The following is a guest contributed post from Tom Desaulniers, co-founder and president of Go2mobi.
Mobile apps, from social to sports and finance, now account for more than 50 percent of Americans’ time online, per a recent comScore analysis, having risen from 41 percent two years ago.
People will perform hundreds of checks to their digital devices and can tune in from almost anywhere. From when a person starts their day to the end of their night when going to bed, their smart phones are more likely than not in front of their eyes. With this strong trend, time, behavior and place mean more to advertisers and marketers than ever. Their audience of potential customers are creatures of habit, who can be fickle, and most fortunately, also demonstrate predictable behaviors.
Marketers should develop a keen understanding of points along the customer journey and then logically predict where the customers are at in the path at any given time.
Today’s ad campaigns, backed with data, can be more accurately planned to utilize a diverse mobile strategy to reach people with the types of ads and copy delivered at precisely the right juncture. This might be at a moment when a person is willing to focus, and make the commitment to purchase Conversely, different ads can be shown when they don’t have much time for more than a brand imprint.
How Should Brands React to Mobile Moments?
Brands and agencies need to review and shift their tactics to better understand the mobile audience. They need to zero in on the exact context at the time the ad is being shown, and adjust their copy, creative and style to capture the mobile moment.
4 Factors that Optimize Mobile Moments
Programmatic echnology and a precise strategy helps brands make sure that their offering is aligned with users preferences while heightening conversions. Mobile moments must take into account all factors that are available to determine someone’s receptivity to ads and to match their mindset.
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Digital Context – This means what specific mobile app or site a person is using at the time. If a person is watching a football game from her living room and looking at the scores of other teams with the Bleacher Report app, they are not very likely to fill out a form or consider a new life insurance policy.
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Location makes a considerable impact and is relative to points of interest, allowing for a much richer way to target ads. Target a calculated radius around a key event where swarms of your audience will be.
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Time – People are creatures of habit and move in mass according to the time of day. Most consumers are in a rush in the morning on a weekday, they will only look passingly at an ad without the desire to read copy. As it gets later, they become more receptive to studying products and services, and are more likely to warm up to making decisions.
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Weather – Weather impacts how people feel, whether they are indoors and outdoors. An extreme temperature can spur an immediate need for comfort. Rain and wind storms bring about difficulties with driving, needs for clothing, worries about protecting property, and keeping pets secure. Alternatively, on a hot afternoon in July, the concern turns to relief, often pleasure at a pool or movie theater. So marketers might target an ad suggesting an iced coffee with a tantalizing picture.
A Quick Study in Mobile Moments Ad Success
Brands always need compelling ads but the much greater factor is time and place. A major national hotel chain has learned how to set up a series of ads that run throughout the course of the week, tailored for every moment and every mood, and most importantly, ads with copy and creative that is highly customized for when people will be most receptive. In the morning at the beginning of the week, ads come with suggestive imagery and branding for quick reads. Later in the week, calls to actions begin to surface. By the end of the week, on Thursday night, the ad goes straight to a discounted weekend stay with enticements and perks.
Conclusion
The need is greater than ever before for agencies to get ahead of mobile moments. As people’s behavior becomes more predictable, advertisers need to adjust and create and execute the most intelligent campaigns. Reacting precisely to these moments will spell the ultimate success or failure of a given mobile ad campaign. People’s app and web browsing habits — as well as their attention spans– vary throughout the day and will shift based on where they are and what they are doing. This means that success may hinge upon factors that are unanticipated, yet are measured once the campaign is underway.
