EDITOR’S LETTER

The Connected Consumer

A year ago, the big story was how connected consumers are. And, that most then owned and used an average of four online tools.

That was then and this is now. And the biggest change is that customers aren’t just checking you and your products out on those laptops or even oversized tablets anymore. But they are checking you out!

CELL-EBRATION. According to a recent Nielsen survey, more U.S. adults now access social media (and you) on their smartphones than on anything else.

And, looking ahead to 2016, according to IDC (International Data Corp.), almost eight out of 10 connected purchases and searches will be made on smartphones or tablets. Your customer is on the move, and your marketing needs to be, too. For one thing, the conversion rate (from perusing to purchasing) is much higher among mobile consumers, whether they buy in-store or online.

EASY FIXES. So, what does this mean to you? Maybe you can’t create a killer app. But there are plenty of things you can do.

• Create a version of your “desktop” website that is compatible with mobile devices.

• Take advantage of location-based marketing services like foursquare or even location-based advertising.

• Add a response mechanism like a QR code to your updated mobile website. It’s an easy way to engage consumers and create a call to action.

VIDEO VIEW. To learn more about what’s up in mobile marketing and why it’s so important, use our own response mechanism, called augmented reality, to view the linked video, “Mobile Marketing Trends 2015.” It’s jam packed with useful info, and we’re sure you’ll agree it’s three minutes well spent.

Thanks to you, our consumers, it’s been a great year at EB. We wish you the happiest of holidays and look forward to “seeing” you in 2015.

VIDEO ON DEMAND

Before finalizing your social media plans for next year, be sure to view this very informative video, “Mobile Marketing Trends 2015.” Here’s what to do to access it.

1
Download the free Actable interactive print app from the app store (available for both IOS and Android devices)

2
Launch the app and scan this entire page

3
Your video will begin

Many thanks to Advids (www.ADVIDS.co), an international producer of handcrafted videos, for giving us permission to share this video

Stephanie K. De Long
Editorial Director