Are Marketers Missing the Mark With Big Data for Mobile Ads?

While most marketers have been something close to brilliant when it comes to leveraging big data for marketing in arenas like the brick and mortar store and the online shopping experience involving traditional desktop computers, they have been surprisingly slow to make use of it when it comes to mobile advertising. What do marketers need to do to make better use of big data in delivering their mobile ads?

Marketers Need to Stop Making Assumptions and Get the Real Story Via the Data

Big data can be a potent ally for the mobile advertiser. But are they leveraging it the way they could, and should? Probably not.

According to recent research, marketers turn to seat-of-the-pants assumption making when it comes to delivering mobile ads because using big data is too difficult, time-consuming, costly, and complex. Most marketers reach out to mobile users according to guesswork and instinct. Which mobile app is most downloaded and utilized by our target audience? What time of day are your users most likely to notice and engage with your ads, products, and brand? Are they more likely to share via Twitter or Facebook? Marketers are guessing about these answers instead of finding out the facts via data analytics.

Marketers Need Better Ways to Monitor Users Across Devices and Profiles

One of the issues that has plagued mobile advertising since its inception is users migrating among various devices and online profiles. For example, the business user who signs on with her desktop computer, but frequently switches to her tablet computer when she goes on business trips. Or, the personal user who shops on a smartphone, tablet, and a laptop, but sets up different user profiles and Google accounts on each. These users are difficult to track accurately and deliver advertising to reliably, and this needs to be addressed before mobile ads are as effective as they could be.

Marketers Need to Realize Mobile Isn’t Limited to Smartphones

Smartphones aren’t the only mobile devices where big data and analytics could be useful. All of the connected devices that belong to the IoT are potential targets for mobile advertisers.

In addition to the devices mentioned above, the Internet of Things is playing a greater role in mobile technologies, and soon need to be added to your mobile advertising plans. How will mobile advertisers use big data to reach users of wearable tech, smart watches, connected clothing, online vehicles, and other IoT devices? Will a single mobile ad plan allow the advertiser to target all of these IoT devices, or do there need to be multiple plans in place to reach users of different devices? Mobile marketers need to work this out before the IoT becomes too competitive for advertisers.

Marketers Need to Focus on Predictive Analytics

One of the most powerful uses of big data is predictive analytics, which can help the marketer target mobile users with more effective advertising. What apps will take off? What devices are best to target with ads? Which users are most likely to match your target audience? Predictive analytics can also help the marketer determine where and when to deliver ads so that more of their ads lead to conversions and they can buy fewer to meet their marketing goals.

Is your marketing department hitting the mark with big data for mobile advertising?