Rethinking Content Marketing with a Native Mobile App

Content consumption on mobile devices is increasing rapidly. As a result, mobile has had a tremendous impact on the evolution of content marketing. Businesses now need to consider implementing native mobile apps as a part of content marketing strategy in order to successfully deliver content to where consumers are.

As we all know, content marketing is a key focus for any marketer. Although content and inbound marketing revolutionised the sales process on the web, originally this strategy was developed for desktop. Now, it is essential to adapt content marketing to a world of emerging devices, platforms, screen sizes, and resolutions. Consequently, mobile must be treated as a first step in content strategy, not as an afterthought. The ultimate goal is to make your content accessible to all users where they spend the most time.

You might have put a lot of thought, time and effort into creating great content, but more importantly, you need to deliver it where your users are. Today’s digital landscape is very much app-focused. In fact, according to a 2017 report by comScore, apps make up 87% of total mobile minutes. Another study by Flurry reported that apps take up 92% of total mobile time, while browsers account for the other 8%. Therefore, roughly 90% of our mobile time is spent using apps.

It is important to focus on native mobile apps first and foremost because that’s where consumers are going. If businesses want to retain customers and capitalise on their digitally savvy behaviour, they must build a compelling mobile presence through apps. The mobile-first approach to content marketing has already gained popularity, with many businesses adopting a mobile content marketing app.

With the growing number of global smartphone users, having a native mobile app for your content marketing strategy is no longer a choice but a necessity. If you aren’t considering a mobile app for your content marketing strategy, it is likely you are missing out.

Related Why Do Businesses Need a Mobile App?

Mobile Web vs. Mobile Apps

While mobile-optimised landing pages and responsive websites can convert under the inbound approach, marketers need a better way to deliver content marketing on mobile. Mobile apps offer unique features that make it more engaging than Web. A native app provides consumers with a more convenient way to browse and interact with a brand, offering easily accessible content right at their fingertips.

Consumers have become increasingly mobile, replacing desktops with smartphones for entertainment, research and purchases. In fact, mobile apps are used more often, and for longer, than mobile sites (Adobe). Therefore, developing a native mobile app is a worthy investment for businesses. Not to mention, users of apps are more loyal to brands compared to those who just visit the website from their mobile device.

Native mobile apps create an immersive and intuitive environment for users that are familiar, standardised and seamless. This offers users a more holistic experience compared to mobile web. The interactive experience offered by apps not only makes it easier for users to consume content but also allows marketers to deliver personalised content to their target audience. In fact, apps provide the opportunity to collect more accurate consumer data, feeding better personalisation and business outcomes.

Related 3 Reasons Native Apps Are Better For User Engagement

Content Marketing + Native Apps

The exponential growth of mobile devices has resulted in an unprecedented amount of opportunities for marketers. With the constant introduction of new mobile capabilities, mobile marketing is going to continuously evolve, creating new strategies for reaching out to audiences through their mobile devices. For now, the best solution is to create a native mobile app that supports your content marketing strategy.

Content marketing apps are participatory, not passive. A native mobile app is essential for businesses wanting to provide their customers with more interactive and engaging content to supplement the passive, low engagement content offered on websites. With a mobile app, marketers can effortlessly reach their audience, converting existing visitors into followers and driving long-term customer acquisition and engagement.

Here are 4 key reasons why mobile apps are essential for any content marketing strategy:

#1 Personalisation

According to AgilOne, more than 70% of users expect personalised experiences with brands they interact with. Consumers turn to apps to satisfy specific needs and to receive dedicated and personalised services they cannot find on a website. More specifically, mobile apps offer better personalisation by providing users with tailored communication based on their interests, location and usage behaviour. Furthermore, the ability to implement app onboarding allows businesses to segment and deliver customised content to their users. This opportunity for personalisation allows you to filter the right content for the right users, enhancing both user experience and engagement.

Related App Onboarding: What Is It and Why Do We Need It?

