Everywhere you go you see people using mobile devices. We use smartphones to stay connected with friends via Facebook and to find directions to a restaurant when we travel, while we use tablets to keep up with the news and watch videos. Basically, we use — or can use — mobile devices for anything we need these days because of how far mobile technology has come in the past few years.
The year of the mobile marketer is 2015 because we’ve become so dependent with our mobile devices. We’re an on-the-go, always-on society. Don’t believe me? Check out these stats that totally support my statement:
- We check our phones around 150 times a day.
- 58% of American adults own a smartphone, while 42% own a tablet.
- Mobile usage with media will grow 23% in 2014, to 2 hours and 51 minutes a day, while time with traditional media will decrease.
- Mobile devices accounted for 55% of Internet usage in the U.S. as of January 2014.
- Worldwide smartphone users will reach 1.75 billion in 2014.
- About 9 out of every 10 mobile searches lead to action, with more than 50% leading to sales.
- More than 50 billion apps were downloaded in 2013.
- 89% of monthly media time is spent on mobile apps.
Believe me now? Mobile is what’s dominating marketing nowadays, and ultimately our world. It’s a trend that doesn’t seem to be ending any time soon, which is why 2015 is the year, and will be a big year, for mobile marketers.
In a “Mobile Marketing Impact Study” done in 2013, it was predicted that around 1.4 million U.S. jobs will be created from mobile over the next five years. That same study also found some significant and positive monetary results for mobile marketing. Mobile marketing is anticipated to drive $400 billion in sales to the U.S. by 2015, while nearly $20 billion is what marketers and retailers are expected to hit in spending for reaching customers via mobile in 2015. Spending on mobile apps is also expected to rise by about 158% between 2013-2015, reaching a total close to $3.26 billion by 2015.
Spending amounts are increasing, as well as the revenue from mobile marketing, because brands and these mobile marketers are learning just how powerful it is to reach consumers on mobile devices with consumers becoming progressively mobile-first.
Another reason mobile marketers will have their year is that mobile advertising isn’t solely focused on conversions anymore. Now, the main focus is on the strengths of a mobile device and using those strengths to get results. With mobile marketing, you can use targeted ads and rich media to better engage your audience on a deeper, more personal level. This type of reach and engagement through mobile leads to increased traffic, conversions, app downloads and better monetization.
The marketing industry is changing as more and more people choose to use their mobile devices to do the things they used to do on their desktop computers. This changes the way companies now think, market and how they hire. Those who are mobile savvy are the ones being hired. With these changes and expected growth in numbers and money, it’s clear 2015 is the year of and for the mobile marketer.
