Can you ‘crack the code’ in mobile advertising?

Published September 13, 2013 at 12:05 pm

In the dating world, individuals are often worried about understanding the “secret code” that their significant other speaks.

“Does that really mean he likes me? What if he says one thing but really wants another? How do I know?”

Marketers find themselves in a similar situation when it comes to their customers. Even with technology ever-evolving though—and affecting marketing outlets—all that companies have to do is listen.

According to a recent Harvard Business Review article titled “Cracking the mobile advertising code” marketers will have an easier time when they take care to understand where their customers are getting information. It will not benefit any company to simply allocate their mobile ad dollars, for example. Rather, it is better to pay attention to the details of consumer spending habits. From there, the right direct marketing campaign can be created and developed.

For example, the article explained that 50 percent of Facebook users are on Facebook’s mobile app when they’re in a store. A business would be well-advised to “tap into this burgeoning mobile-social shopping behavior.” Not only that, but organizations can take note of which stores customers are using and then create marketing plans based on their past purchases.

“Even with a better understanding of how a customer’s decision journey should direct ad spend decisions, companies also need to be more deliberate about where they spend those dollars,” the article said. “User time is concentrated today on a handful of applications but marketers often simply spread their spending across a wide array of them.”

Creating the right web-based marketing approach is not about breaking codes or cracking into safes filled with consumer secrets. Customers will appreciate targeted campaigns because they will have a greater chance of applying to their needs. Companies just need to pay attention and then react accordingly.