What Is Mobile Marketing?

Mobile marketing is any advertising activity that

promotes products and services via mobile devices,
such as tablets and smartphones. It makes use of
features of modern mobile technology, including
location services, to tailor marketing campaigns
based on an individual's location.

Mobile marketing is a way in which technology can

be used to create personalized promotion of goods
or services to a user who is constantly connected to
a network.
How Mobile Marketing Works

Mobile marketing may include promotions sent

through SMS text messaging, MMS multimedia
messaging, through downloaded apps using
push notifications, through in-app or in-game
marketing, through mobile websites, or by
using a mobile device to scan QR codes.

Proximity systems and location-based services

can alert users based on geographic location or
proximity to a service provider.
Mobile marketing is an indispensable tool for
companies large and small as mobile devices have
become ubiquitous. The key players in the space
are the brands (and companies that they represent
through advertising), and service providers that
enable mobile advertising.

Mobile advertising targets audiences not so much

by demographics but by behaviors (though
demography plays a part, such as the fact that
iPad users tend to be older and wealthier).

One notable behavior in the mobile marketing

space is known as "snacking," which is when
mobile device users check in to media or
messaging for brief periods. Seeking instant
gratification equates to more points of contact for
marketers.
In mobile marketing, the device (especially screen
size) does make a difference; users of
smartphones and iPad tablets react differently to
mobile marketing.

For example, smartphone users tend to find

informative content to be the most relevant, yet
iPad users tend to be captivated by interactive
advertising that features rich media presentations
with eye-catching imagery (the message of the
content is a secondary concern).
Mobile Marketing vs. Traditional Marketing

Unlike traditional marketing efforts, mobile

marketing takes advantage of the fact that many
users of mobile devices carry them around wherever
they go. As a result, location-based services can
collect customer data and then offer coupons, deals,
or promotions based on their proximity to a store or
a place frequently visited by the consumer. 

These marketing campaigns can be more targeted

and specific to the individual user, and should,
therefore, be more effective for the company doing
the marketing. One example may be a marketing
campaign that sends food-related coupons to a
customer any time they come within half a mile of a
specific supermarket.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Mobile
Marketing

Advantages
In regards to online related advertising, mobile
marketing is much easier to access. You don't need
high-level technology or significant technical
experience to get started. It's also easier to
measure the success of mobile marketing
campaigns.

89% percentage of marketers that

reported an increase in sales after
utilizing location data to increase ad
campaign effectiveness.
Mobile marketing is also extremely cost-effective.
There are a variety of options to choose from for
any budget and the impact it can have when
compared to the cost is significant. In a common
comparison, social media ads are much cheaper
than purchasing ad space for radio or television.

Customers can also be reached in real-time with

mobile marketing no matter where they are. Radio
or television marketing only works when a customer
is in front of the television or has the radio on.
Disadvantages

There are privacy issues concerning how the data

collected by mobile devices are used and whether
or not companies have the right to collect such
data without explicit consent. Such data can be
used for identity theft or to send spam if it falls
into the wrong hands due to data theft or poor
security of the information. Also, the tracking of an
individual's locations and movements may be
considered crossing the line by some.

A particular drawback of mobile marketing is that

it has the potential of increasing costs for the user.
For example, if a campaign directs a user to a
video that requires a significant amount of data
and the user does not have an unlimited data plan,
it may eat into their monthly data allowance or
result in charges if they go over their allotment.

Mobile marketing also needs to be perfect from the

start. As users have smaller attention spans and a
variety of companies competing for their attention,
a poor mobile marketing plan will fail to grasp a
user's attention and possibly lose their interest
forever. For this reason, a mobile marketing plan
does not have room to be less than perfect.
Pros
Easy to set up and monitor
Cost-effective
Real-time access to potential customers

Cons
Data privacy concerns
Possible increased data costs for the user
Little room for error
How Do You Start a Mobile Marketing
Business?

