What do you think of when you hear "local advertising"? Even though local advertising is often synonymous with small business, big, multi-national brands are now understanding (and spending) on local advertising on mobile.
With the majority of consumers using mobile to search for local content, advertising is following suit. Media owners, mobile developers, and mobile publishers are finding new ways to monetize and attract ad dollars with these global brands looking to find that local niche.
Here are some lessons that global brands should keep in mind when it comes to local mobile advertising:
1. Tailor content and be direct. Because mobile gives you the ability to speak directly to a consumer, you have a much better understanding of who they are and what they want.
2. Have a mobile-first strategy before expanding to digital and traditional advertising tactics. Mobile should always be the first touch point for an advertising strategy, as it tangentially touches every other advertising channel. Think QR codes, Augmented Reality and mobile video. Know where and when your consumers interact with their devices to find potential opportunities to promote across other types of media.
3. Include specific and succinct calls to action. Think about why, where and when your user will be interacting. If you want to redirect them to your store, it's only logical to include a GPS component in the ad unit. Design content that is aligned with location relevance to boost results in measurable ways.
4. Placement is everything. Brands beware: a poorly placed mobile ad can be dangerous. Be extremely mindful of where your message is placed, and take into consideration the real estate you are giving up to the ad unit. Spend sometime designing the ad and optimize it for the screen size.