Mobile advertising is considered one of the top digital advertising trends of 2024, and for good reason. More than 50% of the world’s population is using mobile internet services, and more than half of all website traffic can be traced back to mobile devices. While much of this mobile traffic comes from smartphones, mobile advertising can also reach tablets and wearables like smartwatches.

If you aren’t tapping into the world of mobile advertising, you could potentially be losing the opportunity to connect with more than half of your target audience. This guide dives into the benefits of mobile advertising, the types of mobile advertising, and how to create effective mobile ads.

What Is Mobile Advertising?

Mobile advertising is a type of digital marketing that involves displaying paid promotional content on mobile devices. The goal of mobile ads is to get a mobile user to take a desired action (also called a conversion), such as clicking on the ad or making a purchase.

Mobile advertising is a subset of mobile marketing, which utilizes various marketing tactics to drive more conversions. In addition to paid ads, mobile marketing also includes strategies such as social media marketing and mobile SEO.

Benefits of Mobile Advertising

Aside from connecting with a larger audience, mobile advertising comes with a host of benefits for marketers. These include:

• An additional user touchpoint: Mobile advertising can be used as part of a broader omnichannel marketing strategy to help nurture users to a conversion
• More precise audience targeting: Target users based on their geographic location by creating ads relevant to their region (also called geotargeting)
• Reach your audience anywhere, any time: Mobile ads let you connect with users on the go, giving you more opportunities to reach them while they’re pulling out their phones to chat with friends, play games, and shop online.

4 Types of Mobile Advertising

There are 4 main types of mobile advertising based on the channel and targeting criteria you’re using.

Mobile Web Ads

Mobile display ads are the ads that appear in browser windows on your mobile device. A few common types of mobile ads include:

• Banner ads: These ads display as a rectangular banner across the top or bottom of a webpage without interrupting the user experience.
• Video ads: Video ads may be displayed anywhere on a webpage while the user interacts with on-screen content, such as when they open a new page or scroll through an online article.
• Native ads: These ads are designed to appear as a part of the page’s content. For example, you might see a sponsored article in the middle of a list of news articles that are formatted in the same way.
• Google ads: Google mobile ads are sponsored listings that include only a headline, short description, and link. They can be viewed within the search engine results page (SERP) during Google searches.

In-App Ads

In-app ads are advertisements that display within a mobile app while it’s being used, including social media apps.

For example, if you are playing a mobile game, you might see an ad displayed for a different game after you finish a level. These ads are often interstitial ads, which means they take over the whole screen and need to be closed manually. Users may be required to wait a few seconds before they can close it.

In-app ads can be video ads, static ads, or gamified ads, in which users can try playing the game being advertised within the ad itself.

Location-Based Advertising

Location-based advertising refers to mobile ads that appear when you are in a certain location. This concept is related to geotargeting.

For example, you might receive an ad containing a coupon for a grocery store you drive by to entice you to stop in. These ads commonly show up in the form of a push notification on a user’s device. They can be triggered by the user’s GPS location, Wi-Fi network, cell signal, or IP address.

Mobile Video Ads

Mobile video ads refer to any video-based advertisements that appear on your mobile device. These can appear while you’re surfing the web or using a video app. You may be able to bypass them, or you may be required to watch them to be able to finish watching your original content.

How to Create Effective Mobile Ads

Mobile advertising requires a strategy to see results. Here are a few best practices for creating successful mobile ads:

• Choose the right channels: Audience research should inform the mobile channels you use to advertise. Find out where your audience spends most of their time and meet them there.
• Optimize for smaller display areas: Mobile ads need to be formatted differently than desktop ads. Keep in mind that the screen size is smaller, so your text may need to be larger to help your branded content stand out.
• Come up with compelling content: Your headlines, creative, and colors need to be designed to grab attention. Keep headlines short, and use graphics or imagery to help convey your message.
• Include a call-to-action: You won’t convert any users if your audience isn’t sure what the next step should be after seeing your ad. Be sure to include a clear and concise CTA to guide them to your desired action.
• Continuously test your ads: Use A/B testing with your ads to see which headlines, images, ad formats, and CTAs work best for converting users. Create identical ads to run alongside the original that have a slightly different headline or image and compare their performance.

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Alan and Co. Marketing is a digital marketing agency in the U.S. that specializes in marketing SMBs and drug rehab SEO. We stay on top of the latest digital marketing trends, so you don’t have to.

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