The Five Types of Mobile Consumers

A few moths ago, I picked up a book by Cindy Krum called Mobile Marketing: Finding Your Customers No Matter Where They Are (Amazon affiliate link). In it, she references an analysis done by Carol Taylor, the Director of User Experience at Motricity Marketing.

Carol identified five types of mobile consumers, which I thought you’d find helpful. I’ve included them below so that you could see how your target market matches up to them.

According to one study, there are five different kinds of mobile phone users. How does your target market stack up to these mobile segments?

Here’s goes:

Up-to-Date: These people are driven to stay current with the news, weather and events at all times. They like to be informed and others look to them as beacons of information. They use their mobile phone as a resource to keep them connected with real-time information about the world around them.
Social and Curious: These people are sometimes described as connectors because they enjoy bringing others together, networking and planning events and outings. They use their mobile phones to keep up with their friends’ lives and to stay connected to the people they care about.
Busy and Productive: This group of people is very concerned with all information related to their own personal efficiency and their ability to cope with a busy schedule. They use mobile phones because they are more portable, accessible or convenient than using traditional computers. They are interested in anything that can help them manage their multiple priorities and meet the demands of their busy day.
Latest and Greatest: These people want to be the first tot try something, even if there is no guarantee that they will be satisfied with it. They always want to use the newest technologies and applications and to be a part of the newest social networks and communities. Friends look to them for reviews and recommendations of new technologies.
Just the Basics: This group of people is not really interested in the phone, except for the fact that it makes life easier. They are not impressed by the newest technology or the marketing appeals of most applications. They are not early adopters and they look to reviews and recommendations to find the tools and applications that they want to use on their mobile phone.

If you’re thinking about taking a deeper dive into mobile media, then I’d suggest you do two things. The first is to read Cindy Krum’s book — it’s well-researched with a lot of great information (side note: it can get a little technical, so be prepared). The second thing to do is to review the mobile user segments outlined above and see how they match up to your target market.

Sound cool?

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Posted by Jamie Turner, Chief Content Officer of the 60 Second Marketer, the online magazine of BKV Digital and Direct Response. Jamie is also the co-author of How to Make Money with Social Media.