Erick Bernard
Jan 24, 22 | 8 min read
How to do marketing in the mobile-first world
Reading time: 6 minutes
In 2021, according to App Annie’s State of Mobile 2022 report , people spent one-third of their waking hours on their phones . That’s a solid 4.8 hours per day of app browsing.
What does that mean? A 30% increase in usage since 2019.
With that information, the question marketers and managers need to ask themselves is: How can we succeed in a mobile-first world , where consumers spend a staggering 3.8 trillion hours browsing on them?
We have some insights to share that may help you answer this question.
By comparing numbers from 2019 to 2021, we can turkey email list see how users have behaved over the years and then think about the impacts or opportunities that could result from these changes.
So read this post until the end and find out everything!
The rhythmic melancholy of the pandemic
First, we have to consider the changes that occurred in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We have seen an increase in mobile usage because the world has been our home for literally years.
Having devices closer together has kept people more connected, not just for entertainment. It has also influenced new work norms.
According to the report, the most searched commercial keywords on the iOS App Store in 2021 were related to video conferencing platforms, such as Zoom , Google Meet and Teams, along with scanner apps.
And, as we’ve said here before, remote work doesn’t sound like something that’s going away with the end of the pandemic. Many mobile usage habits that emerged with the pandemic can safely continue into 2022 (and beyond).
A quick overview of the global scenario
Let's take a broader look at the data report:
As for 2021, Brazil and Indonesia stand out with results of more than 5 hours on mobile apps . This is about 2 hours more than the last country in the research ranking, China, with a little more than 3 hours a day.
The United States ranked tenth with 4.2 hours per day (one hour more than Americans spend watching television).
Source: App Annie Intelligence / Note: Android phones
Social Media, Generation Z and Trends You Need to Know
If you're a big social media user, you've probably noticed the boom that photo and video apps are experiencing. It seems like every day there's a new trend, challenge, or viral content on Instagram or TikTok, especially when you look at Gen Z.
And the data backs this up: according to the report, 7 out of 10 minutes spent on the phone were spent on photo and video apps in 2021.
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The recent generation of users (Gen Z) is much more connected and interested in sharing their lives on social media. Young people are responsible for generating a good amount of engagement on photo and video apps, much more than other types of apps.
Other segments such as gaming, finance and retail have also seen growth in app usage over the past year.
How relevant is that context for marketers?
Using data in your marketing strategies can be a great way to find problems and opportunities.
People spend a third of their day staring at a single screen. This means that marketers have great opportunities (literally) in the palm of their consumers’ hands.
But for that to deliver results, you need to find a way to make deliberate mobile usage a direct channel that connects your audience, from entertainment to business.
Having a mobile-optimized website is no longer enough. It is the bare minimum for any brand. People's attention to their phones is huge but also questioned. Getting their eyes to focus on your brand may not be such a simple task.
But we have some tips to help you with that.
Think of new channels
An important point in a marketing strategy is to understand the channels your audience is on. It has become clear that mobile usage is growing a lot worldwide. If you are not exploring digital channels very deeply, this has been almost mandatory in recent times.
Is it worth having an app for your business?
If your business has an app, you're probably closer to your audience than you think. Apps are great for collecting data about users, which helps develop more targeted strategies. There's also the benefit of sending push notifications and real-time offers, which increases the chance of engagement.
