Special Mobile IssueWhy Mobile Devices Are Driving the B2B Content Revolution

Our March 2012 issue of Brand Content Today focuses on mobile content marketing and branding. From the latest information on what content B2B audiences are consuming on their mobile devices, to how consumer trends affect B2B content development, here are several trending stories from the B2B mobile landscape that should be top of mind for CMOs this year.

B2B Marketers Consume More Content on Mobile DevicesResearchers are busy surveying mobile users about how they consume content on their devices. For example, a recent study found that users actually read a greater volume of content on their iPads—as opposed to traditional media, like newspapers—and they spend a longer amount of time reading that content,1 destroying the notion that the Web has ruined our collective attention span.

Moreover, when users read digital editions of magazines on their iPads, they are more likely to click on ads, interact with them, and buy the product.2 So what is it about an iPad that makes even long-hated ads appealing? On an iPad, an ad can become a fun, hands-on expe-rience, and is less likely to be perceived as an inconvenience or an annoyance. It seems that interactivity, by its very nature, compels users to explore and utilize content that they may have previously ignored.

Beyond encouraging more engagement with content itself, mobile devices also prompt users to interact more with the companies behind the content. For instance, users who

read magazines on mobile devices are also more likely to share their personal information with the publisher; in one study, 50 percent of iPad users okayed giving their information to magazine publishers.3 That figure blows away the average email click-through rate for, say, the software industry, which barely scratches three percent.4

In the B2B arena, this means tried-and-true ideas need to be thrown out the window. Those long white papers marketers create and post on web sites as PDFs need to be radically reimagined for viewing on a smartphone, where text-heavy content can be a liability. By the same token, those white papers may find new life—and an expanded audience—if they are formatted for reader-friendly devices like the Amazon Kindle.

BRAND CONTENT TODAY™

Vo

l. 1

No

. 3

MA

RC

H

20

12

© Copyright 2012 Eccolo Media, Inc. This report may not be cited without the following full attribution: Brand Content Today, Eccolo Media, Inc. Vol. 1 No. 3, March 2012. www.eccolomedia.com.

STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE BRAND, VISION, AND THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

1. http://www.miratech.com/blog/eye-tracking-etude-iPad-vs-journal2.html2. http://blogs.adobe.com/digitalpublishing/files/2011/01/digital_magazine_ad_engagement.pdf3. http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2011/05/12/surprise-50-of-ipad-subscribers-click-allow/4. http://mailchimp.com/resources/research/email-marketing-benchmarks-by-industry/

2

Mobile Content Consumption Passes PrintTo give just one view of how pervasive mobile use has become, U.S. adults spend 10.1 percent of their time consuming media on mobile devices, compared to 6.8 percent for print.5

What isn’t being discussed as widely is the fact that users are ready for B2B content on their mobile devices—and in many cases are already consuming mobile B2B collateral on a weekly basis. Eccolo Media’s 2011 B2B Technology Collateral Survey Report revealed a shift toward consuming B2B content on the go, with 37 percent of respondents saying that they had consumed collateral on a mobile device.6 Of those respondents, 33 percent reported viewing content on a smartphone and 16 percent looked at content on a tablet.7

Digging deeper in the types of content B2B users are consuming on their mobile devices,

we found that 11 percent read white papers on their smartphones and tablets. Looking at other “traditional” pieces of B2B marketing collateral, 14 percent of users viewed case studies on their mobile devices, while nine percent used their smartphones and tablets to read product brochures or data sheets.

While more people still view collateral on their desktops, the percentage of users who view this type of content on their mobile devices will only go up as users increase their reliance on smartphones and tablets. At a minimum, every piece of content that marketers create needs to be optimized for mobile viewing. Even better, building content from the ground up for the mobile experience should be at the top of every CMO’s list of priorities.

Interactivity is Key to Mobile ContentAccording to many predictions, the use of mobile devices will surpass desktop use in 2015, if not sooner.8 And that means document formats that don’t yet permit interactivity across mobile devices are going to be favored over those that do.

For example, Adobe’s simple Portable Document Format (PDF) revolutionized content delivery, making it easy to share content (and retain its layout and design elements) across PCs, Macs, the Web, email, and just about any other platform you can name. However, the PDF and similar document formats remain “flat” in a new and dynamic mobile world.

By contrast, documents formatted for any species of mobile tablet can become an

immersive experience, with audio, video, interactive images, and more. To see this concept in action, look at some of the popular digital magazines that have been optimized for iPad. The iPad edition of Wired magazine features videos, music, interactive diagrams, demos, and more. Click here to see more examples of highly interactive iPad publications.

Going forward, optimizing content for mobile will mean maximizing all of a device’s functionality, from touch screens to rich media capabilities. Frankly, we love the legacy desktop cross-platform capability of the PDF, and we predict that Adobe will rise to the opportunity and begin developing PDF for mobile platforms soon. Until then, marketers must think in different formats if they truly wish to optimize for mobile.

