Hands-free technology promises to change mobile marketing as more and more consumers rapidly come to rely on their mobile devices for everything from booking a table at their favorite restaurant to conducting banking transactions. Earlier this year, a report noted that the smartphones penetration rate in the U.S. was closing in on 80%. Specifically, around 79.3% of mobile subscribers in the U.S. who were at least 13 years old owned a smartphone the fourth quarter of 2015.
What this shift means for marketers is they must be ready to fine-tune or even overhaul their existing mobile marketing efforts to allow for hands-free technology. Marketers need to make the most of widespread use not only of smartphones, but also other mobile devices and wearable technology that offer hands-free options.
To come out on top of this emerging trend, marketers and business owners need to understand the impact of hands-free technology in 5 main areas:
Voice Search using hands-free technology
Voice search is one of the most compelling and enabling features possible on hands-free devices. It's important, therefore, to understand how voice search differs from typed search. First, people tend to talk in a way that's different from the way that they speak. The keywords that businesses use as part of their mobile marketing strategies should take this into account. Businesses should also use long-tail keywords, which contain three to five words that focus on a precise target group rather than a mass target group, as part of their SEO strategy. As it turns out, long-tail keywords are better at mirroring how people really speak.
Video Marketing
People are spending more time consuming content on their smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices than on watching television. A Nielsen report notes that in the first quarter 2016 time spent by U.S. adults using their smartphones to access media climbed 60%, to 99 minutes/day from 62 minutes/day on year ago. Live television viewing declined 1% - to four hours and 31 minutes in the Q1 of 2016 compared to four hours and 34 minutes a year ago. For marketers the focus needs to be on creating compelling, relevant video content so they can roll out mobile marketing that resonates with the intended audience.
Web Design
As more and more people use their smartphones, smartwatches and tablets to access the Internet, forward-thinking marketers will ensure their online assets are accessible and responsive. This means that efforts need to be directed towards proper website design and content creation so all website visitors get an equally satisfying experience. After all, what good is having a call-to-action landing page if the page ends up looking garbled on a smartwatch screen?
Location-Based Marketing
With hands-free technology like wearables, businesses can take advantage of reliable location data afforded from built-in GPS \ to offer consumers targeted location-based mobile ads. Businesses that understand the importance of this development can reach out to their specific demographic in a way that will translate into higher response rates.
In addition to obtaining geolocation data on customers businesses on the leading edge can also mine behavioral patterns and other responses to advertising campaigns. In other words, marketing-minded businesses will have access to critical intelligence to make informed marketing decisions going forward.
Apps
With the popularity of app marketplaces offered by Apple and Google, there are plenty of opportunities for businesses to show their advertisements to people who make frequent use of these apps. The trick will be figuring out which apps appeal most to specific audiences.
Hands-free technology definitely presents an opportunity for businesses that want to be ahead of the marketing curve. As more mobile devices and wearable technology populate the Internet of Things, businesses that employ mobile marketing suited to wearable and other hands-free technologies will gain a competitive edge.
