2018's leading mobile trends to look out for
By: Sophie M
Tags: Mobile, Advertising, Marketing, Digital Marketing, Mobile Marketing

2018's leading mobile trends to look out for

As we look ahead to 2018, mobile trends and challenges are once again hot topics at the forefront of digital marketing.

Since working in the digital industry, I can’t recall a single year where mobile was not the frontrunner for trend of the following year — 2018 is no exception.

While mobile remains one of the most utilised cross-generation technical devices, it also remains one of the big technical mysteries. For such an advanced technological device, reaching people at their most digitally engaged, for me it drops short. For research and branding, it ticks all the boxes. As a sales end point, we have a way to go. So, what does the year ahead hold for mobile?

Driving advertisers to new customers

Today, consumers are concentration poor. They expect messages to be succinct, informative, and relevant — or you lose them before you’ve even started. So, what concepts can 2018 deliver that will aid interaction and engagement? In turn, how can these concepts build relationships between advertisers and audiences that will ultimately drive new customers?

According to Google, 96% of users reach for their mobile phone in order to conduct research. With this in mind, advertisers need to ensure their mobile sites are just as informative as their desktop versions. They must create an excellent user friendly environment too, considering the smaller screen size.

What should advertisers and agencies consider for the year ahead to adapt to this user behaviour?

Speed is everything

Firstly, it sounds simple but speed really is everything.

There should be a distinction between your mobile and desktop SEO strategies as search intent varies across device. Understanding the opportunities, and threats, should make you rethink how to approach mobile SEO. With mobile, the key focus should be speed and navigation. Nichola Stott, MD of theMediaFlow, highlights that sites taking more than 3 seconds to load on mobile had an incredible 53% abandonment rate!

Be Dynamic

Our mobiles are such a personal thing, so our content should be too .

Think of a new customer versus a returning customer. Each user should be treated separately and strong consideration of the message you wish to communicate to them should be taken. Thinking about dynamically rich content that will suit each user’s needs will provide more relevant messaging. Thus, the user should be more engaged in your communication. Strive to create breakthrough.

Artificial Intelligence

A certainty in media conversations now and next year, especially with the recent resurgence of Blade runner, artificial intelligence most definitely extends to mobile.

Mobile app data can provide powerful insights which should be digested and plugged into all marketing plans. Using this data in the right way allows advertisers to deliver highly relevant content that is customised based on audience attributes.

The downside is that this approach takes time and investment. However, some publishers are already offering AI driven marketing solutions. A great first step to utilising mobile data effectively is plugging your activity into these AI solutions. In turn, the data harvested can be implemented in your advertising.

Video is expected to continue to dominate

Video streaming has reportedly accounted for 75% of internet traffic in 2017. With mobile, and tablet, providing easy viewing platforms to users, we should expect mobile video ad spend to increase next year. The Huffington Post reports that the average viewer engages in 36 minutes of online video via mobile compared to 19 minutes on desktop.

Players such as YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter are expected to add further interactive elements in the year ahead to take full advantage of this ever-increasing form of user interaction.

The mobile app is 10 years old

In the summer of 2018, the mobile app celebrates its 10th birthday!

Statista are forecasting that 197 billion apps will be downloaded in 2017, jumping to 352 billion in 3 years’ time. ComScore has reported that the average user interacts with just five apps — led by Facebook. So, if your app is lucky enough to be one of the few that are regularly used by a mobile user, then you need to ensure your app is the perfect extension of your website offering.

Make your app a priority. It provides on-the-spot access to making a sale with an advertiser. It should be seen as equally important as a brand search campaign due to its place in the consideration phase of your audience. You can find out more about launching the perfect app download strategy here.

Next year, mobile advertisers will continue to face challenges such as security and ad blocking. But, there will be a plethora of exciting new projects in the pipeline. Predicted advancement in consumer interaction via voice tech and developments in augmented reality make for a thrilling 2018 for mobile.

Whatever route you take, ensure you’ve covered the basics. The user needs to remain at the forefront of any activity. For existing customers, make it simple for them to find what they need. In finding new audiences, utilise data to limit wastage and improve advertising performance.

Be clear, be engaging, be disruptive.