Americans turn to their smartphones for a variety of reasons. Whether they want to send a funny filtered photo to a friend or check the reviews for a local taco joint, more and more consumers are spending an increasing amount of time on their smartphones. And they aren’t just doing it for fun.
The Increasing Importance of Mobile
Mobile use continues to encroach upon desktop time, which means businesses need to ensure they are reaching their customers where they are. Already, US consumers spend over four hours a day on their smartphones in apps and online. Four out of five consumers use their smartphones to make purchases.
If you aren’t already targeting mobile users, your business may be left behind.
The World of Mobile Ads
While texting and games certainly account for a large chunk of smartphone time, shopping and social media apps remain increasingly popular. And if the popularity of Facebook ads is any indication, many consumers appreciate the ads they see on their timelines.
This may be in part because ads are getting smarter. Now when you advertise on certain platforms like Facebook, you can better target your audience via demographics so the individuals more likely to click on your ad are the ones who are presented with it. This kind of targeting helps companies better allot their marketing dollars and ensure they are getting the visibility they want.
Ideally, your company is already showing up in Google Local and individuals seeking your services nearby are able to find you without having to sift through pages of results. But how can you reach more of your target audience and introduce yourself to people who don’t yet know they need your services?
This is exactly where mobile ads excel.
Let’s say you have a dog grooming business in Tampa and want to grow your business. You have word of mouth working well for you, but you have more time slots to fill and lots of love to give to some new pups. Focusing on mobile ads can help you expand your reach by getting your company info in front of people who are already interested in dogs and who live in your area. This type of targeting isn’t possible with traditional forms of media.
Measuring Mobile Reach
For advertisers to be successful, they need to illustrate that their ads are being seen and that consumers are interacting with them. For mobile ads, this means there is constant incentive to improve the manner in which mobile ads are presented and to ensure that they are relevant to users. This benefits both companies and users, who will increasingly see a more carefully calibrated set of ads that truly appeal to them rather than the kind of crazy mix of ads one might spy in a newspaper or magazine.
With the increased time people are spending in front of their smartphones and with continued innovations in mobile advertising platforms, mobile ads will only matter more over the next few years. So how can you get your company noticed?
Mobile Ads as Part of a Digital Strategy
To maximize your mobile ad campaign, your mobile ads should be part of a larger digital strategy. This means that in addition to a mobile ad, you’ll want to check that you have all the good stuff that Google wants to see on your page (they remain the most dominant search engine and that is unlikely to change soon) and that you are able to measure the effects of an ad so you can change it as necessary to increase its impact.
Google AdWords and Facebook ads are two great ways to make a splash with a mobile ad campaign. By using content and images that are relevant and useful to your audience, you can draw increased traffic to your website and grow your audience.
Digital Neighbor, a leading Tampa digital marketing firm that focuses on local businesses, can help you craft your digital strategy so you can make mobile ads work for you. We believe in creating unique solutions for our neighbors—no cookie cutters here! That means we start where you are and work with you to attain your goals, crafting a unique digital strategy that takes into account your strengths and goals.
Don’t wait to get seen—get your message out via mobile ads with Digital Neighbor. Drop us a line to learn more about our process and how we can increase your online visibility.
