If a business isn’t mobile-compatible, it’s already a failed business. And if you’re not crafting your online advertising around mobile advertising, you’ve already failed.

Mobile advertising isn’t as tough as it seems; it is however an imperative. Oddly enough, just about every business owner (no matter how uncomfortable with social/online media) knows they need to advertise online. What they forget is that mobile advertising is an integral component of online advertising. Considering most of us are on our smart phones or tablets, it’s crucial that even the smallest business gets smart about mobile advertising. Here’s what you need to know:

Adwords

You don’t have to go gung-ho with mobile advertising. You have the option of starting small. You’ve probably heard of Google Adwords, and just about any platform can adopt it now, including DIY amateur bloggers; so why not start there? Google even has Ad Words for mobile ads.

Furthermore, Google makes up the largest slice of the mobile ad pie. Since Google Ad Words relies on text ads, small business owners don’t need to worry about creating graphics. Plus, Google pretty much does all the work for you – making it the most affordable and simplest way to get in on mobile advertising.

Basics

Figure out the basics: Are your customers worth advertising to in the first place? Do this by asking yourself where your customers are. If you’re got niche local clients, mobile advertising probably isn’t worth your money. However, if you’re a business that can reach clients anywhere through an e-commerce, then mobile is for you. The same goes for a customer segment that comes to you from just about anywhere. For example, anyone in hospitality should definitely get in on mobile since they’ll be catering to people flocking to their destination.

Conversion

Once you’ve hooked your potential customers though mobile advertising, how will you get them to convert. Where will the ad they’ve clicked on lead them to? How will you measure conversion for mobile ads? These are questions that a great landing page for your mobile app can answer. Your landing page, of course, also has to be mobile friendly. Equally as important, it has to get users to convert. Ask yourself what you want from your mobile ad. Do you want to capture leads, get a sale, gain more subscribers or increase your social traction? All of these aims can be reached with a well-designed mobile landing page.

Measuring the Results: The Two-Part Analytics Approach

Assuming it’s worth it for you to take on mobile advertising (see Basics), there’s only one reason why your mobile campaign won’t offer favorable returns. If you don’t see mobile ad success, it’s because you’re not doing it right. When going through analytics, look beyond click-through rates.

  1. Here’s where the business chumps will be separated from the business sharks. Business chumps will think that mobile ad campaigns are all about direct responses. Did they get that sale? Did they get 500 new Facebook likes from it? This is the quintessential business chump approach. They don’t realize that engagement is just as valuable if not more valuable than just a direct response. Engagement builds an audience and gets you more visibility through network exposure. It fosters loyalty, gives you industry clout, reinforces a brand and ultimately will get you conversions too.
  2. Think outside the box. Online media is still a new market; that it’s constantly evolving can make the waters choppy. Business owners can take the same route to get to each destination, so in order to succeed you have to go with the flow. That said, be open to testing. Maybe your audience uses more tablets than smart phones. Maybe your landing page is turning people off. The key is to think like a scientist, try a few approaches, and always be willing to innovate. The most successful business leaders are those who work with the free-thinking spirit of a child.