Mobile Ad Dollars to Surge Past Desktop Advertising in 2015
The tried and true desktop seemed like a wonder of technical innovation just a mere decade ago, but with the advent of web-enabled smartphones and other devices, desktops are seemingly looking more like dinosaurs, especially from a marketer’s perspective. With phone use approaching 24/7 levels and their capabilities increasing with each new generation, marketers have taken pause and reexamined how they will spend their marketing dollars, with the majority putting the bulk of their ad dollars into mobile mediums.
How big is the mobile revolution?
2014 will quite possibly be remembered as the year that mobile devices took the crown away from the desktop to drive communication, commerce and even how we advertise. While mobile has already surpassed desktops in terms of overall usage, but a recent report from eMarketer found that ad sales on the platform are expected to reach new and towering heights.
EMarketer’s most recent report, “Key Digital Trends for 2015, What’s in Store – and Not in Store – for the Coming Year,” detailed a major revelation that could inform the strategy of marketers for years to come. 2015 will mark the first time in the history of internet commerce that the majority of spend, organic traffic and paid clicks comes from smartphones and tablets, surpassing traditional desktop/laptop search activity.
At first glance, this may seem like the green light to dump thousands into mobile marketing budgets, but eMarketer reveals one major caveat: ROI. The return on investment for desktop advertising is still far more robust than mobile ads, and this trend may continue in the near future thanks to the nature of how people use their phones. Most mobile users tend to tune out advertising, even with those that are prompted by apps and the opening of pages, and they may not have the undivided attention that a desktop user sitting at home would provide.
Therein lies the major challenge for mobile marketers: the audience and the capabilities are there, but finding a means of breaking through the noise of everyday life is extremely daunting. An individual may use his or her phone to search for everything from dinner ingredients to driving directions, but mobile search ads are still primarily following a desktop format. With 2015 almost here, the presence of mobile search cannot be understated, but seeking out new strategies to engage this massive audience and tap into that market share will prove to be the biggest marketing challenge for the foreseeable future.
