2011 was a big year for the mobile world. The industry took major strides in terms of being recognized as a major player in the marketing sphere, and businesses who originally doubted its potential are reconsidering their assessment.
Let’s recap:
- Smartphone penetration in the U.S. reached 44 percent in 2011
- Businesses and brands started to dabble more in the realm of QR codes
- NFC Communication and the mobile wallet emerged
- Tablets and smartphones changed the ways consumers shop online
Given the success of this past year for mobile marketing, we can only hope for more achievements in the New Year. Here are some predictions for the mobile marketing industry in 2012:
- Loyalty based mobile programs will serve as the go-to form of mobile marketing, as more and more businesses are losing faith in daily deal services like Groupon and LivingSocial and are seeking out programs that will encourage repeat customers and increase client retention.
- QR code implementation will rise and will be executed with more engaging call-to-actions and measureable analytics.
- Near Field Communication (NFC) will revolutionize the mobile commerce sector.
- U.S. mobile ad spending will grow (eMarketer is projecting a 47 percent increase in 2012).
Certain businesses and brands may have gotten away with holding off on mobile marketing last year, but this year they’ll be left in the dust if they don’t get on board. Those who understand the potential of mobile will see no need to wait any longer.
2011 was big, but 2012 will be bigger.
