6 ways businesses can succeed in 2023 with mobile advertising
For any company seeking to catch the attention of consumers, reaching out to audiences via their mobile devices has never been more important
Mobile advertising may include displaying ads in a company’s app or on its platform, or creating its own digital ads for display on other platforms. Considering this, how can businesses best appeal to consumers without negatively affecting their user experience (UX)? Below are some key mobile advertising best practices that will help brands make the most of the upcoming business season and succeed in 2023.
1. Design with the user in mind
It’s vital to always keep the end user top of mind when designing ads. Consider adapting UX principles, which includes prioritizing usability, being transparent about the ad with clear labeling, letting the user be in control of their experience, and keeping interruptions, like pop-ups, to an absolute minimum. Put your users first by focusing on providing a delightful and frictionless user experience, which will create positive associations with your brand, ultimately resulting in better performing ads.
2. Use non-invasive formats
This feeds into the previous point. For apps and platforms, most users see ads as an interruption to whatever they were doing on their device, so your goal as an app or website should be to make ads as non-invasive as possible. It’s a delicate balancing act: you need to catch their attention without disrupting the user journey. Whenever possible, make sure your users have the ability to easily close or skip an ad.
Examples of native ads on Rakuten Viber
3. Keep it simple
In the modern media landscape, attention spans are borderline non-existent – consumers have so much competing for their attention, you need to get to the point – and fast. Mobile ads should get the message across in just three seconds in order to be effective. Additionally, mobile screens are relatively small, so you can’t display a wall of text. An ad that takes up a large chunk of the visual space will simply frustrate its audience. Make the message pithy and punchy, and tease the consumer with just enough information to drive them to the desired destination. Any more than that is just overkill.
4. Don’t focus solely on click-through rates (CTRs)
Mobile devices are advanced machines, with all sorts of sensors that allow interaction – there’s a lot more to them than merely tapping the screen. Users have seen “click here” buttons a thousand times before, but they might not have been asked to physically shake their phone or “swipe” their screen to interact with an ad. Allowing a variety of user interactions could provide a much more immersive and engaging experience – hence driving better results. Giving the user the ability to opt out of these interactions further empowers the customer, ensuring goodwill with the brand doing the advertising, as well as the platform the ad is being shown on.
5. Keep up with data privacy laws and industry best practices at a local level
Data plays a major role in any mobile ad strategy, in which the collection of user data through cookies enhances a business’s ability to target the right customers. The GDPR of the European Union makes data collection and processing an act that can only be enabled through explicit consent by the consumer for all industries. This is in contrast to the US, where data protection laws cover only specific industries, such as the HIPAA in the healthcare industry or GLBA in the financial industry, and individual states, such as California’s CCPA, have primarily been the driver of consumer data collection policies. Otherwise, any federal regulations in the US have been slow to become legally binding. Regardless of where you decide to conduct business, it is crucial to respect the local privacy laws of each region so as not to tarnish your business’ reputation by collecting user data illegally.
6. Pay attention to which formats are engaging
Native ads (also known as sponsored content) and video ads are the front runners among engaging formats. Video in particular is the go-to format for buyers, as it easily catches the user’s attention and drives more engagement. From branded videos that provide non-intrusive engaging content, to rewarded videos that allow users to gain rewards after watching an ad, these formats are more promising than banners. For certain industry niches, such as mobile gaming, some rewarded video ads even allow users to try out a game without having to navigate away from the current app or page.
In addition to the aforementioned tips, you should also stay updated on new formats for mobile advertising. The future of advertising is headed toward more innovative formats, including playable ads, immersive and interactive videos, and augmented reality (AR) advertising, all powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Examples of branded stickers and lenses on Rakuten Viber
Whether your business relies on leads from mobile ads or revenues from others advertising on your app or platform, it’s now more important than ever to monitor how those digital ads affect user experience. And with the growth of the mobile marketing space showing no signs of slowing down, paying close attention to best practices in the mobile space will translate to increased profitability for your business.
About Jean-Marc Alomassor
Senior director, advertising solutions, at Rakuten Viber, Jean-Marc leads the ad monetization strategy, both direct and programmatic. With 10+ years experience in the digital and ad tech industries across sales, and business development, Jean-Marc has developed a strong knowledge and familiarity with mobile ad monetization, user acquisition and growth, brand advertising, ad serving, ad exchanges, RTB, programmatic, and ad tech. Passionate in everything tech, Jean-Marc is always excited at the prospect of learning something new.