As our web presence expands, so does the advertising space available to get your message out. Agencies are more and more using mobile advertising to catch consumers' attention on a variety of online platforms.
In 2012, companies nearly tripled the amount of money spent on mobile advertising, from $1.2 billion to $3 billion in 2013, according to LinkedIn Marketing Solutions. Roughly 65% of both ad agencies and marketers plan to invest in mobile advertising, for an estimated total of $4.3 billion, in 2014.
Social and mobile marketing go hand-in-hand, since at least 17% of the time people spend on their mobile devices is on a social network. It's no wonder then that analysts predict mobile and social advertising will increase 64% and 47% in 2014, respectively. Marketers are expected to spend nearly $47.6 billion on online ads alone in 2014, with $13.1 billion (27%) of that figure allocated for mobile ads.
So, with all of this in mind, what do you need to do to drive results with your mobile advertising in 2014? 10 entrepreneurs share their best tips for creating a mobile and ad strategy:
1. Use In-Ad Engagement to Lower CPAs
Trevor Summer from LocalVox suggests that every additional click required loses half your audience. So, make sure your ad is interactive, and encourage in-ad-sign-ups for email or offer claiming. He adds that with this type of campaign, you will see click-through rates that are two times higher.
2. Know Your Audience First
Sounds simple, right? Don’t spend any money on mobile advertising until you truly understand your mobile audience and what you are trying to accomplish with your ads. Robi Ganguly from Apptentive suggests that when running a mobile advertising campaign, you need to work backwards; understand your mobile customers and then you can start making mobile ad buys with a reasonable chance of growing your business in a successful and repeatable manner.
3. Time It Right
Provide a relevant incentive for users to act immediately. Doreen Block from Poshly Inc. states, “Because mobile is all about immediacy, make sure to time your campaign according to when you want a user to take action. Incentives could include a complimentary entertainment download or virtual coupon and are particularly effective when timed to the user being within a certain radius of a store or experience, too.” She continues, “In mobile, it’s about giving the consumer the right moment to interact with your brand.”
4. Location is Key
Hopefully having already done your research, it is important to have an idea of where the best place to put an ad is. Andrew Schrage from Money Crashers Personal Finance adds, “For example, putting it right in the middle of a computer game is probably not the best place. Effective ad placement differs depending on the company, but there are plenty of resources available to help you make the right choice.”
5. Use a Powerful Call to Action
Mobile advertising is most effective for direct response campaigns. Adam Root from Hiplogiq says that the three most effective calls to action are discount coupons (e.g., 20 percent-off coupons for nearby mobile users), buy-one-get-one promotions and free items.
6. Include a Phone Number
Since its mobile, why not make it simple for the customer to just click on the phone number in your ad? Brett Farmiloe from Internet Marketing Agency states, “Depending on the business, running a mobile advertising campaign with a phone number can be a very effective strategy. We’ve had a lot of success with Google Ads on mobile devices. All users have to do when they see your ad is tap on the phone number and click call, and your phone is ringing with a lead. It’s simple for the user and a great lead strategy for you. Just make sure someone picks up the phone when it rings.”
7. Use Geotargeting
Lauren Perkins from Perks Consulting says that your mobile advertising campaign will be more successful by geotargeting advertisements to your audience. She says that this will make your campaign more relevant and wastes fewer impressions, ultimately leading to higher engagement and follow through. She adds that geotargeting will be a necessary component of all mobile campaigns in the near future.
8. Use the Right Analytics
Mobile marketing differs substantially from traditional digital marketing and without using the correct analytics to monitor your campaign; you will not be able to be effective. Brennan White from Watchtower states, “The first and most crucial step is to get mobile analytics implemented from companies so you can establish a baseline. From there, you can experiment, A/B test and really attack the market with your targeted and efficient campaign.”
9. Make It Social
According to Matt Hunckler from Verge, networks such as Twitter were born as mobile platforms and still attribute a huge portion of their activity to mobile sources. He suggests that you give your mobile advertising campaign some legs by adding and incentivizing social sharing. With a compelling reason to share, you can make your campaign more viral and, therefore, higher yielding. A recent study from Media Bistro showed that users are three times more likely to share content via their iPhones than their desktops. Hunckler says to apply this knowledge to amplify your message on your next mobile advertising campaign.
10. Integrate Your Efforts
It is extremely important to integrate your mobile marketing advertising strategy within your overall branding message. Kalin Kassabov from ProTexting states that, “For more than 10 years, I have seen the mobile marketing industry go through many stages of growth. Mobile marketing and advertising is maturing. People are now understanding that a mobile app or mobile-optimized website does not make up a mobile strategy or mobile campaign. Think about how mobile marketing will fit in with your overall marketing program and how it will enhance your existing relationship with your customers. Then take great care to create messages that are compelling and relevant.”
These 10 entrepreneurs offer up some great advice, but these 10 tips are by no means an exhaustive list. In addition, some of this might sound like tech jargon that you simply do not understand. And that is why the professionals at Imagine That are here to help! We have extensive experience in social media marketing (SMM) and search engine marketing (SEM), and would love to help you out with your mobile advertising needs. Just give us a call at 970-224-1930 or shoot us an email at . Until then, Dream Bigger!