Mobile advertising describes all advertising efforts targeting consumers while they’re using their phones. While this includes SMS advertisements and push notifications, neither of those are particularly popular — the former is outdated, and some users deem the latter invasive. So, in this blog, we’ll focus on what most people use their phones for: browsing the internet.
Mobile phone advertising in this sense is quite similar to standard digital marketing but with the added nuances of size restrictions and the fact that people’s online behavior is different on phones vs. desktops. Mobile advertising involves finding the right location for your ads and designing ad campaigns to engage potential leads.
Some stats on why mobile phone advertising is so important:
- The US has nearly 300 million smartphone users
- 47% of all internet traffic comes from mobile phones
- Users spend over five hours per day on their phones
- The average user will open their phone over 60 times a day
With such heavy phone usage, it’s almost guaranteed that your target audience is out there on their phone somewhere; the trick is finding out where and how to make an impact when you get in front of them. Here are some tips for upping your mobile advertising game and turning investments into results.
Five ways to make the most of mobile advertising
1. Make sure you’re mobile-ready
Mobile advertising means that users will access all of your content on a device rather than a desktop, so your site design should reflect this. The post-click experience is critical for moving leads along your sales funnel rather than quickly navigating away. All websites should use responsive design, i.e., one that adapts to the device being used, particularly since this is now the basic standard of web design.
However, many other features will also need to be changed, such as ensuring there are no pop-ups or windows that are difficult to scroll around. Whenever you update your website, try to test it with several different devices, Apples and Androids, to ensure everything is working as intended.
2. Advertising to click now
Some advertising mediums allow for building a brand image slowly, with steady references to chosen themes. However, in mobile advertising, you have less than a second of eyeball time, so anything that doesn’t immediately strike a chord will be scrolled past. That’s why mobile advertising has to be geared towards a “click now” mentality that gets a user to engage on the spot. Some useful approaches are highlighting exclusive or time-limited offers that a user will fear missing out on if they scroll past.
3. Use short, concise messaging
With mobile phone advertising, not only are you dealing with a lack of time to get your message across, but there’s also the problem of a lack of space. Physically, a phone doesn’t have the screen size of a desktop, so mobile phone advertising has to be extremely brief. For advertisers, this means becoming an expert at the art of crafting a message in five words or fewer. It can take some time to get used to cutting words and possibly proper grammar too, but it’s the only way for your mobile advertising to succeed.
4. Know your audience
Virtually everyone has a phone, so mobile phone advertising applies to all cohorts. Regardless, it’s important to know your target audience and where they’re spending time. When deciding where to allocate your ad spend or spend time building ads, knowing who’s there is vital for getting return on your investment. The social media platforms can roughly be broken down into the following demographics:
- Facebook – 30+
- Instagram – 18-30
- Snapchat – 18-30
- TikTok – 20 and younger
YouTube is also very popular for people of all ages who watch videos on their phones. Mobile advertising should always seek to be hyper-focused as it doesn’t allow for much broader message-building. Helpfully, most major platforms have advanced ad platforms that take care of the minute details, so creating campaigns doesn’t have to drain your resources. Bloom also offers creative services, so if you don’t have access to a graphic designer or a design team, we can help craft visuals that match your brand.
5. QR codes
QR codes allow you to blend your real-world, physical advertising with your virtual space. Rather than displaying your website URL, which someone would have to manually type into their phone, scanning a QR code will take them straight to your landing page. Use this to reach your audience across multiple platforms and deliver more leads to your mobile advertising efforts. The goal with QR codes is for longer form advertising to feed into your more targeted mobile advertising, though they are also useful in a purely functional sense.
Bloom can help
Virtually everybody in the country is spending hours a day on their phone, which means mobile phone advertising has the potential to reach your target audience. However, with considerable restrictions and differences regarding how people navigate the internet on their phone, mobile advertisers have to be wary of how they invest their time and resources.
If you’re looking to get better results from your mobile advertising investments and want some expert help, we’re always happy to advise and take the lead on campaigns. Get in touch with us here to find out more about taking your mobile advertising to the next level.