Mobile Device Advertising

How to Advertise on iPhones

iPhones are everywhere. They're one of the most popular mobile devices to ever hit the market. With so many loyal users, maybe you should be asking yourself why your company still hasn't advertised on iPhones. Here's how to get started . . .

If you haven't used an iPhone yet, you're missing out on a highly enjoyable consumer technology experience.

The popularity of the iPhone is a testament to the product's ability to integrate with the lives of its users. iPhone users have a reputation for being fiercely loyal to their mobile platform – and that's the kind of loyalty that marketers can use to promote their products.

Given the dominance of iPhone technology, iPhone advertising is a no-brainer for any business that is looking for non-traditional marketing venues. Small businesses and large corporations can both take advantage of iPhone advertising because the technology that's required to market on iPhones isn't cost-prohibitive or overly complex.

But iPhone advertising does have some unique characteristics that set it apart from other marketing mediums. If Apple's mobile marvel seems like a logical target for your company's marketing efforts, here's how to advertise on iPhones.

• iPhone user profile. Although iPhone users run the gamut, many share a handful of characteristics that can be useful in your marketing efforts. In general, iPhone users are tech-savvy consumers who are interested in cutting edge solutions and technologies. They are high-end mobile consumers who aren't easily lured in with simplistic messaging.
• iPhone friendly web sites. iPhone users rely on their devices' web access capability much more than the average mobile user. The problem is that most websites aren't optimized for iPhone viewing. Talk to your IT staff about creating a website that is more conducive to iPhone environments.
• Ad display features. When you design your mobile ads, keep in mind that many consumers will view them on an iPhone screen. Ads that require horizontal scrolling flop with iPhone users while ads that maximize the vertical rectangle iPhone users have grown to love are more popular.
• iPhone apps. iPhones present a unique opportunity for businesses to develop applications around their brand or product. Called iPhone "apps", these mobile applications can be designed inexpensively. The benefit is that the right app can give consumers the ability to interact with your advertising vehicles.
• Multimedia ads. iPhones are adept at handling multimedia. Use that to your advantage by creating promotions that exploit multimedia (e.g. YouTube clips).
• Third-party providers. In some cases, marketers decide that iPhone advertising is so important to their strategy that they need to recruit the services of third-party providers (like Admob) to help design effective iPhone campaigns.

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