If you thought time spent on mobile was going to slow down; then think again.
There are now more Canadians glued to their phones and smart devices than ever before as over 6 hours a day are being spent consuming media on internet connected devices with over 4.4 hours a day being spent on a smartphone. This audience of smartphone users is made up of everyone. From youth, teens, seniors and adults. It’s also made up of consumers searching for just about anything… that includes their next whip.
So, with more and more Canadians using mobile, in-app advertising offers an effective way to reach a large audience and promote products and services like no other channel truly can.
With that said, let’s explore why auto-manufacturers and dealerships should be investing more time and effort into in-app advertising:
1. Reach
When I say everyone is using their phone, I mean everyone. I also mean they are using it ANYWHERE (or least most of us will admit we use it everywhere). The truth is in-app advertising offers any advertiser to reach a diverse audience since it is becoming the primary mode of communication and entertainment for many people across the world. Which is why we kicked off this blog by showing you just exactly how many hours a day Canadians alone are spending in their favourite apps. Just think about the opportunity you have to reach that auto intender across their favourite apps, let alone the auto apps they are already probably looking for their next car in.
2. Accuracy in targeting
Advertisers leveraging in-app advertising can use location data, demographic data, and behaviour data to target their intended audience. For dealerships this means targeting users in a specific geo area with ads for a new car model that is only available in that, or test drives for students in a college or university area, area or with pricing for that postal code. The accuracy available with in-app targeting, along with the ability for users to action on an add; can help lead to more effective ads, CTR, and a higher ROI that other channels just simply can’t compete with.
3. Cost
In-app advertising is also a cost-effective method to reach new and existing consumers. How? Well, think about how much engagement your ad will get in a bus shelter, a billboard on the highway, or in a newspaper. An ad placed inside of an app with a high monthly active user count of users within your targeted parameters means putting your ad in-front of the customer who is more than likely looking for your services or product.
4. Next-gen interactions
Customers want to be engaged, and in-app advertising helps deliver this next-gen engagement with interactive ad-types. Think Augmented reality and Virtual reality that help consumers see what their dream car would look like parked in their driveway or how the interior will look like with all the add-ons they want. An interactive approach that is seamlessly placed into the app experience is the difference that can help lead to more memorable ad experiences and increased conversion.
5. Analytics and insights
Finally, in-app advertising also offers the benefit of real-time insights. Advertisers can track ad performance on the fly and make the adjustments needed to optimize their campaigns. The insights that in-app advertising provides to marketing go beyond just ads and can even help fuel other decisions made in the business based on consumer behaviour. Insights and analytics that are coupled with an account management team that helps extract this campaign info into detailed reports and any advertiser can bank on saving money on any existing and future campaigns.
The reality is that what we are experiencing as advertisers is not new. We go where our audience goes, and today our audience is spending most of their time on mobile and in-apps. Today more than ever, the advertising landscape for all advertisers is all about bang for your buck. And with 19 billion in digital ad-spend up for grabs in 2023, the auto sector will want to ensure that this money is being spent on channels with high returns.
For the auto industry this opportunity to reach a highly targeted and wide audience, can help to stay competitive, and adaptive to the changes in how consumers are engaging with media, and the brands that they love to hear from.
Discover how in-app mobile advertising is connecting the auto industry with customers during the research and buying stage for their next vehicle. Learn how to capitalize on that mobile moment today!
Carlos Guevara is the Marketing Director at APEX Mobile Media and previous host of the podcast "In Search of Good Data." He has also helped various organizations in the private and non-profit sector to become more customer-centric with the use of enriched data and modern marketing and advertising technology and strategies.