SoLoMo. A term coined in 2010 by John Doerr, Kleiner Perkins, Chi-Hua Chien, and Bing Gordon (former EA CEO), to encapsulate the growing interdependence of three trends: Social, Local, Mobile. The world where searching is limited to a desktop in your living room is gone. The smartphones and tablets that are on every street corner, car, and pocket integrate GPS technology, which provide more accurate results than home IP addresses.
Consumers are already using SoLoMo, even if they don’t use the acronym (yet). By searching for information using ratings and reviews on sites such as Yelp and by check-ins and posts on Foursquare, Facebook and Twitter - they are actively getting involved. The ability to search for a shoe store in your local area is a game changer. No longer will customers automatically drive 20 minutes to the nearest mall for a new boots; rather they can discover the family owned boutique two blocks away. Its more convenient for them and leads to more business for the store.
Local “mom and pop” shops gained popularity and traction due to this new search mechanism.
Social, the platform for promotion and engagement with customers and prospective customers. Local, the target area for that promotion, it can be a neighborhood or even a specific city. Mobile, the medium of communication and connection of social interaction. Which the rise of local results populating big search engines and popular directory applications, its more important than ever for shops to maintain a consistent online presence and brand. Customers can view store hours, promotions, products and services from the comfort of their palms.
SoLoMo is more advantageous than traditional, outdated mechanisms as businesses can reach their target audience easier and focus their efforts on the customers in their immediate vicinity. Social media campaigns, location based promotions, and mobile marketing have all existed in the past; examples such as facebook campaigns, geo-centric marketing and SMS text messaging or direct mail promotions. The major difference - now they are forever intertwined. Businesses must develop information and relevant content that is specifically designed to be shared via social media to stay relevant. Content is key, whether its information or entertainment, it must be current and engaging. SoLoMo has definitely given more power to the consumers, businesses must step up to the meet the challenge.
Shopper on the Go, a mobile application, is the perfect example of SoLoMo in action. Customers are able to search for relevant retailers that fulfill their needs while businesses are able to target their spending on those local tech-savvy consumers who interested in their products. Download the SOTG app from the Android store or Apple App store today and start discovering your own neighborhood like you’ve never seen it before.
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