Monday, July 18, 2011
Post by Grace Dolan, Google Mobile Ads
I experienced the growth in mobile searching personally over this past 4th of July weekend. My brother is in college, he was researching options for a new laptop for school. During a family barbecue, he and my father were on his smartphone, comparing features, prices, and getting opinions from others (photo featured below). My brother was able to interact with everyone during the get together instead of being inside on his computer.
This isn’t just happening at my parents’ house. The Back to School demographic is on mobile devices, often several hours a day, for more than just a phone call or text message. According to Sergio Alvarez, Chief Operating Officer of the interactive marketing agency Ai Media Group, "The Back to School crowd is leading the way with mobile. As mobile phones increase in versatility and power, they have become more like pocket computers than phones. Colleges and institutions are taking advantage of this technology. We consider mobile to be an integral part of our marketing strategy, and we will continue to make it part of all our campaign portfolios.”
As a marketer, how can you maximize Back to School success with the peaked traffic? Here are a few tips:
- Prepare for the massive traffic spikes with appropriate budgets in place.
- Be on top 24/7. Bid to be in “above the fold” positions on Back to School categories. This is essential on mobile.
- Give them incentive. Include Mobile Offer ads to help drive redemption in-store, online or on the phone.
- Be local. Direct customers to your store by adding your location to your ads.