Five Best Tips for Building a Mobile Advertising Strategy in 2022

U.S. adults spend an average of 3 hours and 43 minutes on mobile devices daily, in which part of that time is spent shopping online or using different apps to help them plan future in-store purchases. In fact, a new study from ACI Worldwide and PYMNTS.com shows that online shoppers are more likely to use mobile devices (55%) than laptops and desktops (38%) to place their orders. 

With the rise of mobile usage, it’s no wonder that advertisers are pouring more than $240 billion into mobile ad spend to reach and engage consumers on their favorite devices. To take full advantage of the power of mobile, advertisers can ensure their mobile advertising strategy is successful with the following top five tips.  

Target Shoppers Based on Consumer Data Trends

The first step to building a successful mobile advertising strategy is understanding the audience that’s being targeted as well as how and when they use their mobile devices. To do this, advertisers must collect information about how consumers shop, and use that data to inform both current and future campaigns.

For instance, advertisers can look at category preferences and product adjacencies to find out what items are most likely and least likely to be on a shopping list alongside a specific product. Within the grocery space, for example, advertisers can discover if dairy alternatives are the next big thing or if snacks like granola bars are going to slow down due to outside influential factors such as lockdowns and social restrictions due to the pandemic. It’s by collecting these data points that brands can produce better campaign performance and get ahead of the trends. 

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Build a Separate Creative Strategy for Mobile Devices

Mobile devices drove 61% of visits to U.S. websites in 2020, up from 57% in 2019. With so many consumers browsing the web on mobile devices, it’s important that advertisers create an experience specifically for all types of device users.

To appeal to mobile users, advertisers should ensure that the message is communicated quickly on a small screen. 

Since mobile users typically view things at a quick glance, it’s important to build a separate creative strategy that speaks to a mobile users’ specific experience and intent, including the design and copy. 

These ads must resonate and engage with users quickly to enhance the path to conversion with optimized creative that drives engagement.   

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Below is an example of similar but different ad designs on Kroger’s desktop vs mobile site. 

Consider the User Experience

Even in the advertising world, the user experience is a part of a brand’s identity and can make a positive or negative impact on a consumer’s perception of its products. Advertisers must ensure that what’s being promoted is intentional and true to the brand, with a consistent look and feel. 

Additionally, brands must make sure that anyone who clicks on the ad is taken on a seamless journey, from getting on the right product page to adding to the cart. One way to do this is by allowing consumers to add all products in an ad directly to their digital grocery list with one click. Busy consumers looking to quickly select items for their next shopping trip can use this feature to shorten this task and will appreciate and give preference to brands who incorporate solutions that save them time and create an advanced and personalized ad experience. 

Reach Consumers on Mobile In-App

Advertisers are missing out on a serious opportunity if they only create a browser-based advertising strategy for mobile. Instead, they should also be pursuing in-app advertising opportunities to reach an engaged and curated audience.

While mobile web advertising can be an effective, wide-reaching strategy, apps account for 90% of internet time on smartphones. With consumers spending so much time on downloaded apps, in-app advertising is a great way to target specific audiences and deliver personalized ads to the end-user. It also helps to capture in-market audiences in a highly contextual way. This can include grocery shopping list apps like Cooklist, Our Groceries and many more. All in all, in-app advertising makes it easier and more precise for brands to reach the right consumers and generate leads that can lead to increased conversions. 

Broaden Metrics that Reflect the Intent of the Consumer

When it comes to measuring the effectiveness of each campaign, advertisers should focus on more than just clicks and impressions. Additional metrics can paint a more detailed picture of which ads are reaching and engaging consumers, including the number of products added-to-list, purchase intent, in-store foot traffic, and more. 

For example, a well-known beer brand tested a campaign and measured the effectiveness by looking at how many consumers added products to their list (Add-It) and how much it intercepted searching shoppers while building their grocery list (Keyword Intercept). By being smart about what is being measured, advertisers can ensure that they are appropriately tracking results based on actions that actually reflect the intent of the consumer. 

Position Your Mobile Advertising Strategy for Success

We live in a mobile world, which is why it’s critical for advertisers to reach consumers on their favorite devices. These few simple tips can drastically increase ROI by reaching the right audience effectively. With a strong mobile advertising strategy, brands can rest assured that they’re driving revenue and investing their dollars where it matters most.

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