by Jaimie Siegle | Advertising Systems, Inc.
As print newspapers continue down their unfortunate path toward extinction, consumers and advertisers are moving toward smartphones and their tablet counterparts – a telltale sign that a sweet spot for small businesses may be the mobile market.
According to Business Insider, AT&T’s latest survey showed that nearly 60% of small businesses planned to spend more on online marketing than they did in 2011. The article also cited Morgan Stanley research, which predicted that, based on current trends, “mobile devices will overtake desktop internet use.”
For small businesses, this means creating the best possible mobile presence. From mobile sites to apps to the fairly new realm of location-based marketing, there are multiple mobile strategies to engage smartphone and tablet customers of the present and future.
“Mobile offers more potential, and an opportunity to create the new business model,” wrote Darcy Travlos in her recent Forbes story:
“Flurry Analytics found that in 2011,for the first time, minutes spent on mobile apps surpassed that on the web. Data points to a continuing trend as, also in 2011, for the first time, shipments of smartphones and tablets exceeded those of desktops and notebooks. One can argue that not only is the quantity of time spent on mobile bypassing desktop, but so is the quality of time. Ooyala tested video engagement on various devices and found that mobile viewers have more patience to watch videos on their mobile device than on the desktop. ”
With more people spending more time e-mailing, watching videos, and browsing on their phones, an effective digital strategy that captures users is essential. As digital media makes its way to the forefront of communication and marketing culture, we must (albeit reluctantly) adapt our strategies for the millennial, on-the-go audience.
