In-App Advertising – Can This Sustain a Business?

The internet has changed the way that businesses market and advertise in dramatic ways, for good. In the “old days” of internet advertising, flashy banner ads were briefly successful.
As time went by and consumers became more savvy and tired of the ads, they started to become banner blind, not clicking on ads and even avoiding websites with intrusive advertising. Nevertheless, internet advertising is alive and well, and comes in ever more sophisticated forms.

What Is The Future Of Advertising?
The game is always changing, and smart companies pay attention to what is going on and adjust their course accordingly. First you needed to get on board with business internet,  and then you needed to advertise on the internet. Then you needed to be on social media. Then you needed a responsive website because a good percentage of your audience is on their phone, not their PC. So now what?
Well, aside from the fact that more and more people are accessing information and entertainment from their phones, and increasing number of people are doing this not through websites, but through apps. Apps are not just games anymore, although games are huge. Apps help people shop, find restaurants, socialize and date, travel and schedule their day. There is an app for just about anything you can think of. Not only that, but these apps represent a significant opportunity for advertising your business.
It’s not just about the sheer numbers of users who are turning to apps over websites, although that certainly is a factor. It is also about interaction. In-app advertising is big, it’s effective and it is growing in popularity. More and more businesses are finding that the ROI on their in-app advertising budget is huge. There are reasons for this, mostly the fact that people who use these apps are more receptive to ads within the apps that they are using, provided, of course, that they are relevant.
The question isn’t really whether you should utilize in-app advertising, it is how you should do it, and is it enough to sustain your business?

Where Should You Start?
If you want to get your feet wet in this type of advertising, one good place to start is Google AdWords. This is the app version of Google AdMob and it is an economical way to start. However, to truly succeed in this game, you must really target your audience and make sure that you are advertising on an app that is relevant to your business.
Because there are so many apps, from entertainment to productivity, you should have no problem finding one that is in alignment with your product or service. Good targeting combined with the fact that app users tend to be more engaged when coming across ads for an app that they use everyday means higher click through rates and better conversion.
The question remains though, is this form of advertising enough all on its own? The answer varies, but if your business is right for in-app advertising, then the answer could very well be yes. Ads, in conjunction with other marketing strategies like social media and blogging can be very effective at generating leads and growing your audience and customer base.

Apps Create Highly a Highly Targeted Audience
The key is to create relevant ads that target the right customers. If you offer B2B or professional services, then you want to target apps that are professional in nature. If your business targets the younger crowd, then a social app or a game may be the ticket to tons of new leads and customers.
When setting up your ad you will want to make sure you are targeting the right location. Apps are worldwide, and you don’t want to waste money targeting other countries unless you want to. Just like any other type of advertising, color, images and a good call to action makes all the difference.
The bottom line is this: Apps are not going anywhere and the number of users is staggering and grows every day. This represents an untapped resource, as many businesses have not caught on to this form of advertising. Will it work for your business? There is only one way to find out.