Why You Need An Always-On Mobile App Strategy

If you are not reaching consumers where they are and making it easy for them to buy at their convenience, then you’re missing out. Here’s why. 

Understanding Media Consumption Habits in 2022 

Let’s take an overall look at American’s favorite media sources. According to eMarketer, the typical adult will spend just over three hours a day watching linear television.  

That may seem like a lot, but it pales in comparison to mobile. This year, the typical American will spend over four hours and 40 minutes every day using mobile devices, eMarketer predicts.  

In fact, over 35% of all time spent with media will be devoted to mobile. For TV, the next most popular media source, it’s less than 24% in 2022. 

Of course, this isn’t necessarily an either/or comparison. After all, many of us have our mobile devices out when we’re watching television – especially during commercial breaks. 

And when we say mobile, we really mean mobile apps. Around 88% of all time spent on mobile is devoted to apps, according to eMarketer. 

It’s also worth noting that Americans are using a wide diversity of apps. According to Sensor Tower, the average smartphone user in the U.S. uses at least 45 apps a month. 

As this all highlights, consumers in the U.S. love mobile apps. If you’re not advertising in mobile apps, then you’re probably not reaching your best audiences. 

But when should you be running your mobile in-app advertising campaigns? Do seasonal, one-off campaigns cut it on mobile? Let’s explore these questions further. 

Understanding Shopping Habits in 2022 

Even back in 2009, McKinsey was noting that the classic shopping journey that marketers were taught in business school was woefully outdated. And in the decade plus since then, the rise of e-commerce (and m-commerce) and social media has accelerated this trend even further. 

In a span of minutes, consumers will go from first hearing about you to conducting research to making a final purchase. If you’re not ready to move at this pace, then expect to lose business. 

For example, according to recent research from Accenture, close to half or more of retail consumers will switch to a different brand if fast and flexible delivery options are not available or are discontinued. Further, virtual try-out tools/shopping advisory services are crucial to keeping existing customers happy. 

And similar trends were observed among consumer goods and services customers. Indeed, ease and convenience is now among the top five purchase motivations for consumers today. 

“Post-pandemic, consumer expectations are not going to retreat to a previous state with regard to ease and convenience,” the Accenture report’s authors noted. “Now, consumers seek ‘everywhere commerce,’ where transactions need not start and end in the same place, or on the same medium.” 

This points to the need to have (and invest in) an always-on marketing strategy. As HubSpot’s Martina Bretous has noted of consumers today, “Their attention is being pulled in many different directions and if your brand isn’t present, you may quickly be forgotten.” 

Seasonality may be completely dead, but it doesn’t dictate how consumers shop anymore. Successful marketers are leaning in to how people look for and buy products by fully embracing always-on campaigns that reach consumers at the exact moment whenever they’re ready to shop. 

Putting It All Together For Marketing Success 

And what’s the best way to reach consumers with always-on messaging? As we noted before, it’s through mobile and apps. 

Interested in reaching consumers where they are and running always-on campaigns that yield real results? Reach out to the mobile experts at InMobi today.