Why a Mobile Strategy Is Crucial for Today’s Businesses

In today’s digital landscape, mobile advertising is no longer an add-on; it's where consumer attention is most focused. As mobile usage continues to grow, businesses must prioritize mobile strategies to reach audiences where they’re spending significant time.

Few understand this shift more than Matt Moulton, general manager of Optimum Media’s mobile advertising platform, AdMessenger. We sat down with him to discuss the latest in mobile advertising.

How are consumer behaviors shifting to mobile?

Desktop use is declining, while mobile use is skyrocketing. People now spend four to six hours daily on their mobile devices, far outpacing desktops. The data says when you're not in an office, you’re on a mobile device.

What trends are you seeing in mobile?

Well, obviously you're seeing more mobile websites and apps being built. I think there are over 15,000 mobile apps right now that AdMessenger delivers onto. So, you’re also seeing that trend move more upward on the spending side with more than $400 billion being spent on mobile. I’ve seen projections for mobile spending growing to $500 billion next year.

How is mobile advertising evolving with the rise of social commerce?

We see weather can impact shopping decisions. If it’s raining or snowing, consumers are more likely to shop from their phones than venture out to stores. With mobile, if you want to eat food, you’re going to order delivery.

And that goes hand in hand with the shift from desktop to mobile; as people are on their phones more, they’re increasingly shopping on mobile sites and apps.

It sounds like a mobile strategy for advertising is becoming more important.

Exactly. This shift from desktop to mobile means that, to reach customers, a mobile-first strategy is essential. Every American has their mobile device in their pocket or in their hand every day, so targeting people on their mobile just makes sense.

We’re seeing a higher engagement on mobile devices, and mobile advertising complements TV, OTT, and traditional banner advertising and engages consumers where they’re consuming news, media, and other content.

All Americans are consuming news and media more and more on devices. For example, Gen Z uses TikTok more than Google now for information, showing just how critical a mobile presence is.

How does mobile advertising keep a business top of mind?

Mobile is how you stay relevant. People have their mobile phones with them 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For instance, Gen Z grew up with mobile phones, so you see a high usage from them. With mobile ads, your brand stays in front of prospective customers consistently. It’s different from TV or streaming ads because mobile ads can interact in real time, reinforcing your brand daily.

How easy is it to change my messaging?

Well, with mobile platforms like AdMessenger, it’s much simpler.

On TV, changes can take days due to production constraints, but on AdMessenger, you can adjust a campaign instantly. A new message can go live within minutes, allowing advertisers to be agile and timely. You can schedule out messages to run on certain days. So, it's very seamless.

What makes a mobile ad effective?

It’s all about the call to action. What do you want customers to do with the message? I tell people all the time, a strategy for any business is you want to drive traffic, engagement, and conversion. You want people to go to your website or use your app, so you need a strong call to action, which is one of AdMessenger’s many strengths.

How does AdMessenger differ from standard banner ads?

With traditional online advertising, standard banners suffer from “banner blindness.”  People are so used to seeing ads — up to 10,000 ads a day on average, so they can be less effective. AdMessenger, however, scrolls across the screen like breaking news, grabbing attention. We often hear that a client saw an AdMessenger ad because it looks different.

With standard run of schedule banners on mobile and websites engagement is typically around .08% engagement. We average about 2,500+ campaigns a month, and our engagement level on average is around 2.68%. So, you're seeing 5, sometimes 7 times higher engagement than you would with what you're doing now.

What different features are available?

We have a standard AdMessenger scroll which is our bread and butter, and then we also offer “tap to expand,” where a potential customer can tap to view videos, images, or carousels within the ad. Depending on what your KPIs are, and what you’re trying to accomplish within your campaign, we can help amplify your call to action through those features.  

We also have a full range of powerful precision targeting solutions like weather, political, location, and event targeting. So, you’re not stuck with just one option; you have several different ways to connect your message to the audience that matters most.  

Which metrics measure mobile advertising success?

Click-through rate is crucial, but AdMessenger also offers deeper insights. We look at what actions are taken after clicking the ad, which helps in tracking ROI. We even offer tools to track foot traffic to physical locations after users view an ad. 

What advice would you give to businesses looking to maximize their ROI on mobile advertising?

Focus on best practices and a clear call to action. Our team works with clients to optimize their campaigns, guiding them through strategies that maximize ROI.

Besides click-through rates, we have what we call detected drop-ins. Or what most people call footfall attrition. You can deliver an ad to a mobile device, and you can see when they walk into the location you're trying to drive them to. Obviously, we can’t sell them when they walk in your store, but you can see that foot traffic and that ROI.  

Do you have a dedicated team to support mobile advertising?

Yes, our team has deep expertise in mobile advertising through AdMessenger. We know what works and have a toolkit of features — from emojis to animations — that make ads more engaging. Our goal is to make every client’s message as effective as possible. We’d love an opportunity to discuss your business to see if AdMessenger would be a fit for your mobile advertising strategy.

Matt Moulton, general manager of the AdMessenger Reseller team, is a recognized leader in mobile advertising. With a corporate/local sales and leadership background, Matt has a proven track record of helping SMBs and national brands succeed in mobile advertising. His expertise has attracted clients seeking to efficiently grow their footprint.