Consider the following statistics that demonstrate just how pervasive the mobile world is. First, according to KPCB mobile technology trend findings, mobile digital media time is quite a bit higher than desktop usage, at 51% versus 42%. This statistic alone is enough to show that if marketers aren’t able to adequately reach their audience through mobile devices, they’re missing out on essentially everything in today’s marketplace. Also notable is that 80% of consumers use their smartphone to access the Internet, and 47% use a tablet, according to data from Global Web Index.
Digital marketers may understand the importance of mobile in their work, but exactly what are the trends that are and should be impacting the industry?
Consumer-Driven Everything
Thanks to the astounding rise of mobile devices and their importance in the world of marketing, everything professional marketers do is driven by the customer. In the past, advertising and marketing tactics were often more driven by the company than the consumer, but that’s no longer the case, and this is one of the primary implications of big data collection and usage. Marketers are drilling down to the most minute specifics and preferences of customers, and tailoring their experience to their exact needs and wants.
Tailored Searches
This trend relates a bit to the one above, but it also stands alone in many ways. With the use of big data, marketers are able to hone in on not just what users want in terms of products, but also what they want to see in their searches. There’s a focus on the exact movements people use during the search process, and what type of interface and experience works best for them. This makes the entire mobile experience deeply optimized and personalized—not just the experience of actually buying something. Searches are increasingly becoming specified based on factors like preferred price range. It’s this kind of high-level detail that’s making it more important than ever for companies to have employees with a digital marketing certification, so they can make these decisions that go far beyond the basic mobile marketing of just a few years ago.
Socialized e-Commerce
There is becoming less distinction between mobile web usage, social media, and mobile apps, and that’s really on the rise this year. One way this is being seen is through the integration of social media and e-commerce. For example, digital marketers are increasingly working on campaigns that tie in platforms like Pinterest with the ability to buy the products seen there, in an on-demand way. It’s uniting concepts of browsing and buying in a streamlined way, and it’s driving marketing trends as a result.
Snapchat
The Snapchat trend is becoming so important to everything in the world of mobile that it’s impossible not to mention it as a standalone trend. Celebrities have been moving from Instagram to Snapchat as the visual social media platform of choice, and consumers are quickly following. Mobile experts and marketers are looking at ways to harness the power Snapchat, including the addition of location-based ads. There are also opportunities to create campaigns that feature flash sales and special events, advertised through Snapchat.