#2 Walled-Garden

With all the noise out there it is easy for businesses to lose impact on their customers. It is now harder than ever to stand out from the crowd and truly engage your customers. A native mobile app creates a ‘walled-garden’ environment allowing businesses to increase interactions and make true connections with their customers. This ‘walled’ branded environment provides app users with a constant and seamless experience, reducing noise and clutter whilst increasing engagement with your brand.

#3 Offline content

Another advantage of a native mobile app is the ability to provide users with functionality and content that is accessible offline. This reduces the reliance on reliable internet connections and provides users with a seamless experience.

#4 Messaging

A mobile app presents limitless opportunities for marketers; through mobile, we can now engage one-to-one with our customers. App push notifications allow you to reach out to customers in real time. Leveraging the insights from app usage behaviour, businesses can continually improve their marketing strategies to deliver more relevant, enticing and successful content to users. Offering customers well-timed content that truly adds value can create brand loyalty, trust and a positive customer experience.

Creating a Content Marketing App

Creating a native mobile app to support your content strategy provides the opportunity to focus on mobile users and identify where you can increase engagement and interactivity with your content. A content marketing app does not mean you need to create individual content for each device or channel it is published to. Instead, try to find an app development platform that supports content management and omnichannel marketing communications. This would allow you to publish content from a single source and ensure that the content works well on every device. That way you can create once and publish everywhere.

Bite-sized content and experiences are becoming favorable – Mary Meker, Kleiner Perkins

Since a reader’s attention span is getting shorter, try and focus on making their mobile app experience as streamlined and seamless as possible. When developing a mobile app, remember to stay up to date on changing mobile technology. Every new feature provides marketers with a new opportunity. For example, leveraging personalisation, location information and behavioural data makes it easier than ever for marketers to deliver customised content and experiences to app users.

Here some quick tips to keep in mind when developing your content marketing app:

#1 Keep content concise

The fact is mobile devices have smaller screens, therefore, content should be tailored for mobile and condensed to fit the size of the screen. This will help create a positive user experience in your app. Remember to thoroughly test your content on multiple rotations, mobile devices, and screen sizes to ensure it is displaying as it should on all of them.

#2 Keep it simple

A user’s attention span is shorter when consuming content on their mobile devices. Therefore, it is important to identify and cut out everything that will distract them from carrying out what is really important; the call-to-action. Users should be able to complete a goal or navigate through the app with minimal screens and taps.Ultimately, a simple and easy to use interface is key for a positive user experience. Every additional button, icon or image results in the app becoming more complex.

#3 Have a content plan

It is important to develop a content plan for effectively targeting and engaging your users. Users love apps that deliver continuous value, therefore, the content of your app must be up to date and relevant over time. In fact, 91% of mobile users exit an app if it fails to satisfy an immediate need, meaning all that carefully-crafted content may be for nothing if mobile users deem it irrelevant (ThinkwithGoogle). A strategic content plan will help keep your mobile app competitive in the market.

Consider questions like the following to help guide your content plan:

• • How much time does a mobile visitor spend on your site?

• • Which pages capture their attention?

• • Does one specific page standout?

• What action is taken?

Answers to these questions reveal a lot about your current engagement and can provide valuable insights. Once you have a better understanding of how mobile users navigate your site, you can make more informed and strategic decisions about what content to put in your mobile app.

Related Content is Key: A Guide to Content Auditing and Design

It is time to rethink your mobile content marketing strategy; it is time for a native mobile app. Mobile app strategy has emerged as a top priority for businesses to stay relevant, maintain a competitive edge, and unearth new business and revenue opportunities.

Have you found the right app development platform to execute your mobile strategy? At Liquid State, we understand the importance of implementing enterprise app software as a part of corporate strategy. Our platform empowers businesses to build native code-free apps for a variety of business functions. With Liquid State, you can manage and deliver the right communications to the right people on the right devices.

To find out what Liquid State can do for your business, download the factsheet, or get in touch with us today.