The world is hooked on social networking; it's here to stay. Millions get updates on friends and family by way of Facebook, Twitter and a plethora of other social networking services, leaving phone conversations reserved for those closest or when an immediate, human response is desired. With social networks making the transition to mobile devices, it's never been easier to stay socially connected wherever you may be.
Socializing via popular social networks has become especially ubiquitous on mobile devices due to the ease and quickness that those services allow, which are often leveraged for well meaning social causes. The networks have the power to quickly galvanize the masses, as recent initiatives such as fundraising in the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake and the "Tonight Show Wars" have shown. The power and influence of social networks coupled with the immediacy of mobile devices has given birth to a communications juggernaut.
Some forward-thinking businesses have sensed this reckoning force and have thrown their hats into the mobile social space in the hopes of capturing that excitement to promote their brands as well. Companies need to connect with their loyal followers, and mobile social networks have become the best way to leverage that need for one reason: They tap into real conversations. They take advantage of the natural affinity people have to talk with their friends about what's important to them, such as what they've just bought. And they're not just for young people anymore. Mobile social networks have proven to be successfully used and leveraged to a broad and diverse range of people throughout the world.
The first step for many companies on their mobile social network voyage is developing their own mobile application. In theory, using the mobile application to promote a company is a great idea. In reality, app stores have become an overpopulated jungle of technology. A company can have the most sophisticated mobile application in the world, but if it must be discovered among the millions of wilds in that jungle, chances are that it won't survive. The idea of "survival of the fittest" just doesn't work in the mobile app space.
The battle of discovery applies even after an application is downloaded. Once on the mobile device, the question of "discovery" still lingers. Though the application is easily available to the user, getting them to use it at the right time becomes the biggest challenge. If you're hungry, why launch the Domino's Pizza application to place a dinner order when you can just give them a call? Or, better yet, send an instant message or text to a nearby friend to meet up at a local restaurant? The application becomes overlooked because it becomes an unwanted hurdle in satisfying the user's appetite.
In order for an app to reach a company's users at the ideal moment of need, it must have the same attributes as texting, tweeting and instant messaging. It must be easy to use, relevant and appear seamless to executing the task at hand. If an app needs more that a few clicks to work before there's a payoff, most users won't complete the call to action. As for relevance, users want to get what they need when they need it, accessed how they normally access it, without any obstructions and clutter. Mobile social networking apps struggle with this because of the sheer amount of information and updates created every second. Keeping up with your Facebook and Twitter friends on your mobile phone alone is nearly impossible when you have hundreds (in some cases thousands) of friends and followers. Who wants to see status updates from high school acquaintances every 15 minutes appearing on their phone?
The ideal way for companies to leverage mobile social networks and "join the conversation" with their users is to develop mobile apps that integrate their brand with existing connections. This way, they harness the value of the existing mobile user workflow, leveraging existing user behavior. These types of mobile apps get a company into social conversations fast—right at the decision point of "phone call versus app launch." What's the most frequently used, immediate, powerful, and effective social network that we all use? It's your mobile phone's address book. That's because these are your closest friends, family and associates, the people you care most about. Creating an application that weaves your company's presence with the people that exist in the user's address book can put your brand on steroids. More importantly, it makes your connection to your user as strong as the one that Facebook and Twitter has with them.
These types of apps meet the three criteria points mentioned above. An app that is embedded in the user's mobile address book is advantageous because it eliminates the barrier of discovery. There's nothing simpler and quicker than launching it because people use it every day, multiple times a day. Embedding an app there means they don't need to do anything new or different to use it. Relevance to the user is a given because the app is housed within a framework of familiar names and numbers.
As many companies struggle with old school marketing techniques, many of the savvier ones are developing deeper, more meaningful and longer lasting relationships with their customers by leveraging mobile social networks. These communications from these networks have moved beyond providing mere entertainment value to becoming a powerful and essential tool for enriching relationships, developing greater social engagement and used effectively, driving business growth. They have truly gone from novelty to necessity. Leveraging an existing social network coupled with the mobile address book can provide an unmatched payoff in terms of discovery, repeated use and ultimately bring a brand to the forefront of the mobile experience, while ensuring it stays there.
Nancy Benovich Gilby is vice president of engineering at Asurion Mobile Applications.