Mobile Advertising

Mobile Advertising

The world is changing all around us. Within my living memory the internet itself was born. Soon after there was a scramble for businesses to create websites in order to have a presence online.

Well, the next move is upon us… Mobile technology.

Stats show us that we are moving more and more mobile. How many mobile devices exist in your household?

Diagram 1: Why Mobile Marketing

Sources: Morgan Stanley, Mobile Marketer 2012, IAB 2012, news.cnet.com, techcrunch.com, mobithinking.com

91% of all US citizens have their mobile within reach 24/7.

71% of smartphone users will see something on TV and do a search about it right then and there.

The mobile market is hot, hot, HOT!

In the same way as you see ads when searching online on your desktop, it’s possible to place ads on mobile devices. And just like it used to be when Google Adwords began, it’s very, very cheap. Clicks are sold for mobile ads at costs as low as .01¢, and rarely above 10 cents.

If you have learned any form of advertising, the structure follows a similar structure, just in a different medium. To advertise with mobile you need:

1. A mobile optimized lead capture page 2. An image 3. Advertising copy 4. An auto-responder service with lead follow ups

1. Mobile-optimized Lead Capture Page There are several ways to get a lead capture page (LCP) converted to mobile. This can be done by: • a third party converter eg a WordPress plugin, or via a lead capture page system with converters included (LeadPages is an example who have a converter for mobile) • altering the HTML code (for those with the knowledge!) • by hiring a coder to make the changes e.g. on Fiverr.com • getting a system that will do it for you at will (recommended!)

Tip: do be aware that a slow loading LCP will be detrimental to your opt ins, so ensure this step gets done correctly. Cutting corners here can be costly because if the load time is slow, the user will be less likely to wait around to see it.

2. Image There are main methods to advertise on mobile are: SMS Ads, Search Ads, Web Display Ads, and App Display Ads. The platform you are using to advertise will largely dictate how your ad shows.

The most common are:

a. SMS Ads aren’t so common but are of interest to the online marketer. Think of the chances of you looking at an SMS received on your phone vs an email. Text messaging is very cheap. The downfalls are the ability to collect mobile numbers, and of course, the CAN-SPAM laws must be upheld. I wouldn’t recommend you consider SMS advertising until you gain some experience with mobile marketing. Another way to approach this is by sending push noti?cations from an app. b. Search Ads are shown on the google platform, like we are used to seeing on the desktop computer. The major advertising platform to use for this is Google Adwords, but still very restrictive for internet marketing, home business, and money-making

opportunities so be creative when placing your ads! (there are ways around this, but that’s another article!) c. Web Display Ads are banner images that appear at the top or bottom of the mobile screen, and can be targeted (depending on which advertising platform you use) d. App Display Ads pop up at the top or bottom of the mobile screen while the user has the app open – you’ve probably seen them at some point.

It is recommended to start with Web Display Ads, and App Display Ads, which will be explained below.

3. Advertising Copy Depending on which platform you use, you can use traditional ad copy, like you would in a Facebook ad, only the number of characters you can use is much less. Writing the advertising copy on mobile means you have to be very ef?cient with your words, as the space is limited. Placing banners with an image and some copy on it gains the best results.

There are numerous mobile advertising networks which serve your ads. This is a non- exhaustive list:

The 3 platforms I recommend you start with are: • InMobi • AdMob • Adfonic

How To Post a Mobile Ad using InMobi

1. Set up an account

2. Add funds to the account

3. Create a campaign

4. Create Ad Group (so you can do split testing)

5. Target your audience Depending on the network, you can target location, keywords, handsets, browsers, demographics and scheduling. Keep it narrow. Test using separate ad groups so you can identify which targets are converting.

6. Set your bid price

7. Upload banner, and add creatives (ad copy). You can make a banner yourself using existing software on your computer, like Paintbrush, or DrawPlus (it only needs to be simple, and to ?t the dimensions given).

8. Click run, and watch the leads come in! (ads need to be approved before being served)

Here’s a short video taking you through the setup process on InMobi:

Mobile advertising will give you a huge amount of exposure, at very low costs. This enables you to re?ne your campaigns and get quick response.

I wish you all the best with your marketing efforts

Better and better!

Shelley