5 Mobile Marketing Predictions for 2016

With 2016 right around the corner, marketing predictions for what’s going to be hot next year are coming in fast and furious. One main consensus that seems to be gaining quite a bit of traction among the trendsetters is the rise of mobile marketing in 2016.

What we do know is that mobile is here to stay, and the share is only growing larger. If this year’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday data was any indication, more and more people are relying on their mobile devices to read email, shop, and interact with brands.

So, we’ve rounded up some of the top mobile marketing predictions of 2016 right here. Ready to take a look?

Micro Shopping

One of the trends that came to light during this past holiday shopping season was the idea of micro shopping. If you’ve ever gone on a marathon shopping trip to the mall, you know you have to set aside at least half a day (or more) to hit up all those stores and get the goods.

Now, with mobile devices, shopping can be done online during downtime. Waiting for dessert to appear after the turkey dinner? Waiting in line to get your Star Wars tickets? You’ve got five minutes to hop on your phone or tablet and buy.

Brands Partner with Mobile Leaders

In the mobile world, apps are a way of life, yet a study by Forrester Research found both US and UK based users “use an average of 24 apps per month but spend more than 80 percent of their [in app] time on just five apps.”

Coupled with that is the fact that commerce and shopping apps only get a tiny fraction of attention from users. This means that brands need to look at ways they can partner with the big mobile leaders like Google or Facebook to reach potential consumers directly.

Mobile Payments

We’ve already seen people fall in love with Apple Pay, Android Pay, and Google Wallet, so expect the pay by phone trends to continue, especially among the 35 and under crowd.

This chart from eMarketer tells you all you need to know about the predictions of mobile payments:

Even though many consumers aren’t willing to completely give over payment to the swipe of a screen, marketers can still embrace this by offering mobile payment via coupons, rewards cards, or loyalty points.

Personalization Matters

No where is getting to the heart of your customer more important (and available) than on mobile. For the vast majority of users out there, mobile devices are never more than an arm’s reach away at any given moment, allowing marketers to reach their consumers more directly than ever before.

Beyond getting personalized with apps and payments, marketers can also look to SMS messaging as a way to reach consumers. With the average SMS open rate at 99% and the average click through rate at 36%, those numbers can translate into huge results.

Interactive Mobile Marketing

Video has been playing an increasingly important role in marketing, and that will move to mobile in 2016. Brands are looking for ways to get more engagement and interaction with their customers, and video is a great way to do it.

Look for the continued explosion of live stream, as you’ve already seen with Periscope and Blab, to grab mobile users. And, the new technology on the horizon, virtual reality, which is tapping into the potential of mobile devices.

More Predictions

These are some of the more popular predictions for mobile marketing out there for 2016. It will be fascinating to see this time next year what really exploded and what’s been a dud.

Now, what about you? Do you have any predictions on what you’ll see as the biggest mobile marketing trends for the coming year?