Increased Use of Mobile Marketing Continues Into 2011

Whether consumers like the trend or not, industry observers predict mobile marketing to continue to grow and become a more standard aspect of mobile phone use in the years 2011 and beyond. Citing both the increased use of popular handheld devices and the much more complex set of functions each phone features, the Mobile Marketing Association predicts $13-$14 billion will be spent on mobile advertising this year. Advertising expected to be incorporated into the messaging, apps, or search functions of regular phone use to provide full continuity between content-based and marketing based engagement of the consumer. www.trendsinmobilemarketing.com has information on this fast growing trend.

"Because consumers are so invested in handhelds and the different forms of content they provide, there is a strong ’captive audience’ element to the customer base that is attractive to different forms of advertising" according to one observer. The range of mobile marketing was originally limited to text messaging short ad messages, but with the graphics and video facility enabled on most modern mobiles or "smart phones" more companies are also developing graphical advertisements to attract the attention of handheld users. It is also felt that content-based text messaging has plowed the field with teenagers in making them comfortable with the technology, and so has prepared them for advertising messages by text.

Nor is the development limited to America or Western countries. A recent survey by Buzz City, based on a review of mobile users on five continents, revealed that 90% had directly bought a product or service using a mobile device. Accordingly, businesses are increasingly attracted to mobile users because of the potential high conversion rates, and the range of products that can be sold through the new medium. An additional reason fueling interest in this sector comes from the customers being likely already "primed" for marketing messages to a large extent by the buy-buy-buy atmosphere created by the market for mobile phones, apps and accessories itself.

Depending on which marketing source is cited, from ClickZ (50%) to the Mobile Marketing Association (85%), anywhere from half to most users of mobile devices will be using smart phones by the end of 2011. The trend will provide the most versatile platform for mobile marketing for advertisers to exploit. Advertising is expected to indirectly increase on handhelds through apps downloaded by users, with more of it made available for free but with ad-supported content. While it’s anyone’s guess how much marketing the public will accept before (or if) a backlash sets in, business believes it’s worth the risk at this time to push the advertising envelope.

For more information on the mobile marketing trend go to www.trendsinmobilemarketing.com

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