Mobile Advertising
““Mobile is becoming not only the new digital hub but also the bridge to the physical world. That’s why mobile will affect more than just your digital operations – it will transform your entire business.””
Why Mobile Advertising is Relevant Now
In a society and culture where we are now revolving around technology and social media, mobile advertising is an extremely beneficial tactic for companies to use. It can be a way to reach out to their targeted audience members, through specific research and study groups. Through this, they have the ability to discover which certain technology outlets, social medias, and website they are using and have that advantage in order to connect to them. These specific examples of advertising are known as Mobile Advertising.
What Exactly is Mobile Advertising?
In order for an advertisement to be considered a “Mobile Advertisement”, it must be an advertisement that appeared on mobile devices. This includes smartphones and tablets. Overall, they must have a wireless connection (Investopedia).
The Popularity of Mobile Devices
According to studies, mobile devices outnumber television sets by 3 to 1 (Investopedia), which means that chances of a targeted customer and audience member is highly more likely to see an advertisement for a brand and product on their mobile device screen than on a television screen. The ITU has also estimated that , “Roughly 5.28 billion “mobile broadband” subscriptions as of the end of 2018. And about 45% of that group—2.38 billion users—check Facebook on their smartphones each month” (Quartz). Through this research, it shows that as time passes and technology advances, our behaviors as human beings are also changing as well. We are adjusting to the electronic devices being put out, which means that the advertising business also has to adjust.
Types of Mobile Advertisements
Advertisements on social media applications through a mobile device is extremely rewarding for the company, since this direct contact with the customer through their mobile device has all of their attention and no distractions , such as like advertisements on television or through magazines. One of the most popular strategies of advertising on mobile devices is called Banner. With a banner advertisement, the banner ad is at the top or bottom of the screen, and it includes text and graphics. The most important aspect for a banner ad is brand recognition, as well as getting their product viewed by as many people as possible (Gimbal).
McDonald’s 2015 Geofilter via : https://geomarketing.com/geomarketing-101-what-are-geofilters
Another new and trendy way in which brands and companies have begun advertising is through Snapchat Geofilters. A geofilter is a filter accessed through snapchat that overlays a picture taken One of the first successes of using a geofilter was done by McDonalds. Back in 2015 when they were first introduced, McDonalds participated in a sponsored geofilter for brand locations. This meant that when close enough to a McDonalds, you would be able to see and use their filter which included illustrations of fries and cheeseburgers. This new and innovative way of advertising is profitable for the brands since it gives and opportunity to reach customers through one of the most popular mobile apps currently
Below is a link to a website which includes types of mobile advertising and goes beyond banner advertisements. This website is extremely informational and helpful for brands looking to be involved in mobile advertising.
Cons of Mobile Advertising
Although there are many benefits and pros to mobile advertising, there can also be some disadvantages to it as well. One of the disadvantages that comes along with engaging in mobile advertising is that platforms are very diverse (Moats). The devices that would be displaying the mobile advertisement can come in many different shapes and sizes, such as tablet, different versions of iPhones, or androids. This then makes it difficult to find a type of mobile advertisement that will please both the company and the audience through whichever device they are seeing it on. Another disadvantage to mobile advertising is the devices that audiences use when they see mobile advertisements are smaller touchscreens. Sherry Moats, author of the article “Advantages and Disadvantages of Mobile Marketing” stated, “ Navigation on a mobile phone may get difficult for the user, even if it has a touch screen. In such a case, most ads may go untouched, as the user may find it too tedious to look in detail through each one of them”. Mobile advertising can be a complex type of new advertising for a company to become involved in since there are many possible disadvantages that come along with it . The usability of the mobile device plays a huge part in whether the advertisement will be successful or not. As stated in the book Webs of Influence, “ Different devices will have different folds (where the screen ends), and its location can make a big impact on usability” (Nahai 73). The placement of the mobile advertisement is a crucial step and something that companies need to analyze and research when planning for their targeted audience. Overall, there are more advantages than disadvantages with mobile advertising. However, it is important that brands and companies keep in mind the cons to try and avoid them as best as possible.
References :
Kenton, Will. “What Is Mobile Advertising?” Investopedia, Investopedia, 29 Jan. 2020, www.investopedia.com/terms/m/mobile-advertising.asp.
Moats, Sherry, and Sherry Moats →. “Advantages and Disadvantages of Mobile Marketing.” The Brandon Agency, 3 Feb. 2020, www.thebrandonagency.com/blog/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-mobile-marketing/.
“Mobile Ad Types: Mobile Advertising Formats.” Gimbal, gimbal.com/mobile-ad-types/.
Murphy, Mike. “Cellphones Now Outnumber the World's Population.” Quartz, Quartz, 29 Apr. 2019, qz.com/1608103/there-are-now-more-cellphones-than-people-in-the-world/.
Nahai, Nathalie. Webs of Influence: the Psychology of Online Persuasion. Pearson Education Limited, 2017.