Small Screen, Big Impact Mobile Advertising's Growing Influence in India

Authored by Kumar Saurav, Co-founder & Chief Strategy Officer, AdCounty Media

 India has witnessed an upward trend when it comes to smartphone adoption and it can be hailed as the cornerstone of India’s advertising landscape. Seamless internet connectivity alongside the availability of affordable and feature-packed smartphones have propelled the industry to unimaginable heights. This has been the driving force behind brands utilising mobile advertising to tap into a heterogenous user base in a country populated by 141.72 crores people.

 India ranks 2nd after China in terms of smartphone users (659 million, as of 2024). Businesses can make the most of this ecosystem of mobile advertising to connect with potential customers in innovative and impactful ways. 

 Mobile advertisers can leverage this humongous user base to craft targeted ad campaigns which would consequently boost the overall engagement and conversion rates. A Dentsu report suggests that the digital advertising industry is projected to surpass the Rs 62,000 crore mark, by 2025, with mobile advertising claiming a significant share in the ever-changing digital advertising terrain. Around 73% of the Indian advertising revenue is expected to come from mobile advertising by 2027 (IBEF report).

 Social media has become an indispensable part of humans with an increasing number of people glued to their screens 24*7.A report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) suggests that roughly 84% of Indians check their phones within 15 minutes of waking up.  An App Annie report suggests that Indian users spend approximately 4.6 hours everyday on their mobile phones, making it a lucrative opportunity to tap into a vast user base. 

 Advertisers can capitalise on this trend to reach out to their audiences through the device they are most active on to drive user engagement. With approximately 462 million social media users (as of January 2024), applications like WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter can serve as fertile grounds for building stronger connections with consumers. From enabling hyper-personalisation to providing sophisticated targeting options, these platforms help brands to establish real-time connections with their audiences and boost brand visibility.

 There has been an unprecedented rise in video content in the mobile marketing realm in recent years. The major reason behind is the undeniable power of videos to capture attention and drive engagement. A Google study reveals that mobile video ads have the highest click-through rates in contrast to other ad formats.Video ads have  the ability to evoke emotions unlike static image or text-based ads. According to SocialPilot video will constitute 82% of the total internet traffic. The video ad spending is projected to cross $450 billion by 2025. Brands can use platforms like YouTube, Instagram, etc. to showcase their products and services by creating visually appealing bite-sized videos that are easy to comprehend and engage with. Content consumption habits have undergone a massive change since the proliferation of smartphones. Apart from being immensely engaging, video ads help brands connect with their audience at an emotional level through story-telling. Programmatic video ads and personalised video content offer a more personalised experience and interactive elements incorporated within them foster better engagement rates. 

 The importance of mobile marketing is also underscored by the e-commerce boom and the rise of online shopping. E-commerce giants heavily invest in mobile advertising to peak interest of consumers, and to acquire and retain them. Technological innovations like AI and ML, will unlock greater opportunities within the mobile advertising environment.

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed are solely of the author and Adgully.com does not necessarily subscribe to it.