6 Mobile Marketing Trends that Changes the Way Business is Done
Before the era of technological advances, money spent on marketing and advertising go to printed and radio ads. People get to know brands through posters, newspapers, and billboards. This has worked well and is actually still effective. However, living in this century, print ads will never be enough. Because of the new developments in technology, entrepreneurs and businessmen are pushed to keep up and be more creative. Thinking out of the box and maximizing user behavior has become the trend.
Marketing must always fit the needs of the customers. It used to just be as simple as creating apps for web users on desktop, but today there is more to online marketing. In the past year, more people have turned to their mobile phones to surf the internet and to connect to others through social media. Google claimed that more than 50% of their search queries were made using mobile phones. In the coming years, we expect more people around the globe to own mobile phones as it is already perceived to be a necessity.
One study showed that a person checks his device at an average of 85 times a day. Since mobile has become a part of everyday life that our consumers can’t now imagine to live without, businesses have taken advantage of this. Mobile marketing has been a trend that instantly gained popularity among users. Businesses then have already incorporated it into their strategy because of the effective role it plays in the customer’s purchasing journey. The following are a few trends to look out for.
- ‘Mobile’ as an evolving concept
There was a time when mobile only meant smartphones. Then came the tablets with different resolutions and features. Today, mobile does not simply mean phones or tablets. Wearables have made a name for themselves easily. They include smartwatches, fitness trackers, smart glasses and even clothing. The accessibility and how the user interacts with them will influence how marketing can be done in these media. - Capture attention through video ads
In the past, search engines were just for research and queries. This venue has already been explored in the name of marketing by incorporating video ads that play on the sidebar or as you scroll down the page. Google, being the number one search engine in the world, has already begun experimenting with this. It succeeded in capturing the attention of users instantly especially those videos that automatically play. Even YouTube now has video ads playing before the chosen videos and sometimes even in between long videos. An innovation made by Facebook is the 360-degree videos incorporated in the newsfeed that amazed many users.
Companies strive to keep their video ads only a few seconds long, but others have begun incorporating storylines in their videos, making it last for minutes. With progressive research, businesses will find more ways to raise video ad standards to surpass their competitors. - Applications as an avenue for more marketing
Our mobile devices are filled with so many applications that we use every day. Marketing has taken advantage of this too by incorporating ads here as well. Whether it appears as a pop-up window or integrated in the page, it is a sure way of getting the message across to users. An example is Instagram has begun advertising brands as the user scrolls down. One study showed that with this strategy, ad recalls increased by 3.2% and brand messages are remembered more by 10% simply by just being on the feed. There will be more of this in the coming years and it will keep on improving because applications are not going anywhere. With higher customer research, ads will be made more interesting by tailoring itto users preferences such as more attractive colors and visuals, perhaps even catchy tunes. - Social media is not just for social media
The role of social media sites in commerce in the past was just to influence shopping decisions through product reviews and feedbacks. Recently, social media has also become a venue for e-commerce. In fact, this has already begun with Instagram’s “Shop now” option and Pinterest’s “Buyable Pins”. Negotiations and purchasing are already possible once you come across a product that you fall in-love with instantly. Shopping has become even more convenient through mobile. Many companies release mobile coupons and gift certificates for loyal customers and even for friends of their customers. This has pleased a lot and worked in promoting the brand even more as users wait for the next opportunity to receive freebies and discounts. - Lifestyle Apps that change values and taste
Because of many innovations in the thousands of applications on mobile, some of them have found a way to be part of our lifestyle. There are some apps that let users have this perception that their lives are more organized and purposeful. These are especially experienced in exercise, diet, and weather apps. Since these apps are widely used as people become more conscious of their life choices, businesses will find a way to incorporate these in it without the user even realizing it. - Mobile wallets to replace cards
Though this is a young concept that might not be mainstream yet, mobile wallets can be possible for many mobile users. This can threaten the existence of credit cards if this becomes a big success. Apple users have already started using Apple Pay to make purchases. Samsung has also created something similar called Samsung Pay that works with payment terminals that accept credit cards. However, developers are still working on standards and other features such as security and usage so that the user experience will be satisfactory and more pleasurable.
Share your observations with us on mobile marketing trends in your industry. We would be happy to hear from you!
Sources:
Mobile Marketing Trends, Insight, & Advice
Mobile Marketing Is Changing The Game: Here’s How To Get Caught Up
4 Hot Mobile Marketing Trends to Watch in 2016
Top 10 mobile marketing trends for 2016
