Mobile Shopping YOY Growth Back in September, AMP's blog post, '2013 Holiday Shopping Season Predictions'? reported that mobile is believed to contribute to 38% of in-store sales by retailers, and 53% of retailers believe the most significant transactions will be via mobile channel. Those predictions are not far off. Mobile has proved to be a formidable factor so far this holiday season. As reported by the WSJ, CIO Journey Blog, 'The figures for Cyber Monday are even more startling, particularly when broken down by category. Department stores, for instance, saw a '?¦ 52% growth in mobile sales [vs. 2012].'? Options for Mobile Marketing So, mobile is a factor. No duh. The question is: how can marketers benefit from this explosive growth? Where should marketers spend to get the most bang for their buck. First let's break down some of the most common options for mobile marketing: Paid in app advertising Sponsored ads across mobile social channels Integration into couponing sites and/or apps In-store drive to retail mobile sites or apps SMS Mobile Display Ads Mobile Search Ads Mobile web video Mobile Usage Holidays 2013 Now the question is, how are consumers actually using their mobile device this holiday season? In our unscientific, informal survey consisting of 45 respondents, we investigated which apps people are using most and how they perceive they will be using their mobile device over the upcoming weeks. The charts above show us that Facebook was the most cited app used with Amazon and Instagram tied for second place. And, we found that entertainment was the top ranked use for mobile devices over the holidays followed by social sharing and directions. Shopping and purchasing related activities were ranked as lower priority. Stay with the Tried and True So, what does all this mean? Because there are more than 500 appssubmitted to the app store every month, in app advertising is becoming increasingly more fragmented. A marketer's best bet for mobile advertising is to stick to placements in the tried and true social, entertainment, and ecommerce properties (i.e., Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, Pandora etc.). Of course, many advertisers will know where their target audience is, which should dictate more niche mobile sites and apps. But, ultimately, it is safest to stick with the most popular mobile destinations and spend accordingly to ensure the reach and frequency the brand needs to break through the mobile clutter this holiday season. Bring in the Holiday Cheer While the mobile device has become a critical shopping companion, people do not look at themselves exclusively as consumers and thankfully there is more to the holiday experience than what or how people purchase or intend to purchase. People are continuing to celebrate the holidays with friends and family and their mobile usage supports this. People want to share their experiences, get directions to visit family and friends, entertain while at home or visiting and they are using their mobile devices to help augment these activities. For a marketer to succeed in the mobile marketing space, we can't just throw coupons and sale reminders at our target audience. Rather, we need to engage them this holiday season with messaging and placements that compliment their holiday spirit. Recognizing that mobile usage is still fundamentally about human interactions is the first step to a successful holiday marketing plan.

With the holidays quickly approaching, AMP 20mg levitra canada recently conducted a Mobile Shopping Survey to get a pulse on consumers' likelihood to use their mobile devices for holiday shopping and to better understand key motivators for mobile shopping adoption. The statistics "rang" loud and clear - chances are, "yule" be shopping on your mobile phone this holiday season. Use of mobile to date for shopping: 42% of respondents have already used a mobile phone or mobile device to make a purchase Of those respondents, 53% have used a mobile phone or mobile device more frequently to purchase products in the last 6 months When it comes to features they use on their phone during mobile shopping, they most frequently use the Internet (97%), search engines (59%) and apps (34%) Expected use of mobile for shopping this holiday season: 67% of respondents plan on using their mobile phone or mobile device to make a purchase during this year's holiday shopping season 67% also plan to use their mobile phone or mobile device to do research prior to purchasing products during this holiday season These are the top 5 categories that respondents are most likely to use their mobile phone or mobile device to browse/buy during this holiday season: Electronics (51%) Video games (35%) Children's toys & Apparel (both tied at 33%) Mobile phones/devices (31%) Restaurant gift certificates (29%) So now that we've established that consumers will be shopping via mobile, what can you do to ensure you make the "nice" list? Start by ensuring that you have a mobile optimized version of your e-commerce site with intuitive checkout capabilities and secure payment integration. Consider developing a custom app if consumers can benefit from peer reviews, instructional videos or if your retail model lends itself to detailed product browsing. And think beyond the handset - how can your mobile strategy connect with consumers across non-traditional touch points. Take a look at two out-of-the-box examples of recent mobile shopping integration: Tesco (South Korea) Tesco created a virtual grocery store on a subway platform allowing consumers to use their phones to shop the shelves just like they would inside a Tesco store. Consumers could complete their order before boarding the train and have their groceries delivered to their front door after work. Check out a video case study. Nissan Anyone shopping for a 2012 Altima or Sentra will now be able to use their iPhone, Android or BlackBerry to scan an on-vehicle QR code to gain access to detailed vehicle information including features, available add-ons, video/image galleries and offers. Consumers who don't enjoy the pesky sales pitch can now gain valuable information on their own device and revisit the content later on when comparison shopping. Learn more. Interested in amping up your mobile holiday strategy? It's not too late! Email me at mjacobs (at) ampagency (dot) com to start the conversation.