As marketers start to learn more about Millennials, it’s clear that the channels to reach them must be broad. Mashable posted an infographic last week compiled by UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School and the YEC. A statistic that was not surprising to me, but very important is that Millennials are switching their attention between several media platforms 27 times per hour on average. That is a lot of focus on the media, but very little attention towards one channel. Millennials are switching their attention from their mobile phones, to their laptops, to their tablets, or to their televisions. That is a lot of place for your product or service to be promoted, so which one do you choose?
“All of them” would be an easy answer, but not the best one and here’s why: Millennials can ultimately use their mobile phones anywhere and for most of the same things they would turn their attention to on other devices.
So, what’s the problem?
Companies are not paying enough attention to mobile. Facebook, for instance, has yet to see meaningful revenue for ads on mobile. Is that why their mobile interface does not compare to the browser? Maybe. There might also be a correlation to user-friendly mobile interface and the accessibility of ads, which could increase the meaningful revenue that Facebook hopes to see. In fact, The Wall Street Journal wrote an article around Twitter’s positive experience with mobile advertisements compared to Facebook and Google+. Coincidentally, Twitter’s mobile interface is great compared to their browser interface capabilities.
Mobility allows Millennials to connect, communicate, and consume information anywhere and anytime. BuzzMedia recorded that the use of social media and communication (email and text) account for nearly half of mobile web activities. Specifically, social media account for 23% of Millennials activities on mobile, which makes social advertising important in order for marketers to reach Gen Y.
As we see companies going after mobile advertisements, the interfaces in which we interact with these ads on these devices will continue to improve. Furthermore, as the preference for mobile increases, we will also see new ways in which companies try to reach their target audiences through this media channel.
Have you had good experiences with mobile advertising? Tell us what you think!
