Popular formats for mobile-first content

It is by no means a secret that one of the best ways to engage modern audiences is through mobile content. When made properly it is quite effective in marketing, helps boost user engagement, and does wonder for brand awareness. But just like with any other type of content you need to be aware of different types and how they relate to your brand. In this article, will cover different formats for mobile-first content. Hopefully, this will help you get a better understanding of how they can improve your overall marketing.

Why is mobile-first content important

If you're new to marketing you might be wondering why should you opt for mobile-first content. After all, a big part of standard marketing content seems to be focused on PC. Well once you understand the significance that mobile devices have in modern marketing you will soon see why mobile-first content is the best way to go.

Understanding the modern online market

While are there different plans in modern marketing, almost all revolve around the same premise. This is that modern marketing is all about customer engagement. Long gone are the days when you could simply create content and hope that it will promote your brand. If you wish to succeed in modern marketing you need to find ways to engage your customers. The goal for modern marketers is not to simply spread awareness of a brand. But to create lasting relationships between customers and brands.

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This not only takes into account the type of content that you use but also necessitates a different approach to content promotion in general. While it may seem easier to simply practice tried-and-true methods of old-school marketing no that's modern customers are sick and tired of standard marketing practices. To engage with the modern customer you need to be able to establish a connection. And in this regard, mobile-first content seems to do well.

The attention shift of modern customers

One of the most important things you need to understand about modern customers is that they're plastered with marketing content left and right. Regardless of how they use their time online, they are bound to run into the marketing content. And, as a rule, people tend to ignore that content as much as possible. Most even looked to install ad blockers and pay extra fees solely to avoid watching marketing content. Therefore while you can invest in standard marketing content no that it will likely be a fruitless investment.

To actually gain attention from another user you need to find what they like. You need to optimize your content according to their preference. And you need to weave your brand into your content so that it naturally connects to their preference. Seeing that mobile devices are almost exclusively tied to a single user it is far easier to deduce what they like and don't like.

Omnichannel presence

Another important note about modern marketing is that you need to have an omnichannel presence. Even if you have the best website in the world you cannot help that it alone will gain you enough traffic.  To find and engage more customers you need to use different channels. And you need to find ways to connect these channels in a seamless experience. Unfortunately, while we are on our computers we are not so comfortable with jumping from one channel to another. Especially if we are using our computer for a singular purpose. Meanwhile, we are so accustomed to using multiple channels on our phones that we don't give it a second thought.  Therefore, it is far easier to build an omnichannel presence through mobile content, than through PC.

Different formats for mobile-first content

What with outlined so far should emphasize that creating mobile content is necessary for modern marketing. It might also seem that not all brands are suitable for mobile-first content. Well, the great thing about it is that there are various formats for mobile-first content. As such, you have many ways to find a connection between your brand, and mobile devices.

Standard content optimized for mobile

The format of mobile-first content that you're likely most familiar with is standard content that's been optimized for mobile. This content is essentially the same as standard content that you will find on a PC. The only difference is in design and layout. Some of the most common examples of standard content include:

• Written content
• Images
• Animated content
• Video content

When you try to optimize these formats for mobile devices you need to take into account two things. First is that mobile screens are considerably smaller than PC screens. Therefore need to be careful with the amount of content you wish to put on a single screen. What is comfortable to read on a computer screen may not be so for a mobile device. Secondly, you need to take into account the vertical lines of mobile devices.  Vertical videos and animations how much more popular as a result of proper mobile implementation.

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Web stories

Web stories are a great example of modern marketing innovation.  What they did was combine all the standard marketing formats into a single bite-sized piece. While this may seem simple we're all witnessed how effective web stories have become. Every social media platform that hosts web stories put them at the forefront.  Google Places great value pin web stories and even makes it a big part of a brand's SEO. We even have in-app stories which are used from onboarding to product placement.  All in all web stories are a terrific example of how seemingly small innovations in marketing can have big effects. And due to their bite-sized format, they've essentially become a staple of mobile-first design.

Interactive content

In a similar fashion interactive content has become a common example of mobile formats. People that create mobile content have recognized long ago that engagement rates are closely related to interactivity. The more you can convince your users to interact with your brand,  the more likely it is that they will engage with it in the long run. This interactivity is also what enables mobile contact to be so friendly to omnichannel presence. After all, if you can convince your users to interact with your content they will find driving from one channel to the other quite natural.

AR and VR content

The last format we will mention is one that is still in development.  Namely augmented reality and virtual reality content have some interesting connections to mobile devices. While such content is best experienced through VR or AR goggles, mobile devices do stand as an inexpensive alternative.

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A great example of AR content in marketing is the furniture industry. Certain apps you can use on your phone to project different furniture pieces in your home. As such you can easily envision what it would look like to own a certain piece. While not at the same level, clothing stores are also providing options for projecting clothes on yourself. All you need is a mirror and a phone and you can easily see what you would look like in a certain clothing item. Such examples of AR and VR marketing content are few and far in between. But they are quite exciting and unique. And as time goes on we are sure that will only see more of them.‍

Final thoughts

Giving you so far what are the most common formats of mobile contact. We are sure as time goes on that content creators will find new ways to use mobile devices for marketing. The combination of personalization and interactivity makes mobile devices and necessary priority for marketing. Therefore if you wish to tackle marketing with any degree of success we suggest that you first study mobile content and how it relates to your brand.

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