{"id":18105,"date":"2024-02-20T08:00:20","date_gmt":"2024-02-20T12:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/illumin.com\/?p=18105"},"modified":"2024-11-26T10:40:27","modified_gmt":"2024-11-26T15:40:27","slug":"mobile-advertising-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/illumin.com\/insights\/mobile-advertising-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"A quick, handy guide to mobile advertising"},"content":{"rendered":"

The art of mobile advertising offers huge opportunities and potential to marketers everywhere. Here\u2019s a quick guide on how to step up your mobile advertising game.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s face it: using our phones is second nature. Society has been so glued to our mobile devices that mobile and technology companies develop features and applications that help further integrate our lives into our devices and make everyday tasks that much easier. However, it\u2019s not only the tech and phone companies that have invested in and taken advantage of this multi-year trend.<\/span><\/p>\n

The digital advertising world is constantly investing and looking for ways to engage with and target consumers \u2013 including mobile advertising. In fact, <\/span>spending for mobile advertising<\/span><\/a> is expected to surpass $300 billion U.S. dollars by 2024.<\/span><\/p>\n

The basics of mobile advertising is a familiar concept. However, many marketers are unaware of the full extent of the format\u2019s potential and value to their existing strategies.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This quick guide will help you solidify the basics of what mobile advertising entails and how to properly invest in your mobile strategy.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is mobile advertising?<\/h2>\n

Mobile advertising<\/span><\/a> is any form of advertising that appears on mobile devices. These devices can be via smartphones, tablet computers, or even within downloaded apps such as mobile games. These devices are used to showcase ads in various formats, such as text ads via SMS, mobile banners, or other display ads. This is not to be confused with mobile marketing, as mobile marketing is a more general term and encompasses mobile advertising and other forms of marketing communications.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why invest in mobile advertising?<\/h2>\n

Given how essential mobile devices are to the everyday lives of their users, so too is mobile advertising for marketers. Mobile advertising brings many benefits such as the potential market size of the format.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As mentioned earlier, ad spend for mobile devices is expected to surpass billions of dollars by 2024. This is fuelled by the fact that <\/span>mobile usage among US adults has been consistently growing<\/span><\/a>, from 248 million in 2021, to 250.7 million in 2022, and 253.3 million in 2023. At this rate, smartphone use continues to garner sustainable growth in 2024. Advertisers are able to tap into this vast target market, significantly increasing brand awareness and generating leads for their business.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Another benefit to investing in mobile ads is the potential to <\/span>specifically target your audience<\/span><\/a> into various segments, allowing you to reach specific audiences based on location, demographics, and behavior. Because of how large the mobile user market is, the possibilities are seemingly endless in optimizing and improving your mobile ad strategies. Mobile advertising can improve your lead scoring and the quality of users attracted to your brand, in turn raising the chances of converting potential customers into actual buyers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Because of the rise of mobile online shopping and browsing, marketers are also able to leverage the power of mobile advertising. They can reach customers where they are most likely to engage with ads and call them to action much more quickly, ultimately increasing visibility, reaching new customers, and driving sales.<\/span><\/p>\n

Types of mobile ads<\/h2>\n

Mobile advertisements can come in different types and formats, with each one having various pros and purposes. It\u2019s important to know which type of mobile ad is the most effective one to use in certain platforms and scenarios so that you\u2019re able to effectively use your advertising budget and strategies in the most efficient and optimized way. Here are some of the <\/span>types of mobile ads<\/span><\/a> used today.<\/span><\/p>\n

Banner ads<\/h3>\n

Banner ads are small, rectangular images, typically combined with text, that are shown at the top or bottom of the screen. Banner ads are common as they are cost-effective, universally integrated, and easy to launch. They are also unintrusive, typically part of the user interface instead of disrupting the user experience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While they are cost-effective and easy to implement, users tend to develop <\/span>ad fatigue<\/span><\/a> and blindness to the messages contained within banner ads. As a result, they can lead to unintended and mistaken clicks. It\u2019s important to develop mobile banner ads that are eye-catching, have a striking message, and are specifically targeted to those who will likely engage with them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Interstitial ads<\/h3>\n

These are ads that appear in the user\u2019s navigation through an app or browser and typically occupy the whole screen. Once the ad is displayed, the user is pushed to take an action (such as responding to the CTA or closing the ad).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The benefit of using interstitial ads is that they excel at grabbing a user\u2019s attention and fully immersing them into the ad. On the other hand, some users find these types of ads annoying and ineffective since they are intrusive to the user experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

Video ads<\/h3>\n

As the name suggests, video ads make use of videos. They often result in high engagement and interaction rates since they grab the attention of the user. Video ads would need to be of high quality, and duration also matters \u2013\u00a0 lengthy videos can lose users\u2019 attention and interest. Videos typically also have a higher cost barrier when it comes to content creation compared to static images and ad materials.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Playable ads<\/h3>\n

Playable ads let users experience a small part of an advertised app while viewing the playable ad. In other words, it allows users to interact with a snippet of a mobile app. These types of ads are commonly used for in-game apps. Utilizing playable ads gives users a glimpse of what you are advertising; they can be effective because they leave users wanting more.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rewarded ads<\/h3>\n

Rewarded ads incentivize users by offering a reward once they complete certain actions. For instance, making users watch the entirety of a video ad so that they can claim a gift card, discount code, or in-game reward (in the context of mobile games).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Many advertisers use this type of ad because of the high level of interaction and engagement. However, there is a risk of attracting unqualified traffic and careful targeting must be exercised to ensure high <\/span>audience engagement<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Native ads<\/h3>\n

Native ads are those that match the content, visual feel, and form of media they appear in; it is digital advertising that blends in seamlessly with its environment – be it the web, social media platforms, or other online formats.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

They can appear in the form of static visuals, texts, or videos. Native mobile ads make for an organic experience, seeming as if they belong to the app or page they appear on. As a result, they create a seamless experience and help to maximize clicks, user retention, and engagement. However, advertisers need to consider <\/span>that native ads must be flexible such that they can be easily tailored to fit different formats and experiences.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rich media ads<\/h3>\n

Rich media ads offer an enriched experience to the user through the implementation of various animated effects (scratch banners, interstitial ads, swipe ads, cube ads, etc.). They usually contain a set of HTML, CSS, and image files. In other words, they implement and make use of various creative mobile advertising media.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Other types of mobile ads<\/h3>\n