North of the border, a monumental change in the media is something small business owners here need to be paying attention to. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) is radically changing the way they operate, shifting the emphasis away from the television and radio coverage that had been their primary offering to news and towards content developed for and delivered on mobile platforms.

There are several reasons the CBC is doing this. The most important is that over half of their audience has signed up for content to be delivered to them through mobile updates. It’s also a lot cheaper to produce mobile content: you don’t need the same investment in studio space, broadcasting equipment, or staff. Canada’s economic situation isn’t quite as bleak as America’s, but they’re definitely in a position where saving tons of money is appealing.

Many media outlets have begun shifting some of their operations to digital platforms, but a change on the scale of the CBC’s is fairly unique. Rest assured that the media in your area is paying attention to what’s going on with the CBC. If the move to a leaner, meaner mobile-centric format boosts overall organizational profitability, you can be sure the same changes will happen in your marketplace.

What does this mean for you?

First and foremost, making sure your business website looks good on mobile devices needs to be a top priority. If your business or industry is referenced in a story being read on a mobile device, readers will use that same mobile device to search for further information. Bear in mind that increasingly, mobile users use voice search features: you’ll want to be sure the copy on your website is optimized accordingly.

Secondly, it’s time to rethink your advertising strategies. While local media may continue to be the vehicle of choice for many small business owners, the return on television, radio, and print marketing needs to be compared on an apples to apples basis with digital marketing opportunities. Digital marketing needs to be as strategic and targeted as any other campaign, if you’re going to realize the best possible results. Do not let your local media’s ‘digital salesperson’ be your guide here: they seldom, if ever, take the comprehensive, integrated approach essential to successful mobile marketing.

If you need help putting your brand’s best foot forward in the mobile environment, give us a call. We’re here to help!