A recent Google survey of smart phone users uncovered three categories
of customers who regularly use their mobile devices. Businesses can use
this information to target their mobile optimized ad campaigns.
Businesses that have not created a mobile marketing strategy should
rethink their marketing priorities. In early 2011, Google conducted a
survey of 5,000 mobile phone users and found that 50 percent of those
users clicked on mobile ads. Some other interesting metrics were
reported in the survey:
--Percentage of smart phone owners who used their phones at home: 93 percent
--Percentage of smart phone users who browse the internet: 81 percent
--Percentage of smart phone users who use mobile search: 77 percent
--Percentage of people who would give up cable before giving up their smart phones: 20 percent
--Percentage of people who use their smart phones while consuming other media: 72 percent
No one can argue that mobile phone use is on the rise and that smart
phones will soon dominate the mobile phone market. This means that
businesses need a mobile marketing strategy, and they need it quickly.
Google's survey found three general types of customer usage patterns
among the survey participants.
The Action-Oriented Consumer
Nine out of ten people who use mobile search take action, with half of
those actions leading to a purchase. Most mobile customers used search
to find news, entertainment, dining and shopping. Businesses can develop
a mobile Google AdWords campaign to reach customers who are conducting
these searches. AdWords will not only provide advertising but will also
deliver advertising-related metrics.
The Local Information Seeker
Ninety-five percent of smart phone users have looked for local
information on their mobile device. Of those, 61 percent call a
business, 59 percent visit the business and 44 percent make a purchase.
Of those who take action, 88 percent of them take action within one
business day. Businesses, therefore, need to make use of Google Places
as well as Location Based Social Media sites like Facebook Places and
Foursquare.
The Smart Phone Shopper
Seventy-nine
percent of smart phone users use their phones while shopping, and 74
percent of those shoppers make a purchase. Seventy-six percent purchase
in-store, 59 percent purchase online and 35 percent purchase with their
phones. With the development of NFC technology and applications like
Google Wallet, smart phone shopping is a major growth area for
businesses of all sizes.
Of the 82 percent of mobile users who
regularly notice ads, roughly half actually click on the ad. This means
that companies that have not taken advantage of mobile-optimized
pay-per-click are missing a major mobile marketing opportunity.