5 trends that’ll change the mobile market this year

Mobile marketing trends

The mobile market is thriving. Mobile ad spend is up 430% since 2013 with more than 2 billion smartphone users worldwide and predictions have 71% of all digital spend on mobile by 2020. It’s clear that the future of digital marketing is mobile. Here are a few trends that will dominate the next 12 months in mobile marketing.

Mobile video will grow

No surprises here. Mobile video will comprise the majority of all mobile traffic and enjoy more than half of online ad spend. Factors such as increasing smartphone adoption, the proliferation of 4G and even 5G technologies, continuous innovation and the standardization of video templates will fuel this ever-growing behemoth. New formats such as vertical, 360 degree, and virtual reality (VR) videos will grow in popularity and dominate the environment. We’ll start to see industries such as travel, fashion, and entertainment take advantage of this. Want to travel somewhere? Perhaps you should take a virtual tour first? Want to find a new outfit? You’ll be better off trying it on virtually first. Viewing standards and proven results with shorter formats will make mobile video the most effective, efficient, and widely accepted medium for advertisers.

Targeted ads will become more effective

As marketers have realized the strength of mobile, there’s been a surge in targeting consumers via mobile. Whether it’s location based, device specific or proximity marketing - the more data marketers can collect, the greater the accuracy of the ads and promotional offers you’ll receive. This feels like a bit of a double-edged sword. To collect data, marketers are encroaching on privacy. Yet this might be a worthwhile compromise as it means that the adverts you’ll receive are more in tune with your needs and wants.

The proliferation of wearable technology in the mobile market

Wearables are already a mainstream technology in the mobile market. With everything from Fitbits that track workout sessions to smart watches that remind you of an impending meeting – the adoption of wearable tech has reached all-time highs and their popularity doesn’t look to be slowing.

And all this technology comes with a lot of data that businesses and brands are only too happy to have. Following the previous trend, the more data a brand has to analyze and process, the greater the chance that you’ll be getting relevant communication from said brand.

So what of the future? Well, Sony is working on a smart contact lens that can record and store video with the blink of an eye. It’s clear how something like this could be an absolute game changer for marketers and advertisers. Personalized ads straight to your eyes.

Mobile web sees the death of the app

2016 was a definitive year for the mobile app. App launches grew 24 percent, but app installs only grew by 6 percent. And half the apps installed were used just 10 times. Matt Asay, vice president of Adobe Marketing Cloud, says of this trend, “Consumers will stick with what they know and the app graveyard will continue to expand, having marketers look elsewhere to reach their markets.” And Asay says that will be the mobile web. So if you’re a marketer looking for an in, look towards investing in mobile web rather than another app.

Increased engagement with the mobile market via messaging

While mobile app fatigue grows, interest in mobile messaging apps such as Whatsapp, Snapchat, Facebook Messenger and Google’s RCS remains strong. Business Insider suggests that this is a direct result of how people communicate and coincides with falling data prices, cheaper devices, and improved features. But marketers should approach messaging apps with caution and reverence. These spaces are highly personal. People use these apps to connect with friends and families. For marketers to enter this space may be met with considerable hesitancy and even backlash. But customer service will afford brands and ‘in’. It’ll give customers a channel to ask questions and resolve issues. Once the brand has built a level of trust, then they can engage with them on a deeper level with new content.
What’s clear from these trends is that customer behavior will be at the forefront of any innovation. And technology is moving at a rapid pace, demanding that marketers learn more, faster. Mobile marketing is taking great strides towards a future it will ultimately shape. Not just in 2017 but for years to come. If you’re unsure of how these trends will affect your business, then read our latest article. It answers several pertinent questions to help you come to terms with the fast-paced mobile marketing world, particularly when it comes to communicating with your market.