BRAND CONTENT TODAY MARCH 2012

5. Ibid.6. Eccolo Media 2011 B2B Technology Collateral Survey Report7. Ibid.8. http://www.pcworld.com/article/239870/tablets_phones_to_surpass_pcs_for_internet_use_in_four_years.html

3

Multi-Platform Mobility Complicates B2B Content StrategyThe Apple iPad and Amazon Kindle couldn’t be more different: one is a powerful multi-use, miniature computer, the other an elegant, stripped-down reading machine. Each device has an enthusiastic following, and each requires completely different content, both in form and format.

Format wars have been around forever, but content developers have made it a point to try

to find “universal” formats to deliver text, audio, and video files (PDF, mp3, Flash, etc.). Now formats are once again diverging.

For example, Flash is essentially non-viewable on Apple iOS devices, and

PDF—while easy to send over email and read on just about any device—doesn’t take advantage

of all of the different functionality that the iOS, Android, or Windows Phone platforms offer.

So which OS should your team develop for first? While there’s no one-size-fits-all answer, Eccolo’s research shows a definite hunger for more iPad content. In fact, according to our 2011 survey, 56 percent of B2B technology buyers want more content developed for Apple’s popular tablet. Forty-five percent of respondents said they wanted more content optimized for the iPhone, while 35 percent preferred content for Android-based phones and 19 percent wanted more content for their Android-based tablets.

If resources are tight, you may want to consider whether it’s worth devoting any time and money to app development projects, at least for now. There’s no easy formula to determine ROI, but carefully considering the cost of the app you want to create and the number of users it may reach is a good place to start.

Price, Audience Size Key Factors in Decision to Create B2B Mobile Apps While apps are trendy right now, does that mean that developing an app to support your organization’s sales and marketing activities is a good idea?

There’s no one answer that will work for every organization, but there are several key factors to keep in mind. A well-made app on any platform can deliver a far better user experience than a mobile web site. On the other hand, a mobile web site is likely to reach significantly more users than an app, given the fact that apps must be developed for different OSes to reach the broadest range of users and that they require additional user action (finding, downloading, and installing).

However, the increased views on a mobile site mean little if users are more likely to convert via an app—whether that means registering

their contact information, emailing a sales representative, or some other action.

If your organization decides to develop an app, you’ll be in good company: recent research reveals that 43 percent of companies are currently developing an app for their business customers.11

To get started developing a solid, successful app, emulate what makes apps so popular in the first place. Offer quick updates about a particular solution. Encourage users to tinker with or “play” with an app—in the guise of an ROI calculator, for example. Whatever method you choose, the ultimate goal should be to make your app as appealing as possible to the audience your team is trying to reach.

BRAND CONTENT TODAY MARCH 2012

1. Android (Droids, Nooks, etc.): 67.2 million2. BlackBerry: 47.45 million3. iOS (iPhone, iPad): 46.6 million4. Windows Phone devices: 12.385. Amazon Kindle: 2.5 million10

Total devices sold by OS/type9

9. http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=154301410. Estimated: http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/techbeat/archives/2010/01/amazon_ceo_mill.html11. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/appsblog/2012/feb/21/business-apps-antenna-research

4

75 Percent of Workforce Set to Use Mobile by 2013B2C companies have been leading the way in the mobile revolution. Nearly every major brand has developed a mobile app—91 out of the top 100 brands, in fact.12

However, mobile is becoming increasingly important for B2B marketers as well. Seventy-two percent of the U.S. workforce already uses mobile devices, a number

that is set to rise to 75 percent by 2013.13 Not only that, but more than 70 percent of executives under 40 classify mobile as their primary communications tool, while more than 50 percent of executives say they prefer to make business purchases using mobile devices as opposed to over the phone.14

These business users are bringing their own devices—and expectations

about what makes good content—to their interactions with every company. B2B

companies must now adapt and deliver content in the way that their customers prefer, ultimately offering, a more consumer-like experience.

Here at Eccolo Media, we call this the “consumerization” of B2B content. This means taking a page from B2C companies and creating a “content experience” that mimics the relevance, freshness, and usefulness of consumer-focused content in a form factor that appeals to today’s business user.

The consumerization of B2B content requires a completely different mindset than you may be used to. While your content is probably perfectly useful, you now need to pay much greater attention to the user experience that your content offers. If your team doesn’t have a strong foundation in this area, consider consulting with a UI/UX designer who can bring a new level of engagement to your content.

BRAND CONTENT TODAY MARCH 2012

About Eccolo Media Eccolo Media specializes in thought-leadership communications, content strategy, and content development for some of the world’s best-known brands. An agency of exceptional writers, Eccolo combines deep experience with ongoing research to identify and apply best practices for producing remarkable content. Founded in 2007, Eccolo Media is headquartered in San Francisco, California, and fulfills a wide range of strategic needs throughout the Americas and EMEA. Visit our Web site at www.eccolomedia.com.

12. Distimo, “The 2011 Top 100 Global Brands and Their App Store Status,” October 2011.13. http://www.b2bmobilerevolution.com/TheMobileRevolutionAndB2B.pdf14. Ibid.