Mobile Ad Spend Predicted to Increase Dramatically by 2017

Caitlyn Foster    Mobile Advertising, Mobile Marketing, Mobile SEO     emarketer, mobile ad spend, mobile marketing

According to eMarketer’s most current ad spend forecast, mobile ad spend is predicted to increase dramatically by 2017; whereas, desktop ad spend is predicted to peak in 2014 and begin to decline. eMarketer attributes the shift away from desktop and towards mobile to the fact that more than half of Americans now own smartphones and the time spent on mobile devices is continually increasing.

More specifically, eMarketer predicts significant growth in the next year for mobile search advertising, a 76% increase, and mobile banners and rich media, a 78% increase. Over the next few years, mobile is expected to account for a larger share of digital ad budgets. In 2011, mobile spend made up only 4.9% of the digital budget, and by 2017 mobile spend is predicted to account for more than half of digital ad spend at 56.4%.

For more information on how to incorporate mobile into your marketing strategy, visit ATS Mobile.

Webinar: “Pizza Pies for Mobile Eyes”

Caitlyn Foster    Mobile Advertising, Mobile Apps, Mobile Marketing, Mobile SEO, QR Codes     mobile marketing, pizza

In this interactive webinar, ATS Mobile Marketing Executive, Brad Bierman, explains how mobile marketing can help you to maintain and increase sales in the highly competitive pizza business! Bierman focuses on mobile websites, text message marketing, apps, custom QR Codes, mobile ad buys, and mobile SEO to maximize the mobile presence of your pizza restaurant.

For more information on integrating mobile into your marketing strategy, visit ATS Mobile.

Digital Ad Spend for Mobile and Social to Increase

Caitlyn Foster    mobile, Mobile Marketing, Social Media     mobile, social, spend

According to a March 2013 survey performed by the Association of National Advertisers, a majority of the 20 major US brands stated that they were increasing their investments in both mobile and social.

• 65% of brands said they were increasing mobile spend
• 55% of brands said they were increasing social spend

Mobile Websites vs. Mobile Apps: Which Is Better For Your Business?

Caitlyn Foster    Cell Phone, Technology, Mobile Apps, Mobile Marketing, Mobile Websites     advantages, mobile apps, mobile websites

One of the biggest debates in the world of mobile marketing revolves around the choice between mobile websites and mobile apps for businesses.  Ideally, all companies would take an integrated approach and have both a mobile website and a mobile app. Unfortunately, this approach is not always possible, especially for small business, because of factors such as budget.

For the companies who must make the difficult decision between mobile apps and mobile sites, it is important to take into consideration the benefits that mobile websites and mobile apps, individually, hold for a business.

Here is list of the advantages of both mobile websites and mobile apps that will hopefully aid you in developing the best mobile strategy for your company.

Mobile Websites: Advantages

• No Download Required
  • Mobile sites can be accessed via a browser immediately. No download or installation is required for users to access content.
• Simpler Design
  • Mobile websites are designed with simplicity in mind so that it is easy for users to navigate and find information on the mobile site.
• Cheaper to Develop
  • Mobile website creation is 85% less expensive than mobile app development.
• Quicker to Market
  • Not only are mobile websites more cost-effective, they are also more time-effective. It takes considerably less time to develop and market a mobile site than it does a mobile application.
• Easier to Update
  • The content and design of mobile sites can be updated immediately. There is no need to push for updates like there is in mobile apps.
• Compatibility
  • The same mobile site can reach all mobile users, regardless of what type of device they are using. All iPhone, Android and other smartphone users access a single mobile site.
• Reach a Larger Audience
  • Mobile websites allow businesses to reach essentially 100% of their audience. Mobile sites are available to anyone who has Internet access via their mobile devices.
• Search Results
  • Mobile users can easily find a company’s mobile site via search engine results.
• Google Analytics for Mobile
  • Businesses are able to track who is visiting their mobile sites via Google Analytics for Mobile and other mobile analytics programs.
• Opportunities for a Viral Audience
  • It is easy for users to share mobile sites with friends via a link and through social media such as Facebook and Twitter posts

Mobile Apps: Advantages

• Ease of Use
  • It is very easy for users to navigate through and interact with mobile applications.
• Usable Offline
  • Users do not have to be connected to a network or wireless connection to use mobile applications.
• Customizable
  • Once users download a mobile app, they are able to personalize the app based on their preferences and general use of the app.
• Easier to access data about users
  • Marketers are able to access a wide variety of data about mobile users such as demographics, psychographics and geo-location through mobile apps.
• Apps can be integrated with smartphone features
  • Mobile apps can be integrated with smartphone features such as the camera, microphone, geo-location and phonebook.
• Power of the Apple Store
  • Apps are sold through the vast Apple Store.
• Speed
  • Mobile apps run faster than mobile websites.
• “Cool” Factor
  • Mobile apps are one of the most recent innovations in mobile technology. Mobile apps also tend to have “cooler” visuals because mobile apps allow for more innovative graphics and effects.
• Allows you to reach a more affluent audience
  • Mobile apps are generally used by a more affluent audience. According to a study performed by the Shullman Research Center, mobile apps are used by 90 percent of U.S. consumers with a household income of $250,000 or more.
• Complex Calculations 
  • Apps allow you to take data from a user and manipulate it using complex calculations at a quick speed.

