Today, marketers, agencies, and businesses are trying to get a step ahead of their competitors by tracking the ways in which mobile marketing is constantly changing. If you want to keep up with the revolution that’s already happening, you have to understand the trends of the world of mobile marketing. It has become one of the top-rated digital techniques in the past few years, and continues to be the focus of every marketer due to a constant increase in the use of handheld devices.
Last year, the number of people who access the Internet via mobile devices has surpassed those who use desktops. All the facts and numbers go in favor of mobile devices, so we’ve decided to get you acquainted with mobile marketing trends that are currently shaping the industries as well as marketing techniques and methodologies.
1. Social media and big data
A trend to expect in the current year is the complete integration of big data analytics and mobile “social media experience”. Mobile internet doesn’t sleep, and in 2016 there were 55,555 Instagram posts, 3.3 million Facebook posts, and 422,340 Twitter tweets every minute. On the other hand, most companies weren’t collecting their user content data from social media, which appears to be an interesting contradiction. According to eMarketer, social network ad spending will reach $36 billion this year, which represents about 16% of all digital ad spending on a global level. This year, brands are looking to maximize their user retention through big data and to become more consumer-centric. As mobile devices will continue to take on a bigger role in our interpersonal, social, and digital activities, they will be key when it comes to development of these marketing strategies.
2. Augmented reality
The augmented reality technology is known, mostly thanks to the massive success of Pokemon Go, and it’s expected that virtual and augmented reality will greatly impact mobile marketing and mobile devices. The use of augmented reality through mobile devices and apps will provide mobile marketers with analytics that used to be inaccessible before. According to Forbes, this technology is gaining in popularity fast, and it’s expected to be a $6 billion-worth industry by 2021. Some of the expected beneficiaries of the augmented reality market are location-based apps, streamed media, social media networks, and mobile advertisers.
This year we can see a rise in the number of digital marketing campaigns aimed at making virtual reality accessible to smartphone owners. This technology is entering into retailers’ consciousness, with marketers taking things further by developing mobile and responsive omni-channel integrations.
3. User-generated content
UGC (user-generated content) consists of any piece of content or a story created by a user about a brand which they share on their networks. It can include social media content, blogs, reviews, product reviews, and many other media formats. UGC creates valuable opportunities for brands to connect with their customers authentically, and instead of creating aggressive product advertisement, they simply create stories to engage with their target audience. On the other hand, consumers think of it as more trustworthy than branded content because people today look to their peers for recognition and validation, and share more than ever.
Invasive advertising doesn’t work as it used to. Rather, user-generated content is becoming the cornerstone of every successful content marketing strategy in 2017. UGC creates an opportunity for your target audience to participate in your campaigns and get recognition by the public for their creations, while you receive authentic content and a chance to engage people.
4. Mobile shopping on the go
Brands are trying to find the new ways to blend traditional e-commerce and mobile in-store experience. ScreenMedia Daily published results of their study, which showed that 71% of shoppers want to access digital content while in the retailer’s store.
Shoppers want to check for in-store products’ availability, compare prices on the spot, as well as product comparisons, reviews, and download mobile coupons. They look for real-time information from retailers who, on the other hand, build their brand and consumer loyalty in this way. Large retailers recognized these consumer needs and invested in mobile app development to create shopping apps that will enhance their customers’ in-store shopping experience.
The mobile revolution is already in progress, and to be successful at implementing these trends, business owners and marketers should be passionate and excited about it. Think of all the ways you could take advantage and capitalize on these trends before your competitors, and it will put you in a position to make a better use of what the future brings in the realm of mobile marketing.
Emma Miller is a Sydney based writer with a degree in marketing. Interested in digital marketing, social media, start-ups and latest trends. She’s a contributor at BizzMark Blog.