9 strategies for mobile ads that convert

Searches from mobile now account for more than half of the searches done on Google.com. For many advertisers, the majority of traffic comes from people using their cell phones.
But your customers aren’t just using their phones to search your website. Mobile ads can trigger a call, an app download, mobile site visits…
Here are some tips to make your mobile advertising campaigns successful and increase your conversion rate.

1. Integrate your mobile campaigns into your overall strategy

First and foremost, your mobile advertising campaigns must be designed in conjunction with your overall marketing strategy. Indeed, the more precise your strategy is and the more segmented your targeting, the more relevant each ad will be.
The level of engagement can vary depending on the user or prospect segment targeted, so you need to know your audience well.

2. Make yourself visible on social networks

According to the report by Hootsuite and We are social, 3.76 billion users used social networks on their mobile in April 2020. The diversity of advertising formats – developed by the social networks themselves – is a boon.
Indeed, new formats are regularly proposed to enrich the user experience while meeting the campaign objectives of advertisers. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are balancing out a certain loss of momentum in display advertising. These social networks offer the possibility to easily integrate a video, a photo or even location in the campaigns.
For example, if you have recently developed a mobile application and you want to make it visible on social networks, Facebook and Twitter offer a turnkey format. On your side, it can be set up in a few clicks. Your users can download it by simply clicking on a link.

Also read 7 tips for creating your Google Local Service Ads

3. Geolocalize your ads.

I haven’t seen many geotagged ads that have caught my attention yet. It’s a relatively simple technique to implement, and it can generate many different calls to action. It is relevant in time and space. Only mobile advertising can make this possible.

Geolocation of ads is also called geofencing.

4. Focus on video ads.

Focus on video ads for your mobile ad campaigns. Video content is the primary format for small smartphone screens. It’s comfortable to watch and highly engaging.
The rise of platforms like TikTok also shows that video is on the rise. Look for ways to do more video advertising campaigns.
But beware…

5. Create ads that work without sound.

To be effective on phones, ads must work without sound. Often, people look at their phones with the audio muted, so it’s essential to break through visually and with limited text on the screen.
Worse: if someone is looking at your ad on their mobile, chances are they have headphones on, so an ad that would automatically display with sound is counterproductive.
Good quality subtitles also help capture attention and engage the potential customer without being too intrusive. An effective advertisement is one whose message reaches its target.

6. Contextualize your ad.

The design and layout of a mobile ad is something to consider: if you understand the situation your target is in, such as a bookstore, you can better tailor your ad, based on the moment.

7. Make the text readable on a small screen.

Make your ad readable on a small screen. Too often, ads designed for larger formats are simply transposed to mobile, without any optimization.

Focus your efforts on the attributes that make the mobile environment so specific, like real-time location.

8. Take advantage of responsive design and Google AMP.

The key is to remember that users don’t come to your website to see ads, but for your content. Using a responsive design is the first step towards building a great UX for mobile.
If you want to take it a step further, consider Google AMP.
Finally, make sure your ad layout is mobile-friendly, with ad formats intended for use on smaller screens that don’t obscure your entire content.

9. Vary your ads

Once you have defined your target, make sure you choose your ad formats carefully and vary them: you don’t want to bore your audience, do you?
We often meet several times the same ad, of the same format, which with each new appearance loses its relevance, and its originality.

Conclusion

Take advantage of the fact that mobile traffic has become the majority, and is still growing! The next battle is here and now you are ready to run your ads on mobile.