When making this decision, it is also important to consider the vertical or industry that your business is competing in. For companies within specific industries, mobile apps often hold an obvious advantage over mobile sites, and vice versa. For example, radio stations would do much better with a mobile app compared to a mobile website because it is much easier and quicker to stream music on an app. On the other hand, restaurants would probably prefer to use a mobile site because it would be much easier for them to update their daily specials and make any menu changes on a site.

For more information on developing your comprehensive mobile marketing strategy, visit ATS Mobile.

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Dairy Queen Partners with Orange Julius in Location-Targeted Mobile Campaign

Caitlyn Foster    mobile, Mobile Advertising, Mobile Marketing     mobile advertising

In order to promote in-store traffic during the summer months, Dairy Queen launched a location-targeted mobile campaign to drive customers into their stores to try an Orange Julius smoothie.

Orange Julius and Dairy Queen are running mobile banner ads on the Fandango mobile site, promoting the fact that the Orange Julius stores are located within the larger Dairy Queen locations. The banners invite users to tap the ad to find out the nearest Dairy Queen/Orange Julius store to their current location.  After giving their permission for their geographic location to be used, the users are sent to a branded map that contains a banner advertisement locked into the top of the screen. The purpose of the branded map is to keep the user’s focus on Dairy Queen and Orange Julius as they use the map. In addition, the map provides the phone number and address for the different store locations on the map.

Dairy Queen and Orange Julius’s location-targeted mobile banner ad

Dairy Queen and Orange Julius’s branded map

While this mobile campaign is actually quite simple, the campaign is very effective in achieving its objective of increasing foot traffic to the Dairy Queen store.  One of the main reasons that people use their mobile devices is to help them to find nearby retail establishments or restaurants that will satisfy a need while the consumer is on-the- go. If a consumer is out and about and sees the banner ad on his/her mobile device, the consumer is likely to tap on the ad to find the nearest Dairy Queen/ Orange Julius to satisfy his/her craving for a delicious ice cream treat or fruit smoothie.

For more information on mobile advertising, visit ATS Mobile.

US Mobile Marketing Spend to Double by 2016

Caitlyn Foster    Mobile Advertising, Mobile Marketing     mobile marketing, spend

According to a study performed by researchers at Columbia University and commissioned by the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA), clients and retailers are predicted to invest $19.8 billion in mobile marketing by the end of 2015. This investment will double the mobile marketing spend in 2012 in the United States.  In 2012, approximately $6.7 billion was spent in mobile marketing. By the end of 2013, it is predicted that the number will reach $10.5 billion.

In 2012, mobile marketing became the third largest form of online advertising. Within mobile marketing itself, mobile direct responses advertisements are predicted to be the fastest-growing form of mobile marketing with a predicted investment of $2.9 billion by the end of 2015.

With current statistics and predictions such as these, it’s impossible for marketers to ignore the possibilities that mobile marketing has to offer for companies. For more information on how to make your company mobile-friendly, visit Advanced Telecom Services.

Results for Mobile Ads Roughly Match Those of Rich Media

Caitlyn Foster    mobile, Mobile Advertising, Mobile Marketing     marketing, mobile, mobile advertising

According to a PointRoll benchmark report that compared results for various types of ads from 2011-2012, the overall volume of mobile advertisements increased by 88% in the last year.

Specifically, the report showed that the click-through-rates and time spent with mobile advertisements roughly paralleled those of rich media; however, in-stream video ads led the pack with a 0.62% click-through-rate.

Mobile ads and rich media had click-through-rates of 0.14% and 0.15%, respectively.

Users spent approximately 14 seconds with both mobile advertisements and rich media.

In addition, the report also showed that mobile advertisements had a significantly higher video completion rate than rich media, but fell short compared to in-stream video advertisement’s 67.7% completion rate.

In the past year, mobile media ads had a 40% video completion rate, and rich media had a 23.8% completion rate.

Lastly, the report discussed the industries that have had the highest click-through rates for their advertisements.

The automotive and retail industries are tied for first with a 0.19% click-through rate.

With an 88% increase in mobile advertising from 2011 to 2012, it is obvious that mobile advertising is gaining momentum in the field of online advertising. Marketers, specifically those in the automotive, retail and telecom industries, must work to optimize their mobile websites and mobile ads if they want to gain a competitive edge within their industries. For more information on mobile marketing visit Advanced Telecom Services.

Why Text Messaging Works So Well for Restaurants

Bob Bentz    Mobile Marketing, Text Message Marketing     marketing, mobile, restaurants, text

If you ever needed any more reasons why you should be using mobile marketing for your restaurant, take a look at the graphic here.  The decision to decide on which restaurant to go to is often made at the last minute.  That’s why text message marketing can be so darn effective.  With 90% of text messages read within three minutes of receipt, you can choose precisely when to reach your opt-in customers.

Watch our 90 second video on mobile marketing for restaurants.

Most decisions on what restaurant to go to are spontaneous, thus making text message marketing a great method for reaching diners.