Many Americans have their smartphones readily available in their pockets or in bed with them at night. No matter where you go, it seems everyone is glued to their phone.

According to PewResearch, ninety percent of adults in the United States have a cellphone, with fifty-eight percent of them being smartphone owners. Accordingly so, mobile advertising is a huge opportunity for marketers.

Forbesstates that mobile marketing includes “classified, display (banners and other, rich media and video), email, lead generation, messaging-based and search advertising” and “ad spending on tablets,” while  desktop advertising refers to “spending primarily on desktop- and laptop-based ads.”

With that being said, we question:  is desktop marketing dying?

Forbes reports that spending on both advertising methods were growing, but mobile advertising grew much more quickly than desktop advertising. Desktop advertising spend only increased 3.0% from $32.43 billion to $33.40 billion, while spend on mobile advertising increased 122.0% from $4.36 billion to $9.69 billion. They also state that desktop advertising is estimated to total $32.99 billion this year, versus $17.73 billion for mobile advertising. Right now, desktop advertising is still very much surpassing the amount spent on mobile advertising. However, it is estimated that by 2016, mobile advertising will surpass desktop advertising.

In a recent study, marketers were trying to discover ROI differences between mobile and desktop advertising via social media.

This study from AdAge found that “both Facebook and Twitter offer more compelling mobile products than desktop.” This makes sense because mobile advertising spend is estimated to rise, whereas desktop advertising spend is predicted to decline.

According to AdAge, some marketers claimed ROI on mobile ads versus desktop ads is much greater on Facebook (13%) and Twitter (14%), while others claim that desktop ads have a greater ROI than mobile ads on YouTube (9%). Interestingly enough, however, ROI was mostly found to be about the same on desktop and mobile on Facebook (40%), YouTube (48%), and Twitter (43%).

Maybe this is not so surprising.

Not everyone is a smartphone owner, but most people do, however, use a computer. Statistics show that desktop users greatly outnumber mobile internet users. Eighty-seven percent of adults in the United States use the internet, says PewResearch. They also claim that eighty-one percent of these adults use laptops and desktop computers.

Yes, smartphone users are on the rise. However, of all the smartphone users—fifty-eight percent of American adults—PewResearch found that only “one third of cell phone owners say that their primary internet access point is their phone.”

Mobile Advertising

This data seems to insinuate that people are primarily accessing the internet using a desktop platform, and those that own a smartphone to access the internet are more likely to click ads and spend money on them.

The demographics can explain this difference. According to PewResearch, most people “who use the internet, email, or access the internet with a mobile device” tend to be 18-49 years old, have a college education, make $75,000+ a year, and live in urban and suburban areas.

Broken down further reveals two trends. People who use computers to access the internet tend to be white, between the ages of 18 and 49, have graduated college, make over $50,000 a year, and live in urban, suburban, and rural areas. This same study shows that smartphone users tend to be Hispanic and African-American, between 18-29 years old, have graduated college or have some college education, make more than $75,000 a year, and live in urban or suburban areas.

Although people who primarily use computers to access the internet may not be as likely to readily purchase from advertisements, they are still important to reach. Perhaps these users are more likely to research before purchasing.

One day, more people will own smartphones and with that gain, the percentage of success in mobile advertising sales will likely change. It is very possible that the percentage would decrease. People who make, and spend, more money tend to be smartphone owners.

In order to access all of your potential customers, make sure to budget for desktop advertising! While mobile advertising is gaining momentum, desktop advertising is still very prevalent when it comes to advertising. So, NO desktop marketing is not dying out!

Stay current and accessible to your target markets by having both mobile and desktop plans put in place. Amplified Digital Agency St. Louis can assist you with affordable, effective advertising plans to help amplify your business’s performance in both the mobile and desktop landscapes.

If you are ready to boost your business, click here or call 314-884-2080.

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