One of the dominant marketing trends of 2023 is the increased focus on mobile-native content. And seeing that more and more people chose to use their phones as their primary device for online shopping, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that it is so. But, instead of outlining these trends, let's take a step back and explore what factors help mobile content attract such a vast and committed audience.

What makes mobile-native content so engaging?

It should be fairly apparent that there is not just one reason why mobile-native content performs as well as it does. Multiple, seemingly simple factors have contributed to its effectiveness in the modern marketing landscape. And it is all likelihood that precisely because of these factors mobile-native content will continue to shine.

Convenience and sharing

The first reason that makes mobile-native content so engaging is convenience. Namely, mobile devices are portable and omnipresent. This enables users to access content while on the move or during various daily activities. Having this constant accessibility users are encouraged to engage with content more frequently, as they can do so whenever they have a spare moment.

This accessibility ties into another important aspect of mobile content's success, which is social sharing. Mobile devices are closely connected to social media platforms, where sharing and engaging with content are integral parts of the user experience. Mobile-native content is designed to be easily shareable. It encourages viewers to share interesting content with their social networks, thus amplifying its reach and potential engagement. So, by using mobile devices, viewers can easily view such captivating content, and share it with their friends and family. They can even create content of their own and include your brand in it. Therefore, it is easy to see why we feel that mobile-native content is not going away anytime soon.

Short attention spans

The next reason for the staggering success of mobile content is the ever-shortening attention span of mobile users. As mobile technology had advanced, people have slowly developed shorter attention spans. While it is difficult to give a precise estimate, most researchers put the current average attention span below 8 seconds. This means that you have 8 seconds to capture and keep the viewer's attention. Fortunately, mobile-native content is designed to deliver information quickly and succinctly, catering to these shorter attention spans and capturing interest within seconds. It also helps that mobile devices offer a multi-sensory experience through visuals, audio, touch, and motion. Such content creates a more immersive and captivating experience for viewers. As such it is far more likely to engage and entertain them in the available 8-second span.

It is also worth noting that mobile native content is based on interactions. Touchscreens and other interactive capabilities of mobile devices allow content creators to integrate engaging elements like polls, quizzes, and swipeable stories. These interactive features provide a more immersive and participatory experience for viewers, leading to higher engagement rates.

Content Format

When people use phones, they tend to hold them vertically. This seemingly minute detail has had a drastic impact on apps like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat. They are optimized for vertical viewing, scrolling, and interaction. Mobile-native content designed in a vertical format seamlessly fits into users’ behavior, making it easier for them to consume and engage with the content.

Along with this, mobile-native content embraces innovative formats such as short videos, GIFs, live streaming, and augmented reality experiences. These formats are often visually engaging and offer novel ways for viewers to interact with the content, making it more likely to capture their attention. The relatively short format also makes it easy for viewers to engage with it multiple times during the day. We refer to these as "micro-moments", such as waiting for an appointment or commuting. Mobile-native content is designed to fit these brief windows of time, enabling users to quickly consume and engage with the content even when they have limited time available.

Ease of creation

Another reason why mobile-native content is popular is that it is fairly easy to create. Mind you, creating well-performing, properly optimized content that caters to a specific audience won't be easy. But, modern tools, especially AI ones, make creating visually striking content surprisingly straightforward. Somemobile-native content is easier to create than others. For instance, live videos are far easier to create than interactive elements with seamless transitions. But, overall, mobile-native content is becoming easier and easier to create. Therefore, we are only like to see an increase in its use in modern marketing.

Personalization

Personalization has played a pivotal role in promoting mobile-native content by tailoring experiences to individual user preferences. By analyzing user data, such as browsing history, location, and behavior, mobile platforms can deliver targeted content recommendations and notifications. This creates a more engaging and relevant user journey, leading to increased app usage, higher click-through rates, and improved conversion rates. As a result, personalization has effectively boosted user engagement, strengthened brand loyalty, and amplified the reach of mobile-native content, ultimately driving its success in the competitive mobile landscape.

In essence, mobile-native content is designed to align with modern viewers' behaviors, preferences, and the unique characteristics of mobile devices. This alignment, combined with its ability to provide quick, interactive, and personalized experiences, contributes to its higher engagement rates in today's digital landscape.

