Co-authored with Andy Favell and Paul Berney.

Whether you plan to undertake digital marketing initiatives personally, delegate to colleagues or employ an agency it is essential for modern marketers to be literate in all aspects of digital, social and mobile (DSM). Literate doesn’t mean expert, it means being familiar with the main aspects of DSM and how they are used both by your customers and your competitors. To help with this, we have set you 12 easy assignments. mCordis recommends that attendees of its mobile marketing courses undertake these assignments prior to arrival.

1. Get educated. There is no substitute for attending a good conference. In the DSM space there are plenty, each month, every part of the world, covering all aspects. mCordis keeps an exhaustive events list of all the best digital social mobile (DSM) conferences. Entrance fees can be expensive, but there are ways round this, some conferences offer discounts for brands, sometimes it’s free. If this doesn’t work, you can volunteer to speak – assuming you have a relevant and compelling DSM story to tell.

2. Keep your finger on the pulse. The internet has a wealth of resources. Finding the best sources for the data you need can be a chore, but mCordis has done the hard work for you with links to all the best digital, social and mobile (DSM) resources: news, blogs, research, tools and associations - plus you can find all the industry experts to follow on Twitter.

3. Use a variety of devices, connections and locations. Only a small proportion of your customers will have the latest and greatest smartphone. They will use a variety of devices as their primary device, expect a lot to use a) cheaper Android smartphones – Android powers over 80% of the world’s smartphones, dominates (almost) every domestic market; they are now available for as little as $30 – and b) and feature phones – remember, even in developed economies, smartphone penetration is only just over 50%. There’s great benefit in including an Android and a popular web-enabled feature phone in your armoury. As a marketer you will want to see how any of your planning mobile communication and engagement works across a range of handset types from the simplest to the most sophisticated. Don’t rely exclusively on a technology partner to do this testing for you. A tablet computer may will be useful, but not essential, unless you are targeting media at this audience specifically (for devices you don't own there are online emulators).

Don’t just perform these assignments from your home or office on a WiFi connection. Get out there, like your customers, using a mobile connection in the street, on a train or in-store. Remember that you are doing this to test the user experience.

4. Open email newsletters on your phone. Whatever you read about social media or mobile marketing; email – if done properly – is still one of the most effective ways to deliver your message. Many – if not the majority – of your customers will open emails on their mobile device, so the mobile experience could make the difference between a conversion and a lost sale. Sign up for emails from a variety of sources, including your own company, your competitors and any other businesses in a similar line. Compare the experience, being sure to tap/click on any links, between the different emails. Things to look for: does the email fit the small screen or require horizontal scrolling? Is the text concise or require endless vertical scrolling to get to the meat of the matter? Does the email respond well to touch? When you tap/click on a link, does it take you to a mobile-friendly site? Do phone numbers allow click-to-call? Are offers available as mobile coupons to be redeemed in-store? Also compare the experience of the emails between the mobile device and PC.

5. Experiment with mobile search – organic and paid. Put yourself in the shoes of the customer, what search terms would they use when looking for a product or service, such as you offer? First start with generic terms, then use your product and company names. Pop these into the query box of the most popular mobile search engine in your country – in many countries, this will be Google. Things to look for: Study the sites that come top of organic (free) rankings; see how they are described, including presence of mobile-friendly elements, such as click to call and store-finder. Click through – is the site mobile friendly: does it fit the screen and is it touch friendly? How quickly does it load over a mobile connection? How easy is it to navigate and find what you need: product information/availability; store location; contact details – what mobile-friendly elements are present e.g. click-to-call, click-to-navigate? If video is used, how well does it work? N.B. It is expected that Google search will pritoritize mobile-friendly sites for mobile searchers.

Now explore the paid “sponsored” search ads. Things to look for: Which brands are paying for the keywords that are relevant to your business? What is the call to action and can you respond without having to click-through to the site? When you click/tap through, do you reach a mobile-friendly landing site or mobile site – if the latter do you land on the most appropriate page? Compare the experience with searching on a PC, are the organic and paid search results different? And when you click on a similar website or search ad, is the experience the same or different?

6. Study potential advertising options. While search ads are a major player, DSM offers a number of other types of advertising options and an array of formats. Consider which web/app publishers might be potential channels for an advertising campaign. A good place is to start with the websites that ranked highly in your mobile search experiment (5) above and your app experiment in (8) below. Study the sites and apps. Things to look for: Does the publisher use ads? Do page with ads load more slowly than those without? What is used: a) display advertising, such as banner ad or more interruptive pop-up/interstitial ads, are they simple ads or use rich-media; b) native advertising methods, which are arguably less intrusive, but need to clearly indicate they are paid for, as they mimic site content with sponsored posts and videos; c) text-based affiliate referrals i.e. “buy this on Amazon”? Which of these methods appeals to you most a) as the consumer and b) as an advertiser? What do the ads promote – actual products, services and offers or marketing channels, e.g. “download our app”? Consider the relevancy of the ads: are these your competitors, or companies in a similar business sector; are they suited to the content of the site and to the page on which they occur; how compelling are the images and the copy used in the ads? Test out the ad experience by clicking through on different types of ad with different publishers and advertisers.

7. Buy something with your mobile phone(s). Pick a product – preferably something relevant to your business – search for it on a search engine, use price comparison sites e.g. PriceRunner, and consumer and expert review sites, read some reviews, if you see relevant ads explore them, browse some vendors and purchase it. Repeat the exercise for your company/business partner and a competitor or two. Try using different payment methods: credit card, online payment provider e.g. PayPal, and a mobile wallet, such as Google Wallet. How easy was it to complete this using a mobile device – was it all completed in a few clicks or did you have to register by filling out a tediously long form? What was the post-purchase experience like? How long did delivery take? Did you receive text messages notifying you when the delivery would take place? Compare the purchase experience on PC web, mobile web and mobile app.