Set up a Mobile Website

People use their smartphones for almost everything
these days and so it's important that your website is
formatted correctly for viewing on a smartphone. If
you have an existing website, many companies offer
automated systems that convert your existing
website for viewing on a mobile platform. WordPress
and GoDaddy are two great examples of companies
that do this.

Other companies also create a completely new

version of your website just for viewing on a mobile
device, commonly known as plug-and-play
platforms.
Another alternative if you are comfortable with
writing computer code is adding a line of code on
your website that is able to determine the screen
size of the device being used and adjusts the site
accordingly.

Set up Your Business on Location-Based

Platforms
Setting up your business on the various location-
based platforms, such as Foursquare, Gowalla, and 
Facebook Places is a good way to make your
business available to a wider range of people and to
start running mobile ad campaigns. Foursquare has
been a pioneer in this respect, where companies
can run various promotions, such as offering
discounts for meeting a certain number of visits or
"check-ins" on the app.
Dive Deeper
To get a real feel and understanding of mobile ad
marketing you need to fully immerse yourself in the
experience. Start using location-based platforms
wherever you go, check-in, use the various apps
available for paying in restaurants or grocers, check
out ads, perform various voice searches, all to get a
feel of how people might use their mobile devices
for consumer transactions. This can help you to
design your mobile ad campaigns more efficiently.

Start a Mobile Ad Campaign

Once your website is set up for mobile device
viewing and you've understood how the mobile ad
marketing world works, it's time to set one up for
your business. Mobil ad campaigns are a crucial
element for businesses to get viewership.
If you have a skateboard shop in the
neighborhood and someone searches "best
skateboard shops near me" you want to make
sure that your business pops up in their search.

There are a variety of ways that mobile ad

marketing campaigns can be paid for. These
include flat fees for running an ad for a certain
period of time, or on a cost-per-click basis, a cost-
per-thousand basis, or a cost-per-acquisition
basis. Facebook, Google, Apple, Instagram, and
other social platforms all offer the ability to start
your own mobile marketing campaign.
Utilize QR Codes

QR codes, which are square bar codes containing

information, can be placed in a variety of
locations, and once scanned by a phone's
camera, direct a user to a website that can show
a business's website, promotions, or other
important information. They're a simple and easy
way to make your business known.
Examples of Mobile Marketing

Samsung

For the release of its Galaxy S6 phone, Samsung

worked with Indian tech company InMobi to
develop interactive ads. These ads created a
personalized real-time battery identification
mobile ad unit that displayed the product and
service to a user with a demo on their phone
when their battery levels were low. The mobile
ad highlighted the new phone's "super fast
charging capability" right when their battery was
low, enticing them to upgrade to the new phone.
Pond's

Pond's is another company that partnered with

InMobi. Pond's created an ad for one of their acne
products that was interactive in that when a
person looked at their phone, the camera would
capture their features and highlight acne-prone
areas. The ad didn't require any software to be
downloaded or for the user to visit any other site.
Ruffles

Ruffles witnessed declining sales in Brazil and

decided to target teenagers with interactive ads.
It created a mobile reality game called AmiGo.
The user saw what the game showed them while
their friends saw what the user's camera showed
them. Friends would see Ruffle chips surrounding
the user and they could send voice commands to
their friend on where they can grab the chips. The
more chips collected the more points the user
would receive. Ruffles ranked the highest-scoring
users on its social media accounts.
Nissan

Nissan created the "Evil Snowmen" ad for its

Rogue SUV. The ad was a video where its Rogue
SUV fought a gang of snowmen. The ad also
contained hotspots on the screen that users could
touch to learn more about the SUV's features.
Other hotspots also provided weather and snow
safety advice.

The Bottom Line

Mobile marketing is an affordable way to reach your
target audience via smartphones, tablets, or other
digital devices, where people spend the majority of
their time in today's world. Mobile marketing is low-
cost and can be targeted based on a variety of
inputs from the company.
What Are Mobile Marketing Tools?
Mobile marketing tools are digital marketing
strategies that companies use to reach their  target
audience  through a variety of channels that are
available on smartphones, tablets, and other digital
devices. These can include ads placed on social
media, such as Twitter and Instagram, or pop-up
ads on browsers.

