Last month, the consumer shift to mobile reached new milestones. Mobile platforms, smartphones and tablets combined, now account for 60% of total digital media time spent, up from 50% a year ago. In addition, the time spent on mobile apps in the U.S. accounted for 51% in digital media in May, up from 43% a year ago. Brands who embrace this spike and utilize mobile marketing techniques will have the upper hand when it comes to marketing to college students.
One major way to catch the mobile attention of college students is via social media. The overall mobile time spent on social is up 55% from a year ago. 71% of time spent networking on social platform sites takes place in mobile. Social media ranks as the top category in terms of overall digital engagement, accounting for 20% of total time spent. College students use social networks, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest, to boast about their recent purchases, as well as ask their peers for reviews and recommendations about various products and services. The Facebook app makes up about a quarter of mobile time spent, with its app alone driving 18% of engagement. Brands can use social influencers to help direct traffic, spark conversation, and drive sales because college students tend to follow, read, and respond to people with whom they can relate.
While college students are very aware of and responsive towards mobile ads, they’re also super quick to judge. Advertisements that are disruptive or seem irrelevant become a pain. College students use their mobile devices while they are running to class, riding the bus, socializing, shopping, or while at the gym, and they don’t have much time to spend looking at advertisements. With this being said, the impact of mobile ads must be instant and appropriately forceful. Mobile ad content that is fun, different, and creative will be most effective in increasing engagement levels and brand perception among these students who can’t seem to separate themselves from their mobile devices.
Data Source: Media Post
