The year has come to an end as we reflect on 2021 we see that it was another year of change for mobile marketing. Both opportunities and challenges presented themselves and as consumer behaviour changed many brands adapted their marketing strategies, putting a greater focus on mobile apps.
We know that no one can predict the future and mobile marketing is a rapidly changing space. However, from analysing consumer and brand behaviour we have put together a list of the three top mobile marketing trends that you should keep an eye on in 2022. We expect they will be big and if your brand wants to stay ahead you should think about incorporating them into your strategies now.
Mobile games will become of pivotal importance to advertisers in 2022.
Traditional ads are no longer having the impact they once did. This is not news to marketers. Younger generations that have grown up with digital experience are not as receptive to ads and can easily tune them out.
However, this does not mean that ads have had their day. Marketers simply have to adapt. People are more likely to be receptive to ads that help them have fun. For example, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic there has been a 12% rise in the number of people playing mobile games.
Advertising through mobile gaming apps is the way forward. To understand the massive impact your brand can have and the great ROI you can generate through mobile game advertising, we can look to KFC.
In 2021, KFC launched a free game called The Great Bucket Hunt, inside its existing app. The game used augmented reality (AR) and let users search for virtual buckets of chicken at locations all across the US. The users that found the buckets could redeem them for prizes at KFC physical locations.
Their mobile marketing used a mobile game to drive in-store traffic. Your brand needs to be tactical about the best ways to use mobile gaming to drive consumer spending. When executed effectively it is a smart marketing strategy.
When Facebook launched its parent company, Meta, in 2021, it demonstrated what the future of brand and social interactions online might look like. You may spend 2022 and beyond exploring the Metaverse which is a virtual environment that blurs the lines beyond the digital world and reality.
Strapping on a VR headset to do your shopping or navigate through a brands website could be the norm in future. It will come around quickly. We have already seen how Facebook became dominant in the social media space, so we can expect Meta to take off in the same way. One report predicts that the metaverse apps will generate over $3 billion in consumer spending during 2022.
According to the BIA Advisory Services’ predictions for local expenditures for 2022, mobile advertising spending is likely to exceed that which brands spend on direct mail for the first time.
With real-time location data available for mobile devices, mobile marketing has become an essential revenue generator for local businesses. Brick and mortar locations as well as service businesses such as plumbers and dentists generate sales from those in their local area.
From location-based data, brands can get more targeted and deliver fewer ads but to a more relevant local audience to generate leads and sales.
As you can see, mobile marketing is set for change in 2022. Marketers will have to take the challenges presented and turn them into opportunities. The main focus mobile marketing will take in the next year will be on apps. App-based marketing through mobile gaming and AR or VR apps that brands will use to interact with consumers – whether that be online shopping through a headset or searching for virtual buckets of chicken – are the major trends we will see in 2022.
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