With more and more people using mobile devices as their primary, or even exclusive means of accessing the internet, it is important to understand the attitudes of these users. It is not enough to just assume you know what types of advertisements will work, and which ones will be off-putting to the users. Fortunately, a new study has just been released by Millennial Media, which surveyed over 4000 consumers in four countries to learn all about what they want when using mobile devices to brows (this includes app use).
One of the most interesting things the survey found is that mobile users believe they are worth $10.80 per minute of advertising. This may seem like a lot, but when you consider how targeted some ads can be, and how well they can convert, it may worth it in many cases. Of course, what users think and what advertisers are willing to pay are often two very different things.
Consumers Know Ads are Necessary
Another thing that will come as a relief to many marketers is that the vast majority of consumers said that they understand and accept the fact that ads are used to support free apps and free content. 79% of people said that they are ok with this relationship. In addition, 72% said they like the ‘freemium’ app model, where apps are free to use but you then have the option to pay to unlock certain content or other features within them. Surprisingly, only 3% said they would pay to remove ads.
While ads can be annoying, this shows that people are more than happy to put up with them as long as the app or content they are looking at is of sufficiently high quality.
Mobile Ads are Effective
The survey also found that mobile ads are more effective than many people would have thought. For example, respondents found that people looking at mobile advertisements were twice as likely to remember the product or message than those looking at a similar ad on a desktop device. This is quite impressive and may have something to do with the fact that there is so much less screen space on mobile devices.
18% also reported that they are likely to give a brand or product consideration that they otherwise would not have because of an ad seen on their mobile device. 10% even said they have added items to wish lists or shopping lists after seeing these ads.
A large percentage (43%) said that after clicking on a mobile ad, they are more likely to give that brand or product attention when they see other ads. This is very important since it builds brand recognition, which is essential to success. One final stat that likely won’t be surprising to anyone is that 48% of people responding said they are more likely to click on mobile ads when they are targeted to their interests. Of course, this just makes sense and would apply to non-mobile devices as well.