How to create effective mobile content

With what we've stated so far, it is only logical that you'd want to incorporate mobile native content into your marketing. Well, you are not alone. Most modern brands opt for mobile-native content as their primary focus. As such, it is important that you focus on quality instead of quantity, and find a way to make your brand stand out. Here we will outline a couple of tips to help you create mobile-native content that captures and holds the attention of your audience:

Tip 1: Understand your audience

The first thing to do is to research and analyze your target audience. You do this in order to understand their interests, behaviors, and preferences. This knowledge will guide your content creation process and help you tailor your content to their specific needs.

Tip 2: Optimize for mobile devices

Simply because you are creating mobile-native content doesn't mean that it will be properly optimized. You need to use a responsive design that adapts to different screen sizes and orientations. Also, pay attention to font sizes, visuals, and overall layout to ensure easy readability and navigation on mobile screens. Keep in mind that mobile-native content needs to load fast in order to make use of the 8-second attention span. This is especially important to remember if you wish to optimize your entire website for mobile devices. So, don't go overboard with the resolution and content size.

Tip 3: Focus on visual appeal

When creating mobile content it is important to focus on visuals. Keep in mind that visual content is particularly engaging on mobile devices. As such, you'd be smart to use eye-catching images, videos, and graphics that are relevant to your content. High-quality visuals and compelling design can instantly capture the viewer's attention. While you can use written content, it is usually advisable to focus on visuals as much as possible. Use written only when visual would be redundant.

Tip 4: Use a vertical format

As we previously stated, a vast majority of mobile users hold their phones vertically. Therefore, you need to create content in such a format that it suits the natural way people interact with their mobile devices. Vertical videos and images are more likely to be viewed and shared on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat. And people are far more likely to engage with your content if the interactive elements are suited for the vertical format.

Tip 5: Create bite-sized content

Given shorter attention spans on mobile, create content that delivers value quickly. Use concise and clear messaging to communicate your main points efficiently. Short videos, quick tips, and succinct captions can be compelling. If you wish to elaborate further, you can post a link to that content. But, for the initial bit, we would suggest that you stay as short and sweet as possible.

Tip 6: Motivate user-generated content

Encourage your audience to contribute content through user-generated campaigns. This fosters a sense of community and involvement, making viewers more likely to engage with and share the content.

Tip 7: Incorporate timely andtrending topics

Stay updated on current trends,events, and topics relevant to your niche. Creating content around trendingsubjects can make your content more relatable and shareable. Of course, you shouldn'tshoehorn every ongoing trend into your marketing. But, if you can find anatural connection between your brand and an ongoing trend, you shoulddefinitely make use of it.

Tip 8: Utilize mobile-friendlyplatforms

Since you are creatingmobile-friendly content it is only logical that you choose platforms that arepopular for mobile consumption, such as social media apps and messagingplatforms. Adapt your content to the platform's specific features andrequirements. If this is too limiting, try to organize your website to moreeasily host the mobile-native content of your choice.

Tip 9: Experiment with formats

The only way to find a distinctive marketingstyle for your brand is to experiment. Experiment with various content formats,such as short videos, GIFs, live streams, and interactive infographics.Different formats can capture different types of engagement and attract a wideraudience. The sooner you start to experiment, the sooner you will figure outwhich format resonates with your audience best. Such knowledge will beinvaluable during content creation.

Keep in mind that creating engaging mobilecontent is an ongoing process of experimentation and adaptation. Stay open tofeedback, stay up-to-date with evolving mobile trends, and continuously refineyour approach to keep your audience engaged and coming back for more.

Conclusion

So far, we've given you a good enough idea ofwhat makes mobile-native content so engaging. The ongoing content marketingtrends, the prevalence of mobile devices, and the attitude of modern audiences towardonline content seem to have created the perfect storm for mobile-native content.And, as time goes on, there seems to be every inclination that mobile-nativecontent will become more popular. With this in mind, we strongly advise you tostart creating mobile content of your own. Platforms like StorifyMe can go along way in helping you create content that your viewers will find interestingand that will suit your brand. But, to make the most of it, it is importantthat you have a broad understanding of what mobile-native content can be andhow you are supposed to go about creating it. So, the sooner you roll up yoursleeves and get down to it, the better.