What Are Some Free Mobile Marketing Tools?

Some free mobile marketing tools include
AppsFlyer, Insider, Branch, and CleverTap. These
types of software usually provide no fee service for
limited features while advanced features usually
require payment. Regardless, they are a good way
to get started without having to commit funds and
see what works for you.
What Are the Top Mobile Marketing Apps?
The top mobile marketing apps include Facebook
Pages, WhatsApp Business, YouTube Studio,
Instagram Business, and Twitter for Business.

How Much Does Mobile Marketing Cost?

The cost of mobile marketing varies depending on
the platform used and the length of time the ad is
run for. However, mobile marketing is extremely
affordable, usually costing a few dollars for an ad
to run for a few days.
What is video marketing?
Video marketing describes the use of video
content to promote or inform audiences about
your brand and products. Brands can use video
across a variety of digital channels and formats,
including their own website, social media
marketing, programmatic advertising, and more.

Why is video marketing important?

The importance of video in marketing is widely
acknowledged by marketers. Statista surveyed
over 8,000 marketing leaders in June 2021 and
found that pre-produced video was the leading
digital consumer engagement tactic worldwide.
Not only do 81% of respondents use pre-
produced videos in their digital marketing, but
another 13% said they are planning to use them.
The next most-used tactic was livestream video,
with 73% respondents currently using, and
another 19% planning to do so.

One of the main reasons that video marketing is

so important is that video is a popular medium
among audiences. Two-thirds of consumers say
they would rather watch a video to learn about a
product or service than read about it. In the first
half of 2021, video was the largest single source
of Internet traffic worldwide—53.7%—with
social a distant second at 12.7%. Marketers
need to share their messages where and how
consumers will see them.
Benefits of video marketing

1. Expand your potential audience

Video content can appear to consumers on any
number of channels, whether they’re streaming
movies, visiting a product page, or sharing social
media posts—so you have potential viewers
everywhere.

2. Capture viewers’ attention

Video content is a rich medium, offering motion,
colors, music, and other sound, and can stand out
against text and still images. Attracting attention
can provide strategic benefits, such as helping
customers discover your brand.
3. Create compelling content marketing
Video marketing doesn’t only mean ads—it can be a great way of
offering valuable content that brings audiences in another way.
BeaverCraft, a European manufacturer of wood-carving tools,
discovered the power of content marketing when they offered
content that taught viewers about wood carving, including
educational YouTube videos. The educational content ended up
driving more customer engagement and sales than the rest of their
marketing channels, prompting them to create more—and
ultimately increasing their sales. Creating video content that people
want to see can- generate more organic traffic to your site and
become a great tool in your SEO strategy.

4. Showcase your brand and products

Explainer videos can help you express your brand story and product
benefits in ways that text and images alone may not. Creating
videos that show your product in action can help shoppers see how
they might use it. Video can also help you offer a behind-the-scenes
look at your company to show instead of tell the story of what
drives you as a brand.
Creating a video marketing campaign
The specifics of creating your video marketing
campaign depend on the types of videos you make,
and the marketing channels you use (see the final
section for examples of video marketing and
advertising solutions available from Amazon Ads).
However, a few universal tips can help guide you
as you develop your campaign strategy.

Know your goals

Before you dive into video production, think about
the purpose of your video. Setting your campaign
goals up front will help determine your video
content—should it be promotional, educational,
persuasive, exciting? Make sure you understand
what your video needs to accomplish.
Define your audience and message
It is important to understand your audience in order
to send the right message and achieve your desired
campaign goals. Know what you want your video
marketing campaign to say. Look to your audience—
their interests, their needs—to guide how you say it.
For example, to promote brand awareness, create
eye-catching explainer videos that not only introduce
your brand but make it memorable to viewers.

