Report warns marketers need “total shift” in strategy for mobile-based advertising

A new report into mobile trends for 2013 urges marketers to focus on mobile advertising as a strategic priority as people’s use of handheld devices for searching and purchasing continues to increase.

The report, by global consulting company Forrester, finds mobile advertising is on the rise, but requires companies to make a “total shift in their marketing approach”.

The report found the ever-available technology offers technical challenges and exciting new opportunities. Online pre-purchase research is no longer limited to at-home browsing. This means marketers and start-up operators are better placed to incite impulse purchases with their advertising.

For start-ups considering app development, the report indicates developing an Android app first would be better investment: “Android will remain the indisputable smartphone OS leader, with Apple a distant (but premium) second.”

The report argues the inevitability of mobile advertising will cause companies to increasingly implement multi-year strategies as they explore and transition to mobile-based marketing.

Similar to the trends announced by Google this week, rich media ads are doing well and likely to increase in traction.

The report focuses on increasing mobile spend in marketing budgets, and emerging roles such as “mobile marketing manager”.

For SMEs, it’s a good reminder to keep developing strong working relationships with graphic design and tech teams (or freelancers) as mobile marketing becomes an increasingly critical marketing tool.

This article first appeared on StartupSmart.