There are three types of content marketing: the two types everyone immediately ‘gets’ (entertainment content and educational content), and #3, which generally takes a while to sink it. I call it utility content. It’s not narrative. It doesn’t tell a story or teach you how to do something. Instead, it does something for you.
Think online mortgage calculators, or those forms that figure out what you should weigh based on height, age and gender. They’re wonderful content for sites that sell financial instruments or diet-related products. Yet increasingly often, utility content is mobile. Apps help consumers find goods and services on the go, deposit a check in the bank, and perhaps first and foremost, to shop.
My colleague Chris Silva has just published a research report “Make An App For That: Mobile Strategies For Retailers” (embedded below). Marketers can learn a lot from reading it, too. Outlining successful mobile strategies from the likes of Best Buy, Starbucks and Zappos.
The report divides retail mobile app strategy into two umbrella channels; Enrich, or drive transactions; and Engage, to improve user interaction and brand affinity. It then walks readers through the strategy and development steps for turning a concept into an app.
If you’re a retailer, you need to read this report. If you’re a marketer working in, or considering mobile channels, you really ought to. Make An App For That: Mobile Strategies For Retailers