Mobile Advertising: Types, Advantages and Disadvantages

“Dear sir, if you are in need of home loans at low interest and easy repayment options, whatsapp at 91008 54748.”

 

One of the million messages we as consumers get in our message inbox reads in a similar vein to the one above. Usually our response is either delete or ignore. So if consumers react in such a way to advertising messages, why do companies pursue them? The answer lies in a practice known as Mobile Advertising. 

 

According to Investopedia, The term mobile advertising refers to any form of advertising that appears on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers. The world of advertising, like technology, has progressed. 

 

With the advent of technology into the field of advertising, the field of mobile advertising was born and is without a doubt one of the most efficient ways to contact potential consumers.

 

Ads and ad campaigns created specifically for mobile devices are referred to as mobile advertising. Smartphones, tablets, and wearable gadgets are all considered "mobile devices" in this definition. Mobile advertisements can appear within applications, on mobile-friendly websites, and on social networking platforms.

 

From text based messages to online advertisements tailored to a mobile platform, mobile advertisements are one of the most surefire ways for businesses to attract consumer attention. With the evolution of the concept, businesses have migrated from just text messages to targeted mobile notification ads.

 

(Recommended blog - Display Advertising)

 

Types of mobile advertisements

 

Just like all forms of advertisements, mobile advertisements do have tier types. The classification of mobile ads basically stems from the fact that it is viewed on a cell phone. 

 

The limited space combined with the low viewing time requires a special brand of advertising. Companies have to make their ads both time and space efficient while still covering the essential points of their business. 

 

1. Text advertisements: The oldest of the lot, text advertisements usually consist of a computer generated message mass forwarded to a list of numbers.

 

Remember all those times you signed up for a random newsletter on the internet and had to give your contact details? Those numbers are then put up for sale with companies using those numbers to contact you completely unsolicited as a marketing ploy.

Text advertisements have a rather dubious reputation due to their association with spam or phishing messages. Many times a message advertising services turns out to be either an elaborate ploy for personal information or a clickbait message leading you to sites that give your device a virus. 

 

The fact that many of these messages either require a whatsapp reply or logging onto a website reduces their verifiability to the common man.

Ultimately, this has resulted in the near extinction of text advertisements with most legitimate businesses relying on word of mouth or advertising banners rather than a message that will probably get buried among the millions of spam texts a consumer receives in his inbox.
 

2. Mobile website ads: A special branch of online marketing, mobile website advertising refers to advertisements present on mobile web browsers specifically tailored to the handheld device screen. 

 

The reason for this classification is that a mobile website does not have the same luxury of screen space that a computer does. Websites viewed on a smartphone are often shrunk down to maintain some form of visibility with enlarged texts and smaller everything else.

A mobile website ad should not only be tailored to suit the site it is on but also should be sufficiently visible without ruining the user’s experience. When companies use mobile websites, they customize their ad banners according to the above parameters.
 

3. In app advertisements: The most common and successful advertisements on phones are the in app advertisements. These adverts often come as part of an app you download and since mobile phones practically run on apps, the ads have the widest possible reach.

The best case of in-app advertisements would be social media apps and games. In the case of social media, it is impossible to scroll more than 5 posts without finding an ad and since most forms of social media are phone based, these become an extension of mobile advertising. 

 

(Check out our blog on Guerilla Advertising)

 

Advantages and disadvantages of Mobile Advertising

 

The advantages of mobile advertising are multifaceted in nature and encompass a wide variety of factors out of which the following are most important.

 

1. It communicates with individuals in real-time

 

Owners of mobile devices carry them practically wherever they go. Even while they are at home, many people will be using their mobile devices. If someone falls into a target demographic, a business may contact them via several mobile devices. 

 

2. It is more effective with less material

 

A short headline and 1-2 lines of follow-up text can be effective in mobile advertising. More than a comprehensive value proposition, advertising is built on pictures and initial impressions. 

 

You've created something that entices the mobile consumer to look more. The expenses of developing this material are far lower than those of video marketing, generic content marketing, or social media marketing for many businesses.

 

3. It generates material that is easily shared

 

Mobile advertising aims for more than just a click or a user's memory of a website or phone number. It also produces material that is simple to post across many social media networks. 

 

This sort of advertising allows brand ambassadors to spread the word to other networks that may or may not be interested in products or services.The commercial may even go viral if it has the appropriate message and a little luck.

 

4. It generates data that may be tracked in real time

 

The content available in mobile advertising is intended to encourage engagement. When a campaign is launched, consumers' replies may be tracked in real time. a business can monitor what's working and what's not with their advertisements, and make rapid changes if users in their target demographics aren't reacting as expected.

 

5. It allows you to make instant transactions using mobile payments

 

The current version of an impulse buy is created through mobile advertising. What do you notice when you're in line at the supermarket? Candy bars, gum, drinks, water, and books are all available. 

 

These are all goods intended to entice you to make a purchase while you wait for someone to scan your purchases. The same is true for mobile advertising. Consumers use their devices to entertain themselves. 

 

Boredom piques your curiosity in trying something new. That is why this choice has such a high rate of involvement. An advertisement can meet a customer's requirement.

 

(Suggested Read - Factors influencing Consumer Behavior)

 

The disadvantages, on the other hand, present a more balanced argument to the concept of Mobile Advertising.

 

1. It makes ads that people despise

 

Mobile advertising is a sort of interruption marketing. It enables firms to develop a memorable message, which may be advantageous. It becomes a disadvantage when the user's mobile experience is disrupted in any manner, causing irritation.

 

2. It needs to be flawless the first time

 

Users and companies may have great encounters if they reply in real time. That implies that if a communication is flawed in some manner, the unfavourable first impression generated will be remembered. 

 

The material must be error-free. To achieve the greatest results, an ad should be vertical. The order of the pages is very important. Instead of being at the top of the page, the most viewed place for mobile advertising is just above the fold.

 

3. There isn't a conventional display choice to choose from

 

Although advertising providers will try their best to show mobile ads in the format provided by your firm, there is no assurance that consumers will view them in the manner intended. Phones come in a variety of sizes and forms. 

 

There are several generations of equipment in use. Take, for example, the iPhone. Despite the introduction of multiple new series, the iPhone 4 series still generates more than 3% of worldwide online traffic, according to Apple Insider. Users may notice differences in how your ad appears in various browsers or apps.

 

(Recommended blog - Native Advertising)

 

In conclusion, mobile advertising is an essential tool in any marketing department’s advertising campaign. Despite its negatives, the fact that companies still pursue it nearly a decade and a half after the smartphone’s inception indicates its longevity and importance. 

 

Advertisers must ensure that their advertisements do not cross the line into unwanted and irritating as many mobile ads tend to be highly invasive and often override the normal use of your phone. 

 

This tends to be counter productive as businesses develop a negative image causing consumers to actively avoid them. This delicate balance will differentiate the market literate and the rest.