Use high-quality visuals and audio

Your video production doesn’t necessarily require a
huge amount of resources. It’s more important that
the quality of your video file is good, with clean, clear
images and sound. Your viewers may be using
devices as large as a TV or as small as a mobile
phone, so make sure your visuals are easy to see.
Make sound optional
Music and narration can make a video more compelling
or effective, but don’t assume that your viewers will be
listening. They could, for example, be on a mobile
device in a public place and watching on mute. Use
closed captions and easy-to-read on-screen text so
viewers can follow along without sound.

Don’t overestimate viewers’ attention

You cannot control how long audiences view your video.
Err on the side of being brief. The first few seconds of
your video content should be attention-getting and
contain the most important information.
Make sure viewers know what to do after
they finish the video
A good video marketing campaign should provide
viewers with a clear call to action, such as giving
them a link to purchase a product or telling them
where they can find additional relevant video
content.
Video marketing statistics

Statista projects that the number of Internet users who

watch streaming or downloaded video at least once per
month will reach nearly 3.5 billion worldwide by 2023. Not
only is the number of digital video viewers continuously
increasing, but so is the amount of time spent watching
videos. In the US, adults spent nearly 2.5 hours (149.04
minutes) with digital video content per day in 2021; this
number is expected to grow to 162.52 minutes in 2023.

Advertising spend is rising alongside viewers and viewing

time. In 2022, US advertisers will spend $24.35 billion on
video in social media marketing (advertising that appears
on social networks), up 20.1% year over year. US
advertisers will also spend $62.96 billion on programmatic
digital video this year, up from $52.17 billion in 2021.
Measuring video marketing campaigns

Video marketing performance can be measured in a few

different ways, based on your campaign goals.

If you are focused on brand awareness, you might

evaluate your campaign results through metrics that
Show how much your videos are seen, such as impressions
unique reach, video completion rate, and social shares.
Or if your objective is consideration or conversion, you
may be more interested in measuring click-through rate or
how many video viewers go on to purchase your product.

For brands that sell on Amazon, branded searches and

new-to-brand metrics can help you link your ad to shopper
actions and show you the level of exposure your brand has
received with shoppers who were not previously engaged
with your brand.
Getting started with video marketing
If you’re interested in creating video marketing
campaigns, Amazon Ads offers several different video
solutions for you to choose from.

Streaming TV ads
Streaming TV ads are video ads that appear before,
during, or after streaming or over-the-top (OTT)
video content. They are also known as OTT
advertising.

Amazon’s Streaming TV ads appear alongside

Amazon streaming video content like Amazon Freeve,
Amazon Publisher Services broadcaster and network
apps, live sports, Twitch, and the News app on Fire
TV.
Sponsored Brands video
Sponsored Brands video  is a self-service advertising
solution that helps customers discover your products
and brand as they shop on Amazon. You can use
Sponsored Brands for short explainer videos that
help shoppers learn more about your product,
testimonials, how-to videos, and more.

Video on Amazon DSP

You can programmatically buy streaming TV ads and
online video ads to reach audiences both on and off
Amazon using  Amazon DSP.
Twitch ads
Twitch creators stream about all kinds of topics,
from video games and music to cooking and sports,
and top influencers can have followings in the
millions. Brands can launch video campaigns
through Twitch ads on the Twitch homepage, on
discovery pages, and channel pages.

Amazon Live
Brands that are interested in live stream video can
use Amazon Live to connect with audiences
through interactive, shop able live streams. Brands
can sponsor influencer live streams that are
produced by top influencers using the Amazon Live
Creator app.
Sponsored Display on Fire TV

Also related to video marketing are Fire TV ads,

which are display ads that promote apps, movies,
and TV shows through Sponsored Display on Fire
TV. While not video ads themselves, Fire TV
ads are another option for marketers to reach the
growing digital viewer audience.