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Businesses are looking beyond apps to engage mobile customers

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Businesses are placing more of an emphasis on multiple mobile channels — not just mobile apps — as they look to create a meaningful and impactful mobile experience for consumers, according to a new Open Mobile Media survey.

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The study questioned more than 700 senior mobile executives on which mobile technologies they believe will have an impact on their business and its growth.

This shift in focus is likely a response to consumers spending a majority of their time within a small handful of apps, primarily social media and messaging apps. As a result of this trend, mobile business decision makers are seeking new ways to engage with users, including offering more mobile-forward technology like in-app payments, as well as reaching out to consumers through social media channels. 

Here are the key takeaways from the survey:

  • Mobile payments and banking show the greatest prospect for mobile growth as more companies turn to in-app purchasing to generate revenue. Of those surveyed, 85% said they believed that mobile payments offered the greatest growth possibility, 74% said that mobile and connected TVs did, 72% said the smart home, and 70% said mHealth.
  • Both re-engaging lapsed users and attracting new ones are important to executives looking to further mobile growth across industries. About 65% of respondents said they believe that equal emphasis should be placed on maintaining current users and employing tactics necessary to draw in new customers.
  • Location, past interactions, and purchase history data are key to providing a contextual, personalized mobile experience. For 72% of respondents, location was the most important tool necessary for a successful, personalized experience; this was followed by past interactions with an app with 60%, and a user’s purchase history with 59%. Location services — which, for example, enable businesses to alert customers about nearby deals — enhance mobile experiences and keep users coming back. 

Mobile apps continue to be one of the biggest drivers for development of mobile growth. Nevertheless, social networks and the mobile web are increasingly important as well. As the mobile app market becomes increasingly saturated, there is a concerted push toward leveraging other mobile offerings, like social networks and the mobile web, in order to have a successful mobile product and user experience.

Jessica Smith, research analyst at BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, has compiled a detailed report on mobile marketing that takes a close look at the different tactics being used today, spanning legacy mobile technologies like SMS to emerging capabilities like beacon-aided location-based marketing. The report also identifies some of the most useful mobile marketing technologies that mobile marketers are putting to good use as parts of larger strategies.

Here are some key takeaways from the report:

  • As consumers spend more time on their mobile devices, marketing campaigns are following suit. Mobile ad spend continues to lag mobile time spent, providing an opportunity for creative marketers.
  • Marketers should leverage different mobile tactics depending on the size and demographics of the audience they want to reach and the type of message they want to send. With all tactics, marketers need to respect the personal nature of the mobile device and pay attention to the potential for communication overload.
  • Mobile messaging — particularly SMS and email — has the broadest reach and highest adoption among mobile users. Messaging apps, relative newcomers but gaining fast in popularity, offer more innovative and engaging outreach options.
  • Emerging technology, such as dynamic creative optimization, is breathing new life into mobile browser-based ad campaigns, but marketers should keep an eye on consumer adoption of mobile ad blockers.
  • In-app advertising can generate high engagement rates, especially with video. Location-based apps and beacons offer additional data that can enhance targeting capabilities.

In full, the report:

  • Identifies the major mobile technologies being used to reach consumers.
  • Sizes up the potential reach and potential of each of these mobile technologies.
  • Presents an example of a company or brand that has successfully leveraged that mobile technology to reach consumers.
  • Assesses the efficacy of each approach.
  • Examines the potential pitfalls and other shortcomings of each mobile technology.

To get your copy of this invaluable guide to the world of mobile marketing, choose one of these options:

  1. Subscribe to an ALL-ACCESS Membership with BI Intelligence and gain immediate access to this report AND over 100 other expertly researched deep-dive reports, subscriptions to all of our daily newsletters, and much more. >> START A MEMBERSHIP
  2. Purchase the report and download it immediately from our research store. >> BUY THE REPORT

The choice is yours. But however you decide to acquire this report, you’ve given yourself a powerful advantage in your understanding of how mobile marketing is rapidly evolving.

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