6 Mobile Marketing Trends You Should Know

By the end of 2016, people were already accessing the web more from their mobile devices than from their desktops. This means that responsive web design is not enough to sustain your mobile marketing strategy.

As time spent on mobile devices increases drastically each year, what you need to do is clear: focus on mobile, or lose traffic. Let’s take a look at the mobile marketing trends you should invest in right now:

1. Apps

Mobile apps are what make our smartphones so useful. They deliver content in a more streamlined and efficient way than browsers, but this doesn’t mean all businesses should invest in them. For some companies like restaurants, news outlets, or banks it makes total sense to have apps.

But a lot of people prefer to avoid downloads and use their browsers instead. And considering that most apps are deleted after just one use, only make an app if it will offer high value and work seamlessly.

2. Search

The number of Google mobile searches has surpassed desktop searches since 2016. Moreover, Google users visit 1.5 billion locations every month based on search results. This points to the growing need to optimize your website for local search. If you own a brick-and-mortar business, make sure to complete your Google My Business profile as most people use their phones to find businesses.

Another way to optimize your Google search results is to focus on voice searches. Did you know that over 20% of mobile searches are initiated by voice? To take advantage of this, optimize your site with long-tail keywords written in everyday speech. Avoid formal search words since they don’t reflect the ordinary language used in voice searches.

3. Advertising

According to Mary Meeker’s 2017 report, people in the US spent 28% of their total media consumption time on mobile in 2016. But mobile ad spending represented only 21% of the total, which led to $16 billion in missed opportunities on mobile.

However, it’s not easy to profit from mobile ads due to the popularity of ad blockers. A promising alternative to mobile advertising is Google shopping – this service allows businesses to bypass ad blockers and display product offers directly in Google search results.

4. Security

According to a PwC survey, two-thirds of shoppers don’t use a mobile app due to privacy and security concerns. To turn this around, businesses need to invest in more secure ways of selling their products/services.

Although big apps like Evernote or Dropbox are trusted by millions, most businesses need to earn their audience’s trust the hard way. Websites have SSL certificates, but mobile apps will need something similar soon.

5. Gamification

Gamification is the application of game-design elements and game principles in non-game contexts. In mobile marketing, this principle can be applied through technologies like augmented (AR) and virtual reality (VR).

For example, Ikea created Ikea Places – an app that uses augmented reality to allow you to check out how Ikea furniture would look in your actual space. But you can also use game-design elements like rewards, puzzles, etc. to create a fun way for your audience to interact with your products/services.

6. Live Streaming

In a livestream.com study, 81% of internet and mobile audiences watched more live videos in 2016 than in 2015. Moreover, YouTube reports mobile video consumption rises 100% every year. So it’s no secret that live video is becoming a powerful marketing tool each day.

Live streaming gives you a more intimate way of connecting with audiences. People want to feel involved in what their favorite brands are cooking up. There’s also the fact that people will want to join your feed before it’s over out of curiosity for what they’ll miss seeing live.

Want to learn more about mobile marketing tactics? Check out common mobile website design flaws you must avoid at all costs. Contact us if you have any questions – we’re happy to help your website grow.