SoLoMo Is the Latest Marketing Trend

SOCIAL LOCAL and MOBILE, also known as SoLoMo, is the latest trend in marketing and can be broken down into three components. Social consists of friends, networking, content, sharing, and sentiment. Local consists of position, place, vicinity, and proximity (mobile payments). And mobile consists of devices, broadband, WiFi, apps, Internet, cloud, and sensors (for example, using mobile device to access items at home to turn on the oven, close your garage door, activate alarm, etc.).

Priority number one for SoLoMo is to make sure that mobile content is easy to access. For mobile devices, the fewer keystrokes or taps or clicks required, the better. Optimize for screen size. Even if you are a small business, develop a mobile presence to take advantage of the evolving mobile marketplace.

Capitalize on the concepts of immediacy and intimacy with mobile. You can leverage immediacy with location-based marketing. For example, create content related to current events, such as, promotions for March Madness, Mother’s Day, or Father’s Day. Also, you can leverage the intimacy aspect of mobile by providing personalized content. Feature calls-to-action that are located at the top of the mobile site, so that consumers can take action once the site loads.

Think about waiting in line at the airport, and no one provides an update about flight delays. Or think about waiting in line at a supermarket that prides itself on speed. What do you do? Today, you don’t have to settle for just waiting in line and getting more and more frustrated.

While still in line, thanks to your mobile device, you can visit a company’s Twitter or Facebook page and reach out to a customer service team. You state your issue and ask for the problem to be resolved in real time. According to a Nuance customer service, 72% of consumers have a more positive view of a company if it provides a mobile customer service app. Some examples are: Geiko Insurance, MyCadillac from General Motors, and Southwest Airlines.

Here are some questions to ask before implementing a SoLoMo marketing initiative:

[1] Why would someone want to check in (letting your network know where you are)?

[2] What value can we offer to someone willing to check in? (discount, free dessert, etc.)

[3] What else are we doing? What are our current promotions? Could we adapt them?

[4] How can we make the people who checked in at our business feel special?

Are you ready to implement a SoLoMo strategy for your business? As you prepare to add SoLoMo to your marketing outreach, remember these three key points.

[1] Mobile isn’t an option – it’s mandatory. Tablets and smartphones drive tons of brand traffic. The more screens that consumers have at their disposal, the better.

[2] Can consumers find you on their mobile devices? Make sure your website is mobile-enabled and focus on the customer experience. Don’t go overboard with design elements, keep it simple. If you create a new site specifically for mobile devices or an app, TEST, TEST, TEST before you promote it.

[3] An integrated marketing approach is essential. Brands must create memorable customer experiences by tying in offers through each SoLoMo venue seamlessly, so make sure your SoLoMo strategy is part of your overall marketing strategy.

This post was written as part of the IBM for Midsize Business program, which provides midsize businesses with the tools, expertise and solutions they need to become engines of a smarter planet. I’ve been compensated to contribute to this program, but the opinions expressed in this post are my own and don't necessarily represent IBM's positions, strategies or opinions.