What is Mobile Advertising?

Mobile advertising refers to the process by which businesses advertise directly to consumers via mobile devices like cell phones. This mode of advertising has increased dramatically in conjunction with the boom in cell phone use. In addition, businesses that practice mobile advertising are well equipped to take advantage of all of the diverse options offered by the technologically advanced Internet-ready smartphones that have also enjoyed a surge in popularity. Among the avenues available on cell phones for advertisers are text messaging, rich media, and cell-phone applications, or apps.

The days when big businesses could rely on their brand name to bring in customers from around the country or around the world are long past, as technological advances have made advertising an increasingly complicated and competitive undertaking. With the advent of the Internet, businesses found another way to communicate directly with their customers by building websites to showcase their products or services. Even that technique might not be enough, though, considering how much cell phones have taken hold as the gadget of choice for many consumers. Mobile advertising allows businesses the opportunity to tap into this cell phone usage to communicate effectively with consumers.

It's important for businesses to match up the message they wish to convey with the proper mode of mobile advertising to deliver that message. The variety of measures that a business can take increases all the time as new technology opens up seemingly infinite possibilities for the ways in which ads can be delivered. Smartphones, which are cell phones that have the capability to access the Internet and deliver video and audio of excellent quality, are primary targets.

Advertisers may choose to deliver a straightforward, direct message via text messaging, which is a cell phone service that allows cell phone users to communicate with each other through short messages. Text messaging is an increasingly popular way for friends and family members to keep in touch with each other. Savvy advertising delivered in this way has an excellent chance of getting its message across.

Audio and video capabilities included on many smartphones allow advertisers to get even more information across to their intended audience. For example, rich media ads allow advertisers to deliver interactive content that strengthens the user experience and yields the opportunity for a wealth of information to get through. Mobile video can deliver the equivalent of a television commercial right to a cell phone. Finally, mobile apps, which are software programs that run on cell phones, are another popular mode of mobile advertising.