According to a recent body of research, our mobile usage has now reached a whopping 800 hours per year – the highest it has ever been. These are the findings of data, technology and ROI agency, Zenith which has also identified some interesting trends in internet advertising.
The statistics come as part of Zenith’s most recent ad spend forecast which predicts that by 2021, spending on internet advertising will exceed 50% of all ad expenditure.
Investment into internet advertising has proven to be particularly popular amongst small businesses, who are favouring platforms like Google and Facebook. This comes as a comparison to bigger companies which still seem to be leaning towards more traditional forms of digital marketing.
Popular examples of internet marketing include:
- Search engine optimisation (SEO)
- Content marketing (e.g. blogs, emails)
- Social media and paid social content
- Video ads
- Pay Per Click (PPC)
- Display advertising (e.g. banners on a website)
Zenith found that online video and social media are amongst those expected to see the most growth, with the former rising by 18% and the latter by 17% through 2021. This acceleration in popularity is being largely attributed to developments in 5G mobile technology.
So, as internet marketing continues to build momentum, we thought we’d share our advice on how small businesses and start-ups can best use it to their advantage
Know your audience like the back of your hand
In order for any internet advertising strategy to work, you need to know the demographic you’re promoting to in fine detail. Without this prior knowledge, the content you invest in will be like a stab in the dark. Invest some extra time into acquiring this vital preliminary insight into your audience and marketplace before pressing ‘go’ on any ads.
Check out what the competition are doing
While carrying out your market research it’s also worth keeping a close eye on what your competition are doing to analyse their approach. You can then be inspired by what is working well for them and avoid what you think might not be such a bright idea.
Always include a Call to Action, no matter how small
Whether it’s simply asking somebody if they’re following you on social media, or something more substantial like asking them to fill in a lead generation form, calls to action are essential. CTAs help increase interaction with your digital ads and also help you measure return and engagement more effectively.
More method, less madness
What we mean by this is to make sure you have an informed plan and a strategy in place. Pouring cash into internet advertising with no clear goal or purpose is a waste, and probably won’t provide you with the ROI you want to see.
Analyse, track, report and evaluate
Learning from your mistakes is a great way to perfect your approach, as is capitalising on what is working well for you. In order to do this, you need to carry out metric reports on all of your ads to report back on their successes and failures. That way, you can then inform your plan of action going forward.
Are you a small business who is successfully implementing internet advertising as part of your strategy? We’d love to hear about your experiences. Leave your thoughts in the comments below or share them with us over on Twitter or Facebook.
