With so many outlets available today to communicate with consumers, you may find yourself wondering what the most efficient and cost-effective medium is to get your message across. In recent years, there has been a rapid increase in non-traditional media such as mobile advertising, and everyone wants to be a part of the game. According to eMarketer, in 2010, the total amount of money spent on mobile marketing was $743.1 million. That number is estimated to reach $2.5 billion by 2014.
So What?
You may be wondering why an increase in advertising spending for mobile phones is important to you. While the amount spent on advertising is an impressive number alone, it probably isn’t enough to convince businesses to start pitching in their hard earned money into this communication channel. However, there are many statistics that show mobile advertising is not only on the rise, but it is also effective.
If widening your reach is one of your mobile advertising concerns, that worry may be coming to an end. With connected mobile devices increasing 190% in the past year alone, this market is showing promising and rapid growth. According to CTIA – The Wireless Association, as of December 2010, 302.9 million Americans reported that they own a mobile device, making the U.S. wireless penetration 96 percent. Additionally, 26.6 percent of U.S. households are mobile-only, meaning that they do not have a landline and instead use their mobile devices as their home’s main source of communication.
Of these mobile subscribers, approximately 63.2 million own a smartphone, according to comScore. Also, about 35 percent of these smartphone users access the mobile Internet from their device. These stats all demonstrate the depth and reach you can achieve through mobile marketing.
Why is this Important?
Here are just a few more statistics about how mobile advertising is effective:
· Text messages on average are read within 15 minutes of receipt
· 94% of text messages are read
· 39% of US consumers prefer text messaging over radio or TV
· 30% of mobile subscribers in the US have responded to a mobile offer
· Average response rates for mobile promotions are 20-40%, which is higher than email and direct mail by factors of ten.
Looking at these numbers, it is clear that mobile advertising is making a name for itself in the industry. With reach and penetration rates so high, you can be sure your mobile advertising campaign will not struggle with those two factors. Plus, with the ever-increasing amount of people connecting to the Internet via their phones and smartphones, these numbers are only going to increase.
What is it Used For?
You may be thinking “Enough with the statistics. Why is this important for me?” While numbers and data are great to have, they don’t mean much if they don’t help you in considering how you can use mobile marketing to your advantage.
Mobile marketing can provide your business with many advantages and opportunities. These include, but are definitely not limited to:
· Brand awareness
· Customer service
· Marketing messages
· Surveys
· Mobile apps
· Product information
· Product ordering
· Rich media advertisements
Because of the functionality of most smartphones, contrary to popular belief, there are not as many limitations advertising on a phone versus a computer that people think. For example, both medium allows rich content to be streamed to consumers. Plus, when you combine the advertisements with the statistics listed previously, a mobile advertising campaign may be the perfect fit for you.
So next time you are planning an advertising campaign for your business, product, or service, be sure to consider mobile marketing. Combining the current impressive statistics of mobile users with the fact that this is a rapid growing sector of the market, mobile advertising seems to have a promising future.
Now it’s your turn. How do you think a company can use mobile marketing to their advantage? Have you had any past experience with this form of marketing? Also, stay tuned for an upcoming post on mobile apps…
