By Jeff Corbin
As someone who has been working in the public relations industry for more than 15 years, never before has such an opportunity existed for us as communicators to do our job better and easier.
Certainly nothing is easy, but mobile technology now allows us to accomplish our business objectives more quickly and maybe even more effectively.
Why do I say this?
Given the nature of mobile devices and technology, we now have direct access to get our messages and information directly into the hands of our targeted audiences—no matter where they are located in the world.
Whether it’s via a push notification from a native app that appears on the home screen of the device even when it’s asleep, to mobile messaging from peer-to-peer or social collaboration, the time is now to rethink our communications strategies and to factor in what clearly is a paradigm shift that’s here to stay.
Companies hire us to communicate with particular people, whether they are employees, customers, prospects, or partners.
And, up until now, we have had to use other means to accomplish this core objective of our work—and this has included media relations, events, sponsorships, speaking opportunities, and other creative tactics.
These are all important and will continue given their effectiveness, but why not go for the jugular and deliver our key messages directly to the screens of the devices sitting in the pockets, purses and now, even on the wrists of our constituents?
Mobile Messaging for Teams
When it comes to mobile messaging, many new companies such as Slack, Cotap, and Teamchat allow for employees and groups of individuals to securely communicate with one another.
Collaboration tools such as Jive and Yammer allow employees, customers, and partners to collaborate on work-related matters.
The products at APPrise Mobile allow organizations to create a mobile version of their intranet to post content and other information that, until now, was not easily accessible through the small screen of the mobile device.
It generates a push notification notifying end-users when something new is uploaded to their app.
Technology Becomes More Important than IT
Each of these solutions is relatively quick to implement and can be supported by the often constrained budgets afforded communications professionals.
As a result, we now have the ability to make and implement technology decisions.
In the past, we had to rely on IT professionals to scope out and help us deploy technology solutions.
Given what is happening in the “mobile revolution,” this doesn’t have to be the case.
Gartner predicted, by 2017, marketers would spend more on technology than IT.
And it is coming true.
With two years left, nearly 40 percent of technology spending today is being directed by non-IT business unit professionals.
I am not dismissing the importance of IT to the process of making decisions on technology in business.
Rather, given what is transpiring before our very eyes and the many solutions that currently exist and will continue to be developed, it’s in the best interest of communications professionals to move quickly and embrace what’s new, rather than rely on tried and true tactics which, while reliable, are no longer current with the times.
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