8. Download apps relevant to your business, including your own and those of your competitors. Browse the app stores – Google Play is the main one for Android, Apple App Store for iOS, Windows Phone store for Microsoft; BlackBerry World for BlackBerry . With all devices except iOS (which are locked in to the Apple App Store), you can find rival stores, e.g. from carriers, so try them also. First study which apps are top in the categories relevant to your business, how far do you need to go down the rankings until you find your app/your competitors – will customers ever get this far? Conduct a search of the app store using the generic search terms your potential customers would use when looking for the type of product or service you offer. What apps did you discover? If your company has apps, where did they come in the ranking? Compare the description, size, ranking and reviews of the top apps and those of your competitors to your own apps. Also read the terms and conditions and privacy statement, to see what consumers are committing to. Things to look for: Download several apps and study how they perform in terms of user experience, navigation, quality of content and ease of purchasing. Are there any essential features e.g. weekly targeted offers that will keep customers coming back? Do the apps make practical use of the native functions of the device, such as camera, accelerometer and location? Do they use notifications to keep customers updated and interested? Make a note of any in-app advertising. Compare the experience between a brand’s mobile app, mobile site and PC site. What, if anything, is there exclusive to the app that will make people download, as opposed to accessing over the web? If you have created a profile on the app, see if that profile sticks with you as you move from one channel to the next, and if you start shopping on one device, do you need to start afresh when you move to another? Now try searching in a web search engine for some content you know is in the app – did you find it?

9. Scan some QR codes. Quick Response (QR) codes are increasingly being used as a call to action in traditional media and on packaging to provide additional information to purchasers. The QR code usually hyperlinks to dedicated landing page or the relevant page on the website where the promotion, product information or purchase can be made; and can contain data that identifies the unique source of the code. If your handset doesn’t have a QR code reader, download one such as Scanlife. Things to look for: Make a point of scanning codes used in marketing materials and packaging by any company in your space – and, naturally, of your own company and suppliers. Compare the experiences: how long did it take to work, where did the link take you, was the destination mobile friendly?

10. Let’s get social. Of late, there has been a lot of buzz around marketing on social networks, but methods and rules differ between networks and change regularly. It is important for marketers to be familiar with how social networks work. You need to be aware of what consumers are saying about your brand and your rivals; how they are engaging with your company, assuming it has a presence, and others in your sector; and how companies are marketing – including through paid advertising –themselves using social media. There are tools and companies that compile this sort of data for you, but nothing beats first-hand experience. The obvious place to start is by joining Facebook, if you are not already a member – it is the largest social media site on the planet – but there are many other networks, focusing on different geographies and segments. For comparison, you might also study Linkedin, the business-focused network, which is notable for its vast numbers of groups where people post news and queries. By befriending/connecting with relevant companies and their employees, you will be drip-fed the news they posted. Take note of how brands advertise on Facebook and familiarize yourself with the advertising options. Be sure to access the social networks via your phone and compare the mobile app experience with mobile web and PC. This year eMarketer predicts that 70% of Facebook users will regularly access the network from a mobile device, and 73% of ad revenues will come from mobile ads – social is mobile (and vice versa).

11. Join Twitter.  Twitter is particularly driven by news – what’s happening right now, both in the wider world and in people’s immediate environment. If you aren’t already a member, join, and start to follow people – pick those relevant to your expertise and interests (if needs be, search the web for “who to follow on Twitter” lists) – including all companies relevant to your business. All tweets by the people you follow will be displayed in your Twitter feed. Conduct regular searches on your business name and products. Make use of hashtags, e.g. people interested in mobile might add #mobile to their tweets – this is an excellent way to keep track of relevant tweets and to spread your tweets to a potentially larger audience. Sharing news stories from the web is made much easier, as publishers regularly include a share-on-twitter icon (alongside share-on-Facebook and share-on-Linkedin etc.).

12. Video. Video, along with the publishers that host them such as YouTube and Vimeo, is becoming a popular medium for marketers as they follow consumer behaviour. Creating, posting, watching and sharing videos online and on mobile devices has been growing in popularity with consumers for many years, largely because it’s free. Now the marketers are getting in on the act. The video is rapidly becoming a must-have for your product or service launch; they are also used a lot to promote mobile apps, and are used by marketing/digital companies to promote their services, case studies and are often submitted with awards entries. Videos can easily be embedded into webpages adding more dynamism to your (mobile) site. Also look at the related videos on the sidebar, as this is how consumers surf.

Marketers are also flocking to video advertising. YouTube and Vimeo are largely ad-funded, and this is currently the fastest growing advertising medium after mobile. Things to look for: Search for your brand and companies in your space – first using generic terms, then more specific ones. Watch the videos, study how companies use the medium – what sort of content is this, is it compelling, is there a call to action, can you click on the video or in the description underneath. What type of ad formats are used, are ads relevant to the content, and are they clickable? As a consumer do you find the ads useful or intrusive? Now compare YouTube and Vimeo. Take note of the difference with the professional channels.

Undertaking these 12 tasks will give any marketer a much greater understanding of digital social mobile (DSM), with first-hand knowledge of how your business sits in this ecosystem and how DSM can be used to better engage your audience. You will be in a better position to guide your company’s DSM strategy, brief your staff and agencies, and assess the success of your company’s initiatives. But don’t stop there. To keep your finger on the pulse, you need to keep up with these assignments on an ongoing basis.

If the 12 assignments whet your thirst for more knowledge, then take the next step towards expertise in DSM and enrol on one of mCordis’s mobile marketing courses in the US, UK or South Africa.