Riding the wave of Mobile Advertising

In recent times, the number of users on tablet devices has been increasing together with the users of the mobile applications. Users now access information or create contents using applications installed in their mobile applications to share on various online social media platform.

Some popular applications even have high usage rates. This gives advertiser an alternative platform to expose the users to their products and services. Many free versions of the mobile applications contain advertisements to support the development of it. Most users of such applications do not mind having advertisements being streamed to them while using the applications as these free version of the applications served the general needs of the users in comparison to premium version of the applications.

As most of these free mobile applications serve advertisements from online advertising network, we can subscribe to the various advertising network for our advertisements to be served to these audiences. Certain developers or owners of the popular applications (STOMP) have their own advertising network (Eg: SPH). As the users of various applications are of specific interest, it is easy to identify the target audiences which we would like our advertisements to be targeted.

The advantage of serving advertisements to the users of mobile applications is having eyeballs and exposure to our targeted audiences anywhere and everywhere. Our advertisements are always on the move and not fix on one location. In comparison to the cost of advertising on print media, online advertising is significantly lower.

Some disadvantages of mobile advertising could be low click through rate. Most users of the applications are task-oriented. They may not react to the advertisements as their focus is on using the application to access information and to create or share contents. Another disadvantage would be advertisers will have to bid for the best advertising timing, position or frequency of exposure.

Hence for most advertisers, mobile application would be good for branding of the products and services. However, with careful planning to the advertising collaterals and eye-catching creative, as well as a good call-to-action messages in the advertising and good campaign, we could get users to click on the advertisements. We can also have a media strategy to serve the advertisements on times where users are most active on the applications. As well as narrow down on the advertising network or channels to advertise on.

Mobile advertising is relative new but it is a good channel for advertisers to promote their products and services.