In 2019, mobile marketing is more important than ever. Digital marketing trends are always changing, but mobile marketing is here to stay. Mobile marketing may even become the standard, if it hasn’t already.
According to Pew Research, 81% of Americans own smartphones. CIO Dive reports that up to 70% of all web traffic now comes from mobile devices. If you’re not reaching your target market through mobile marketing, you’re leaving money on the table.
What’s so special about mobile marketing?
Mobile marketing targets users on mobile devices. It’s that simple, but there’s more. Mobile marketing is all about optimizing the chances of getting clicks, signups, and sales from mobile users.
Americans aren’t the only ones relying on mobile devices to surf the web. According to MediaOne Business Group, 75% of Singapore’s population (4.3 million people) use mobile devices to access the internet. Mobile devices have now become the standard and preferred way for people across the world to access the internet. If you want to increase your revenue, you need a mobile marketing plan.
Marketing to mobile users requires a calculated approach
Ten years ago, mobile marketing wasn’t a distinguished category of marketing. Most people were using smartphones and tablets, but mobile users saw the same ads as desktop users. Only in recent years have companies like Google and Facebook started delivering separate ads to users based on their device.
There are several reasons mobile users are served different ads than to desktop users. Targeting mobile users requires a unique approach. People using mobile devices are usually multi-tasking and distracted, and messages need to capture their attention quickly. Pay-per-click (PPC) ads need to direct mobile users to landing pages that are specifically designed for mobile. These pages are often similar for desktop ads, but are simplified for mobile devices.
Mobile marketing is leading the way with artificial intelligence
Mobile phones can do things desktops and laptops can’t. For instance, you can pull your smartphone out of your pocket and ask it for directions. To get directions on a laptop, you need to visit a website manually. One of the core ingredients in the ever-evolving landscape of mobile marketing is artificial intelligence (AI). The way AI is being used with mobile devices isn’t necessarily applicable to desktops and laptops. For example, the data collected by a person’s smartphone will usually be more extensive than what’s gathered on their laptop because the smartphone is used more often.
AI technology is being developed to recognize what a user is trying to achieve so it can craft a custom message with custom imagery to reach the user. AI is being primarily incorporated into mobile marketing platforms because more people use mobile. To reap the benefits of the upcoming AI technology, you need to be using mobile marketing.
In-app ads are increasing
Have you ever noticed ads don’t appear while you’re using desktop applications, but they appear in almost all smartphone apps? Software developers used to place ads in desktop applications including donation buttons and prompts to buy the full version of the product. These ads received major backlash from consumers because they were intrusive and disruptive to using the application. Developers stopped inserting ads into desktop applications and most prompted users to donate or buy when the user quit the program.
It’s a mystery why mobile users are accepting of ads. Mobile screens are much smaller than desktop and laptop screens, and you’d think ads would drive people crazy. Some mobile users get annoyed with ads, but they’re widely tolerated and accepted.
In-app ads are expected to grow by 60%, and advertisers are already delivering ads through Facebook messenger.
Mobile marketing doesn’t have to be expensive
If you’re new to mobile marketing, you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars to get started. You can run trial PPC ads for a small budget of anywhere between $50-$200. However, you will need to prepare your website first. When users click on your ads on a mobile device, you need to send them to a landing page that loads fast and is designed specifically for mobile devices.
Mobile marketing is trending, but it’s not a fad. As mobile devices become the standard way to access the internet, any business not using mobile marketing will be left behind.