Mobile marketing stats to help plan for 2013

Mobile marketing is now mainstream

Thousands of blogs and news organizations dedicate hundreds of thousands of hours every year digesting information surrounding consumers’ mobile use to determine best practices for businesses of all sizes, as most Americans now own a smartphone, and are literally carrying around a tiny potentially viable billboard in their pocket.

Recently, Google teamed up with ClickZ.com to “learn how marketers around the world are approaching mobile marketing and measurement,” in an effort to determine the future of mobile marketing. Their study asserts that mobile is now an important part of the integrated marketing mix, and we would agree that as it has become mainstream, it is no longer a novelty, but a useful marketing tool, that is “increasingly becoming a central focus” for marketers. According to the study, 87% of marketers are planning to increase emphasis on mobile during 2013, and belief in the power of mobile is rapidly growing stronger.

Key takeaways from the study

Marketers have a broad mix of mobile tactics planned in the next year:

• 52% plan to create a mobile- or tablet-optimized website
• 48% plan to increase engagement in mobile advertising
• 41% hope to develop a mobile app
• 39% are planning to market a mobile app

For many, mobile measurement is still new territory:

• More than half (59%) of marketers consider themselves either novice or inexperienced when it comes to measuring mobile. This presents an opportunity for organizations to invest in training and education today to stay ahead of the curve tomorrow.
• 58% of marketers are currently accountable for mobile metrics, and more than one-third are already sharing internal dashboards to show mobile marketing results.

Mobile measurement unlocks new opportunities:

• 53% of marketers who analyzed their mobile metrics say there is a lot of untapped opportunity and plan to increase their mobile spending.
• Tools, technologies and talent are in demand: 68% of marketers plan to increase technology investment and ad spend, and 32% plan to focus more in talent.

Metrics that matter the most:

The report noted that the mobile app-related metrics that marketers say matter the most to them are as follows:

Google writes, “marketers are interested in measuring the full app lifecycle, which we’re excited to see as our new Mobile App Analytics covers a majority of the desired metrics marketers are seeking.”

Opportunity is knocking

The research reveals that businesses can reach consumers on the go, and that with effective measurements, marketers can create campaigns that convert. “Mobile’s role in marketing is becoming a central part of integrated campaigns,” Google adds, “and will only continue to grow. We know that marketers want simple tools that help them seamlessly integrate mobile into their marketing and measurement, and we’re working hard to create robust tools to help.”