Mobile Marketing: An Underutilized Ad Platform

Having come from the U.S., I didn’t have much faith in the success of advertising through mobile. I considered anything related to mobile outside of simple WAP sites and funky applications to be a waste of resources. So I’m here to tell you I was wrong. At least, if we’re specifically talking about China mobile marketing.

Some interesting research just published by AdChina.com states that 1 percent of all the AdChina platform visitation was mobile, up from 2010’s 0.04 percent. And of that traffic, 44.5 percent was direct from iPad usage.

Those are some amazing numbers. Considering the growth of smartphones is projected to outnumber those browsing the web on a computer, one can’t help but fantasize about the possibilities that mobile will offer to advertising and brand building in China.

For starters, the research is showing marketers that Chinese are more in-tune to receiving (and clicking on) advertising through the mobile space. This isn’t just related to mobile apps, either. We’re talking straightforward banner and brand adverts that promote useful functions such as coupons, e-commerce, and location-based services. AdChina.com states that 53 percent of Chinese mobile users downloaded a coupon to purchase an in-store product, far greater than their Western counterparts in the U.S. who clocked in at 22 percent. Click ratios also appear much higher on the Chinese mobile ad space. Those with mobile-ready websites already in existence (in Chinese) could do great things if they offered campaign landing pages with easy CTA (think coupons!) via a mobile ad.

Also interesting is the growing interest in location-based services (LBS). While currently showcased in this study as a convenience for most customers, it appears that location-based social networking and actual product purchasing (or at least, an activity that leads to a transaction) are increasingly popular ways of LBS utilization.

Interesting finds; what does this mean for those brands that are looking to drive real-time conversion through mobile marketing in China? Here are a few thoughts:

1. Mobile sites (or mobile optimized sites) are a must, even if customers are not spending ad dollars in the space. Also to take into consideration are tablet services; a whopping 44.5 percent of the traffic AdChina.com reported on via mobile devices came directly from iPad.

2. Campaign landing pages should always be dubbed into the mobile (and tablet) space. Work with mobile ad networks to specifically target users on those mediums and drive them to the optimized pages you have built.

3. Promote your mobile presence! Make sure customers are aware they can easily access your key site content and functions on a mobile and tablet device.

4. Take note of No. 3’s “key site content and functions.” Mobile does not (and should not) be a copied version of your website. Before diving into mobile, understand what your customers are seeking. What are the key touch points and functions of your website? From there, you can scale down the site map to include only key functionalities and content.

5. Beware of the technology you use! I have personally visited several websites for the very simple task of finding a shop’s phone number or email address. But alas; everything was in Flash! This left me annoyed, searching Google for the information. Make it easy for your customers to do business on their mobile phone.

Finally, while I’ve relied on writing about the advertising opportunities on mobile, don’t forget your apps! While often a slightly greater investment from conception to launch, the long-term effects of having something great for your customers to keep on their own phone is quite powerful. Similar to your mobile site, ensure that any app you develop makes sense for your customers. Give them a reason to put your brand on their device; offer unique functions and real-time updates that make it worth their while. Remember that here, simplicity may just work best.