For over a decade, mobile phones have been at the core of us humans’ communication. Business or pleasure, nearly everyone has a mobile phone that they put to use daily – for some of us, perhaps even to excess. In fact, some people even own more than one cell phone – statistically speaking, mobile phones outweigh television sets three to one worldwide. It is without question that the mobile market is much more influential on the potential buyer than the television these days. For the advertiser, this can be an advantage. With the United Nations estimating that the number of cell phone users has grown to five billion people (out of approximately six billion people on the planet in total), there is no greater vehicle to advertise in at this present time.
For any business, large or small, mobile advertising is advantageous in the sense that the ads will be seen by billions of people. No matter the service provider, all networks are capable of providing a convenient and effective way to reach target audiences. There are several methods of this form of advertising employed, but there is one method that seems to be the most prevalent.
Most often, mobile advertising is carried out through mobile web banners ads. This is especially effective with phones that allow the user to download “apps”, such as smartphones like the iPhone or Android – which also happen to be the most popular phones on the market. For instance, if a user wants to download a free Twitter app, they are subjected to advertisements until they choose to upgrade to a pay version of the app.
Additionally, the advertiser can aim for certain target audiences based on which app they choose to advertise in. If an advertiser wishes to market to music lovers, they would place banner ads in music-related apps. With such widespread popularity of smartphones and the apps that accompany them, mobile advertising is primed to ride the skyrocketing popularity of these beloved gadgets by helping advertisers reach very specific, categorized demographics.
In a world of viral videos, social networking and smartphones, there is no greater way to reach a target audience than mobile advertising. A mobile’s user is able to access their preferred content on demand, and businesses are able to market to them categorically. Reaching five billion mobile users over the globe, the benefits of advertising via cellular device are clear and evident.