When Google Plus came out, everyone rocketed to their smartphone and emailed me, “What do I do with Google Plus for my business?” Google Plus is hanging on, but not where most want to be.
Now everyone needs an App. Or QR codes.
The fact is, there is so much new technology coming out these days, from software to hardware, you need to develop a quick vetting mechanism.
Here is a little out line of one.
First of all, do you really need it [The newest iphone, a business app developed, qr codes]?
If so why?
Can you define why in measurable terms?
What are those measurable terms? Is it dependent on stakeholders? Have you defined those stakeholders? Is adoption required from those stakeholders?
Are they already adopting it?
What does the process look like to you?
Can you clearly define how it would work?
Marketers have become excellent at defining promise, while not worrying about process. Siri is the perfect example. Siri has the promise of AI, not having to worry about the minutiae of getting reservations or finding the best way home or the best way to learn guitar. The promise glares in the commercials. The process is nonexistent and Siri is now annoying. So you, the consumer or the channel, have to define the process. Ask those questions above.
Great business people actually are skeptical of new things because of this. They have been burned many times, and it has tught them not to change quickly. However, there are opportunities being lost. On the flip side of Siri is the Ipad.
I was in the Airport Lounge in Dallas Love Field. There was one person younger than me. She was a hipster with a hipster notebook. Everyone else there was over 50 and had an ipad. EVERY SINGLE PERSON. What does this mean to you? If your target audience is people over 50 you need your message optimized for IPAD. Does this mean apps? I doubt it, unless you have a brilliant idea. What this means is understanding how your audience uses it and can get to your message, and you can have a big opportunity. Baby boomers are a large population that understand the value of service and have income. It’s an awesome opportunity. Define your stakeholder. Define the process.
Process and promise. Know which one you are thinking of before your next technology move.