10 Tips For Mobile Strategy In Emerging Markets

The developing world’s countries lag behind the western world’s in many ways, but as far as ambition goes, they’re all pretty high up on the scale. This is reflected in the amount of business that is being done in mobile markets across the developing world: the ratio of smart phones and other mobile devices to PCs sold for this year is much, much higher in the developing world than it is in the west, no matter what data you look at. And, with a mobile infrastructure still not fully worked out in a lot of these countries, there’s money to be had.

A business hoping to get involved in this market will have to be fast, aggressive, well-organized and well-funded to hope for a sniff of the action, but if they manage to get ahead, there really is a huge amount of income to be made from a customer base larger than anything dreamed of in Europe or America.

So, without further ado, here’s 10 tips that anyone hoping to get involved in the fast-growing industry is going to need;

1) Do not assume anything. Seriously. Nothing. At all. A lot of businesses here will be out to get you. Don’t let them. Additionally, it may be helpful to assume things like decent phone coverage (if you’re very naive), or a properly regulated tax system (if you’re slightly less so). Don’t.

2) Be very, very careful when choosing who to work with. You’re in a new environment and if you’re not careful, you will get swindled, cheated and taken advantage of.

3) Remember it’s probably not your customers who are going to be the main issue – it’s the infrastructure you’re hoping to work in, so focus on that instead.

4) Having said that, don’t under-appreciate your customers either. There will be other companies trying to do exactly the same thing as you; don’t let them outmaneuver you by offering a better deal. Which leads us onto…

5) Offer the best deal. In the developing world, as a rule, cheap is best. Offer a low-priced deal for a lower-quality service. You can offer higher rates for more services later, but focus on lowering your prices first to attract that huge customer base. It’s why you got involved in the market in the first place.

6) Invest properly. Setting up a new system in a new environment is going to cost money, and if you do things by halves, you’ll find yourself falling behind your competitors. Get a realistic estimate of your costs and make sure you can afford it and have the funds before you start.

7) Remember, this is for mobile devices, not just mobile phones. Make sure you offer a service that suits everyone, whether they’re using an out dated Blackberry or the latest iPad.

8) Be aggressive. The local businesses will not be happy with foreign companies muscling in on their customers, and they will know the market better than you. Don’t let them take the advantage.

9) If in doubt, buy them out. The local companies you’ll be competing with will be good, but they won’t necessarily be expensive. And don’t you want their experience and contacts on your side?

10) The government body will not, in all likelihood, be as helpful or as well organized as their equivalents in developed countries. Make sure you know who and what you’re dealing with legally and politically before you get started, and make sure you keep yourself updated on any political changes in the area. They mean more there than they do in the western world.

11) Did I say ten? It must have been a mistranslation. You don’t need to know the language, but make sure you know and trust people who do. This is someone else’s country now. Make sure you don’t offend anyone. Good luck.

About Author: Donna Lee is the direct marketing strategist at Edictive, a site for film and television project management application in the cloud with a leading mobile strategy in the field.