How to Write Ads for Mobiles

Smaller visuals, but better audio

A Guide to Writing Mobile Ads

want to get into this lucrative market? You should, they'll be crying out for people soon. But be conscious of the fact that mobile ads are different....

Here's how mobile web ads differ from traditional online ads:

1 Size matters
Obviously mobile ads are physically smaller than web ads. But while banner ads and text ads are smaller, there are compensations. For example, you can see voice ads stream while you're browsing a WAP site or ads being delivered while interstitial pages are waiting to be downloaded.

2 Hitting the target
The mobile web ad can be better targeted and content providers can identify and track traffic generated from advertising campaigns to determine return on investment.

3 Fine tune your campaigns
Valuable information about consumers enables marketers to fine tune campaigns. Ads can also be targeted to specific handset makes and capabilities. So, if you sell games for a particular device type - only people with compatible handsets will see your ads.

4 Cut the waste
A clear identification for each customer that clicks through to a mobile site or service allows you to determine who is new and who is a repeat customer. This way, you can understand the total value that each customer brings as a result of the advertising campaign.

5 Avoid click fraud.
Click fraud has plagued traditional web advertising for years. In the mobile space, advertisers can clearly identify a unique user, verified against a phone number or operator tag. So by monitoring the history of clicks it is possible to identify and track unexpected trends.

At the moment most brands are still experimenting but a study by Harris Interactive of 1,200 mobile users world-wide found 78% of people were happy to receive ads tailored to their interests and 64% were willing to provide personal details to improve their relevance.

Furthermore, 58% would prefer banner ads on mobile web pages rather than receiving marketing texts. The problem with SMS marketing is that it's a more invasive form of marketing with the potential to put off users; whereas on the mobile web where users actively seek services, ads are better received.

Banner ads have already been rolled out across operator portals in Europe and the US. Major publishing brands such as USA Today and Business Week in the US have allowed banner and text ads on their own mobile portals to boost revenues.

In the UK, the mobile site of the The Sun newspaper has a Jamba ad promoting realtones. Interestingly, it's placed on the same page that The Sun is selling voice tones!