Mobile 101
Image by Kareena Detwiler
Mobile
09.09.2010
In:
Technology
Pundits are tripping over themselves telling us agency folk to go mobile. Sure, it sounds reasonable to an iPhone, BlackBerry or Droid user. Mobile capabilities are all that. Media analysts even refer to mobile as the seventh mass media. To help uncover ways clients can have presence with this growing media, let’s look at why it’s so special.
Mobile has grown at an unprecedented rate.
In 2009, comScore found about 1 billion computers (about 90 percent of all computers) are connected to the Internet. Around that same time, Yankee Group determined that 29 percent of all mobile users access the mobile Internet. That percentage doesn’t sound impressive until you realize that 29 percent of the total 4 billion mobile users means 1.16 billion people are accessing the Internet through mobile devices. To bring that into focus, the fixed Internet reached 1 billion active users in 40 years. The mobile Internet passed 1 billion active users in just nine years.
The recession pushed advertisers’ hands. While overall spending was down over the past year, Internet advertising was basically stable and mobile advertising grew enormously. Analysts predict 50 to 200 percent growth over the next 12 months. Why? On average, mobile campaigns return 4 to 6 percent click-through rates — about 10 times better than Internet advertising.
So that brings up the question, why such good click-through rates?
Mobile has seven unique abilities.
- It’s truly personal. Each subscriber has a unique number, unlike a shared IP address.
- It’s always carried. More than half of mobile users carry their phones to bed and to the bathroom. Only 10 percent of hardcore laptop nerds do this regularly. And that’s just weird.
- Mobile is permanently connected. No other media is 24/7 for most users. Your Wi-Fi connection is not everywhere. Which means for 95 percent of laptop owners, it’s not permanently connected. Yes, I know your calls drop at the same spot downtown. I said “most” users.
- Only mobile has a native payment channel. You get one bill. This could make purchases easy.
- Mobile is most available at a point of impulse. We have a camera, dictation, Short Message Service (SMS) and many other resources immediately available to record, review and research.
- Mobile measures audiences accurately. Advertisers have debated the effectiveness of measures for decades. Mobile has the ability to accurately represent the actual user.
- Only mobile captures the social context of our consumption. It not only tells what, when and where we consume, but with whom and how much.
What can you do now?
SMS: Also known as texting. The giant of all media. There’s more revenue in this than any other media.
Object hyperlinking: 84 percent of all Japanese mobile phone owners use QR codes. It’s predicted to be a hit everywhere. There are several other 2D barcode systems that can be used for mobile tagging, too. In short, it’s a visual link to more data.
RFID: A radio frequency identification device (also known as an “Arphid”) is a small transponder read at short range by a transceiver. Applications can be used to swap information between phones, check into airports or hotels and for many other actions.
Two RFID-enabled devices may also be used to enable peer-to-peer transfer of data,
such as music and images or for synchronizing address books.
Image recognition technology (like SnapTell): Snap a photo of a product and within seconds, get ratings, reviews, purchasing options and links to other info. Imagine how this can transform your ads.
Ad serving: In addition to viewing an ad, mobile allows users to get something extra. A ringtone, a report, a song, a vote. Also available is “click to act.” Whatever the call to action is, mobile allows us easy access to call, download, opt-in, respond or post.
Geotargeting: Geolocation apps target users based on their specific locations. Think Foursquare or Gowalla.
Apps: Downloaded software that entertains users or makes their llives better. Apps are easily branded and create engagement with brands.
With mobile being integrated into more media buys, it’s an exciting time. What I love most is that the consumer is in charge. I believe that with this freedom will come deeper levels of engagement and flexibility of making purchases. All this can add up to great news for the new marketer.
