Trendsetting (adj): doing it before it’s cool.
Trendsetters are always thinking ahead and pondering what’s coming next (if you hear someone say, ‘That’s so 2014,’ you can safely assume they think of themselves as one). These are the folks in online marketing that have been heralding the onslaught of the mobile web for the last couple of years.
Thanks to these forward thinkers, we now have responsive design that formats our websites and emails to the device people are using. And while mobile-friendly design is great and all, there have been a dearth of posts about making mobile-friendly content that fits in the palm of your reader’s hand.
Where do you start? Well, I’m glad you asked.
Focus on Your Audience
The first question to ask is why are people browsing the web on their phones. Is it to pass the time because they’re bored? When they’re waiting in line/for the elevator/at the doctor’s office?
More often than not, people are passing the time. So help them.
Entertaining and engaging mobile-friendly content drives traffic. Now, this isn’t saying you need to try and be Buzzfeed or UpWorthy, just realize this is why those sites do so well.
Once you figure out what your audience wants, create that content.
Content on the Go
As we’ve talked about before, few things get people to stop reading more quickly than long blocks of text. So shorten up those paragraphs.
Next, make sure your content is engaging. I would say to make it entertaining, but that’s probably not the best move if you own a funeral home.
Then, once you’ve gotten your post (or email) perfect, Strunk & White it. For those of you that don’t regularly nerd out on grammar, edit it down so you are omitting needless words. Don’t overcomplicate things.
Finally, give it one last read-through to ensure you’re sending the right message. You won’t seal any deal unless you actually propose one.
From your email marketing platform to your website, everything should format itself automatically, save the content. But if you keep your audience in mind and engage them, you’re well on your way.