Mobile isn’t new and it’s here to stay, but how will mobile marketing trends be different from what we've already seen? And what do digital marketers need to do to leverage those trends?
We offer three predictions for mobile marketing trends in 2017:
- Video goes mobile big time this year
- Mobile only app experiences explode
- Google AMP’s up the content game
Video Goes Mobile in 2017
It may feel like we've heard ad nauseam that “this is year of mobile” or “this is the year of video.” Increasingly, we are seeing video redefine how we engage content online. That experience shines on mobile and this is, in fact, the year we'll see video explode in the mobile environment.
From content delivery to adhesive banners, video continues to deliver dynamic consumer experiences in the mobile environment.
According to eMarketer, video ad-spend on mobile is projected to exceed $6 billion in 2017. While video isn’t new by any means, how it's applied on mobile is more advanced than anything we've seen to date.
If you haven’t jumped on the video train yet, I’d suggest you hurry because we feel the train is about to leave the station and brands late to the game will be left behind as users form relationships with brands that have a mobile video presence already.
Mobile Only Social Media
Mobile only social media will also continue to grow. Apps like Snapchat and Instagram offer mobile only environments and are growing as fast or faster than their online siblings. The number of net new Instagram users per month increased 50% over the last six months of 2016. Users are gravitating to a native experience online and mobile only social apps deliver elegant simplicity that fits this environment.
Mobile only social media isn’t brand new, but it's a rapidly growing segment of mobile marketing. Mobile only forces users and marketers to have unique communications since most mobile only platforms don't support scheduled posts or management by 3rd party software. This increases spontaneity and variety in the platform.
I predict that the next 9-18 months will be dominated by mobile only apps. Marketers need to add these platforms to their social media strategies in 2017 and use the platforms to build authentic communications with their audience.
AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages)
No one wants to wait for a webpage to load and Google wants to make the internet faster: enter AMP, or Accelerated Mobile Pages.
AMP is a Google-backed project designed as an open standard for any publisher to have pages load quickly on mobile devices. On Feb. 24, 2016, Google officially integrated AMP listings into its mobile search results.
Until now, the marketing community has heard little buzz about AMP, but that is all about to change. Since Google's announcement the mobile community has jumped onboard. This new mobile page supports specific AMP ads with Google claiming more than 80% of publishers that have used ads on AMP have seen higher view-ability rates, and more than 90% of them say they are getting higher click through rates along with better revenues.
AMP doesn’t come without drawbacks, like every new technology. AMP currently doesn’t support forms, the holy grail of digital marketing. While that seems like a significant drawback consider this: AMP optimized content flies directly to the top of the search page — above organic results. Currently Google says AMP doesn’t factor in search rank but mobile-friendly ranking does.
I think AMP is going to become a major player in mobile marketing. If your brand relies on a content strategy, AMP is something that any marketer should seriously consider.
After hearing for years this is “the year of mobile” or “this is the year of video”, etc. we are really excited that these technologies will finally become major players in our digital marketing strategies. These mobile marketing trends for 2017 will drive a more customer-centric content delivery approach across more devices. Video, native experience strategies and AMP’ed content will determine the winners and losers of digital marketing in 2017.
If you'd like to capitalize on these mobile marketing trends, reach out to us. We can help.
