Mobile Marketing: Location, Location, Location

A 2010 study by comScore suggests that almost 46 million mobile phone users have smart-phones--almost 20% of the market share of total mobile users.

Those numbers are enough for advertisers to start taking the mobile market very seriously. But what is the best way for advertisers and marketers to gain traction in this growing industry? Increasingly, the mobile content and applications are being targeted at a user's location. A study from the Mobile Marketing Association(MMA) states that more than 25% of adults in the U.S. have used maps, navigation or other mobile phone services that automatically determine location. The same study indicates that nearly half of those using mobile phones have taken action on mobile ads.
Increasing the localization of customer targeting means more qualified traffic and better opportunities for conversion. Utilizing localized advertising in combination with interactive advertising offers users the very services they are seeking.
That's a Winning formula.

Ready, Aim, Advertise
The great strength of the mobile ad is that it allows for very specific targeting of users. Advertisers who take the time to get to know their target audience will be able to reach out to a large group of consumers who are hungry for information about what is available in their immediate area. At this point(and it should come as no surprise)the leader in location-based advertising is Google. Google has acquired a patent for using location for advertising, which sets it ahead of the competition. It allows users to bid on ad prices within a defined area and allows advertising from apps to directly correspond to a user's location.

Hook
Anyone with experience managing PPC campaigns will find themselves in familiar territory when launching mobile ad campaigns. Just like PPC, mobile advertising allows you to set up a section for specific campaigns and, within other campaigns, create accounts for different brands, as well as their relative keywords.
In addition to choosing to advertise in search results or through the content network is the ability to select a specific area--obviously of importance to mobile ad campaigns. Mobile ad platforms will allow you to target geographical locations based on country, region and specific city.

Test for Success
Like other advertising campaigns, having several versions of an ad and a landing page is paramount to success. continue to test different tactics and don't be afarid to experiment.
Be aware that the ability to track mobile advertising campaigns is still somewhat limited. When checking an IP address for someone who visited your site with a Blackberry, for example, you will be seeing the Internet Gateway address, not the actual phone's IP address. In addition, some phones don't support cookies and others clear the cache on a regular basis. However, there are analytic solutions to help track ROI. Affiliates who find ways to measure the effectiveness of their campaigns will be miles ahead when the technology catches up tp the needs of advertisers. And, by making use of the ability to target specific locations, you have already narrowed the criteria for analysis.
Mobile advertising, especially in terms of affiliate marketing, is in the early stages of its growth. There will be obstacles to overcome. But those who get in early and manage to grow with the developing technology will have a head start on their competition. The technology is already advancing in leaps and bounds. If you start now, you'll be ready for the next development phases.

It's Saturday so SMILE BIG, BE NICE, buy COFFEE for a friend! :)