Today we see lots of companies still producing 'White Papers' in order to present themselves as an 'authority' in their sector and market.
Many of these 'corporate' papers require you and me to exchange our contact information in order to be able to 'download' the content contained therein, which quite frankly seems a very odd thing to me.
Is this simply part of the old school analog thinking around filling the sales pipe with potential leads in order I can then be spammed with other stuff 'you' think I might be interested in.
As the 'Smartphone' became the ubiquitous device for billions around the world people were making choices based on affordability, ease of use, access of related Apps, and of course design.
We are unlikely to see any single device that is as wildly transformative as the iPhone ever again. But the cumulative impact of what comes after could be even more profound.
Their is stark difference in the percentage of Android users (85%) to that of the iPhone (15%) around the world, yet in so called developed countries most people tend to think as a 'smartphone' as the 'go to mobile device'.
As a device the iPhone is all about centralisation. It does everything, everything goes through it, and in many ways this is its genius. While that may remain the case, rather than rely on one digital device, we will soon be interacting with many. Some of these already exist, of course: voice control speakers, activity bracelets, smart watches, smart headphones, AR goggles and the like.
Inertia to change leaves the smartphone open to disruption, just like the PC before it.
The smartphone is not going to disappear, of course – we still use PCs after all – but will they soon no longer be our primary digital device?
Apple has long been asked where the next iPhone is coming from, and the question is now being asked of the whole smartphone industry.
In the same way business set about entering into cyberspace with a website are we seeing a similar shift in behaviour from consumers and potential clients with the use of social platforms?
eCommerce comes in many flavours of 'platforms' with the end consumer not caring a jot about the tech that sits behind all of these as their focus is purely selfish and the only consideration is the experience you may or may not deliver.
As publishers and B2B moved into the same space they all carried the same offline advertise and promote mentality.
The answer lies with socially savvy changing behaviours that you, me, your potential prospect, and probably your nearest competitor are doing.
Many B2B marketers recall the days of flooding the web for backlinks and keywords and have since applied an SEO mindset to long-form content. Those days are over as professionals become more discerning and as marketers roll out more sophisticated content that’s aligned to personas and stages of the buyer’s journey.
The competition have upped their game.
If I'm in the early stages of doing my due diligence on certain products and services the last place I'm going to right now is your website,and the more barriers you create to discourage me from learning more about you, your company, your employees and products its likely we aren't going to have any kind of commercial relationship.
Social is about being, well social. So how about unbundling your 'gated' content and giving me access to your 'whitepaper' info if its that good?
Apple is not alone among the tech giants in trying to pivot towards life after the smartphone, and it may be that the market will be dominated by the same companies who dominate it now. They have the advantage of unimaginable financial resources, but they are also encumbered by being tied to the status quo. So, in a strange repeat of tech history, it may be that those who end up leading the new revolution could at this very moment be starting out in their parents' garage.
unknownx500
