It’s no question that the digital world is growing every single day. A popular device amongst so many across the globe is, of course, cell phones. Many times, cell phones are even used in place of computers. To nobody’s surprise, the world of digital marketing has caught on to this trend! More specifically, now, mobile advertising is a HUGE aspect of digital marketing. In digital marketing, when you focus on mobile advertising, you have to consider numerous outlets that can be beneficial to your campaign. Here are a few of the biggest and best.
Mobile advertising outlets you should use: Location-based advertising
Location-based advertising is not so much an outlet, but a method. This method is great for reaching people when they are in a certain location. Why would you want to do that? Location-based advertising helps increase your return on ad spending (ROAS). Sometimes advertisements are so broad that it does not benefit those in certain locations, therefore the advertisement is not appealing to them.
You can use location to your advantage in different ways:
- Target people who use public transportation by reaching them when they are at a certain station.
- Target area codes that are not from your location but are in the area.
- Target people in a location where the weather is affecting their purchasing behavior.
There are so many ways to use location-based advertising. Each company has a purpose for their campaigns, so each method of advertisement will be different. You have to find which one works best for your company. For instance, if local weather reports a storm for later in the week, a local small business retail company can use location-based advertising to reach locals in hopes that an online live sales event would appeal to them during the storm. It is the best tool for your buck.
Mobile banner ads
Banner ads are everywhere, whether it is digital or traditional. Mobile banner ads are usually rectangle advertisements that appear on various platforms. This could be online websites, gaming apps, social media apps, and lifestyle apps. With the right research, companies should be able to place their banner ads in the places that will appeal to the user the most. For example, the number of users searching for prom dresses on their mobile browser is higher than those who search on social media, so the best place to put a banner ad would be on a mobile browser. Obviously, with cookies, you can tailor the users’ experience more specifically.
When we deal with mobilizing banner ads, it is best to start on the desktop. The desktop version of a mobile banner ad will appear much larger on-screen. After you have mastered that, it is easier to transform that ad into a mobile banner. The mobile banner should be slightly different to appeal to the user. It is best to keep the advertisement simple and not too busy. As always, users will respond to a strong ‘call to action’ and with banner ads, this should be simple as well. For example, “Shop Now” or “Register Now”.
SMS ads
A short messaging service (SMS) is the best way to reach most people through text messaging advertisements. More than most people with cell phones have SMS. This includes phones that do not have internet. Believe it or not, many people do not have smartphones. Flip phones are still in style. The great thing is that not only does SMS reach those with smartphones, but it also reaches those with a flip phone. With SMS, you are reaching tons and tons of people. Campaigns can become effective with feedback and SMS serves as an outlet for that. Think of it as an email campaign. Create a captivating message to grab their attention. Promotions, links, and membership offers are great messages to send with SMS. For example, offering a loyalty program, and allowing users to reply with a simple yes or no, will give you feedback. If they reply yes, a link to your mobile landing page should land in success. Overall, one of the best reasons for using SMS is to gain subscribers. Subscriptions carry information that will help reach out to a user on different platforms. Keep in mind, SMS only allows for up to 160 characters, which should be plenty because long messaging may be a turn-off for some users.
MMS ads
Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) is an effective way to personalize your ads with the use of pictures, video, and text. This is where you can get visually creative and grab the users’ attention. MMS does not reach as many people as SMS, but that does not mean it is not effective. MMS requires a higher-end carrier service. This is typically the kind of service we see with iPhone users. When creating an MMS advertisement, using text, and providing links is still very important. Your creativity comes with what you attach. GIFs and videos have become popular tools for grabbing the users’ attention and increasing page visits. Just like SMS you want to keep your message short. Although you have more characters to use, too many of them may turn off the reader.
QR codes
QR (quick response) codes are everywhere! You can see them on almost every social media site, find them hung up on walls, taped to a restaurant table, and even on people’s t-shirts. This is the newest marketing tool that is easy to use. All you have to do is hold your phone’s camera over the code and it will bring you to a preplanned destination. Its biggest use would be sending people to a landing page that builds subscriptions. In addition, QR codes can bring people to a survey page, video, coupons, and much more. Many social media sights provide your business with a QR code when you want to set it up. Super easy and right on the sight. On other platforms, you may have to generate. Do not be fooled, that is easy too.
Mobile video
How often do we get caught up in watching videos on our phones? 10 minutes go by, 30 minutes go by, and before you know it, you realize you were trapped by the Facebook video ads. The point that we are trying to make, is that videos are highly engaging. They are more appealing than reading text and visually pleasing. A mobile video is a tool you can use towards achieving a goal. You can gain more followers, increase engagement, and brand awareness, increase page visits, and hopefully increase conversions as well. Where you choose to place the video is up to you. The outlets we have listed above are great places to consider. You should also look into social media since this is largely a mobile experience.
There is a lot that goes into mastering mobile advertising. The digital world is growing, and mobile advertising is still relatively new. Do not be fooled, it is all doable and we believe in you! With the rise in cell phone usage, it has become crucial that businesses consider adding themselves to the mobile world. You should not only consider a mobile presence, but also using the mobile presence of others to your advantage.
Hopefully, with the outlets and methods we have provided, you are ready to dominate the mobile world.
