Since the introduction of the smartphone, we have constantly heard that this year is the year of the smartphone; it seems like it’s going to be the year of the smartphone for quite a while. As smartphone use grows, the use of mobile devices as vehicles for content, communication, and e-commerce continues to grow.
Simply put, mobile devices are an indispensable part of our daily lives.
• Smartphones represent 77 percent of all mobile phones.*
• On average, people use mobile devices 2.8 hours per day (51 percent of total), which surpasses the 2.4 hours per day spent on desktops or laptops (42 percent of total).**
• 90 percent of time on mobile devices is spent in apps such as Facebook, messaging, YouTube, entertainment, gaming, utilities, and news sites. Only 10 percent of usage is within browsers (Safari and Google Chrome lead the way).
• On average, users check their phones 47 times per day. Among the 18- to 24-year-old demographic, that number rises to 82 times per day.*
• 43 percent of users check their phones within five minutes of waking in the morning.*
• 35 percent of users check their phones 5 minutes before preparing to sleep.*
• 42 percent of smartphone users watch short-form video content on their phones weekly. ***
What does that mean for advertisers? What trends should we keep in mind?
• Begin with mobile. Smartphones are the primary tool of online users, so it’s critical to create cross-platform content that starts with mobile, rather than just trying to adapt desktop content.
• Think video. How can you incorporate video into your mobile advertising?
• Know where your customers are—not just where they live but where they are at any point in the day. You have the power to virtually follow your customers around, get to know their habits, and target them accordingly.
• Also think about what those customers like to do. Don’t just focus on the websites they visit—consider trying to reach them within their favorite apps or mobile games.
• Consider beacon technology. Proximity-based mobile advertising is growing and is a simple, low-cost technology that will become a bigger and bigger part of how we shop.
Mobile devices are powerful communication tools and can be used effectively with a sound strategy and clear understanding of your consumer. We can help and welcome questions or inquiries!
Sources:
*Deloitte, 2016 Global Mobile Consumer, US Edition
**KPCB Mobile Trends, 2016
***Ofcom, 2016 Annual Report