On Nov. 15, the Kindle Fire made its debut. The price is only $200 which should push more tablets into the mainstream at a breakneck pace. As a result, publishers of mortgage related content will have an even greater opportunity now to be “seen” and garner significant exposure, building their following and businesses as a result. Again, content is king! So think about how you approach your social media plans for 2012 especially when it comes to two key areas—blogging and Facebook—and make sure to give them both the appropriate time and effort before your competitors do.
Let me explain. Smartphone use is driven more by utility than consumption for most, but tablet users are in full consumption mode which paves the way for publishers of mortgage-related content to think more in terms of monetization of their content. The tablet is the ultimate “lean back” device as noted in a the survey I reference below, meaning it’s easy to use on the sofa, in the bedroom or any other setting where a laptop would be considered somewhat cumbersome and an iPhone considered a bit small to do very much research or content consumption.
According to a seven.co.uk survey in March of 2011 (imagine how these numbers should increase now), here are some interesting statistics on iPad usage which should have significant implications on how mortgage Web and content developers optimize for the appropriate device:
►Use of desktop computers is down 35 percent for iPad owners
►Use of laptops is down 39 percent for iPad owners
►87 percent of iPad owners are using it every day of the week
►26 percent for half an hour to an hour per day
►32 percent for one mor two hours per day
►24 percent for more than two hours per day.
For mortgage industry marketers, here are other significant stats to keep in mind as you prepare your marketing plans for 2012:
►75 percent of iPad owners use their iPad to access the Web
►41 percent use it for social networking
►29 percent to research products and services
►42 percent of users say they are more likely to pay attention to interactive advertising on an iPad than in magazines and newspapers
According to a recent Nielsen report in October of 2011, advertising works better on an iPad compared to all other devices:
►49 percent are more likely to look at ads with interesting video compared to 40 percent for iPhone and 39 percent for all other connected devices
►46 percent enjoy ads that have interactive features, compared to 26 percent for iPhone and 27 percent for all other connected devices
►40 percent are more likely to click on ads that are simple text ads compared to 25 percent both for iPhone and all other connected devices
The bottom line is that your marketing strategy and technological expertise must continue to evolve to meet the demands of your constituencies and to keep from falling behind very quickly at this stage. Sure, there is always a learning curve but you need to embrace it become a student of the latest and greatest trends in marketing and understand how they apply to your company and audience demographics. Above all, have fun!
Patrick H. Seroka is president and chief executive officer of Seroka, the only Certified Brand Strategists in North America specializing in the mortgage industry. With Seroka, you'll experience unique, second-to-none client service and benefit from compelling marketing communications. Plus, we guarantee your growth. For more information, call (262) 523-3740 or e-mail
[email protected].
