile Content Marketing strategy
personal preferences. All of these can affect WHY a user
– make sure that you can actually deploy a Mobile Content
wants to interact with content.
Management strategy.
• Structure Your Content Carefully
Most of the WCMS vendors today will claim the ability to
Regardless of whether you utilize Responsive Web Design
deliver content to multiple channels. This, of course, includes
– you should make sure that before you roll out a mobile
mobile content delivery. But making sure that your content is
content strategy, that your content management system
separated from the presentation is critical. And, additionally,
can accommodate the structuring of your content in a very
making sure that you can easily ADD mobile channels to your
normalized fashion. A good mobile content strategy is
strategy is also a very important part. In other words – if it’s
“device-neutral” and so having a WCMS that can separate
extremely difficult to set up a new mobile channel for your
content from presentation is key. Additionally, the ability
Web content – you may not actually do it.
to customize and add as much meta data to your content
Amsterdam • Boston
Follow the Hippo trail: onehippo.com
4
Mobile Content Optimization Content Marketing on the go
Here are some of what we see:
Whitepaper
5
Mobile Content Optimization Content Marketing on the go
Figure 3: Managing mobile and other channels in Hippo CMS
For example, at Hippo – the combination of the Template
There have been studies done that have found that
Composer and the Channel Manager empowers our customers
there are three primary drivers for deliver and manage
to create new channels (with no technical knowledge) and to
content to mobile devices that have the • Mobile
even roll
Audiences want to be entertained or informed browser
suappuodritetnhcateysoaunndeemd.obile content:
Finally, begin to look at WCM’s that can also MANAGE
• Mobile Audiences want to be entertained or informed
Additionally, making sure that your CMS can support
• Mobile Audiences want to share content
content via a mobile device. More and more – just like your
• Mobile Audiences want to be productive
Responsive Web Design (as mentioned above) is a critical
out multi-lingual, or specific device-centric channels. The use
The DuTch Railways use locaTion awaRe abiliTies in a
of HTML5 is important here – so that you can both deliver
cusTomeR’s phone Hippo Customer The Dutch Railways
and manage content to mobile devices that have the browser
discovered exactly this benefit by working with Hippo CMS
support that phone and from tablets. So, a WCM that can help
and their mobile channels. The Dutch Railways has the goal
you manage
of being completely customer focused – and always adapting
to new technology and content development to maintain this
focus.
Amsterdam • Boston
Follow the Hippo trail: onehippo.com
Whitepaper
Your location
Arnhem
Plan
your
trip
Actual
travel
info
Arnhem
Winterswijk Arnhem
Friday 14
December 10:09
Between Arnhem
and Winterswijk
longer traveltime
due to different
causes.
The Dutch Railways use location aware abilities in a customer’s phone
To that end, they deployed Hippo CMS to manage their
But, remember also that mobile audiences are not limited
Website – including their mobile channels. On their mobile
to the consumers – and can include your internal content
channels – they can use location-aware abilities of the
contributors as well. For example, it’s possible that an
customer’s phone when they access to deliver the most
enterprise may have communication managers, sales
relevant content about trains. This allows the customer to
representatives or other “internal” people out in the field. A
be both informed and productive. Additionally, if weather or
contextually aware and limited version of a CMS can be made
other issues challenge the schedule of the trains – the Dutch
available through their mobile device (such as Blackberry,
Railways can push content to mobile devices – thus making
iPhone or tablet device). The contributor can login to the
sure that their customer base is always up-to-date with the
system and publish, approve or contribute to certain parts of
most current schedules.
the content management process.
““Moving to the open-source Hippo CMS gave us
the path to the future that will enable us to manage
content for several channels much more easily.”
Willem van Willigenburg, the Technical Team Lead at the
Dutch Railways
Amsterdam • Boston
Follow the Hippo trail: onehippo.com
Mobile Content Optimization Content Marketing on the go
6
Whitepaper
About Hippo
At Hippo, we believe, digital is here to make our
Hippo CMS is open source, 100% JAVA and convinces
lives a little bit better. Hippo sets the standard for
with its lean product architecture that is built for uptime,
how organizations can bring real-time relevance to
security and performance.
their audience and is the foundation for personalized
communication across all channels: mobile, social
Our dedicated, Certified Partner Network delivers Hippo
and web. Our purpose is to facilitate innovation so our
Awesomeness around the globe to our valued customers.
customers can create digital miracles. We serve our
Hippo is proud to serve organizations such as Disney,
customers, by creating a platform that is fun to use,
Fidelity, Dolce & Gabbana, the Dutch Police, Thomson /
easy to implement and open for innovation.
Reuters and University of New York.
Hippo CMS is a powerful, enterprise-class foundation
Hippo is headquartered in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
to deliver outstanding Customer Experiences based on
and Boston, USA.
Enterprise Agility and Innovation Power.
Amsterdam • Boston
Follow the Hippo trail: onehippo.com
Mobile Content Optimization Content Marketing on the go
7