Mobile marketing changes with the wind — and over the past couple of years, it seems the wind has been blowing harder than usual. Making predictions about the future of this constantly evolving industry can be tough, but there are a few tips to keep in mind as we forge ahead into another dynamic year of mobile marketing.
Tips to keep mobile marketing on track in 2023
1. Keep an eye on privacy regulations
If 2021 and 2022 have taught us anything, it’s that change is inevitable. From Apple’s deprecation of IDFA to the (still in flux) Google Sandbox, privacy is front and center when it comes to mobile marketing — but just what that will look like in 2023 is still a bit of a mystery.
Apple’s release of iOS 16 also brought us SKAdNetwork 4.0, which precipitated changes to the timing and number of postbacks received — and gave probabilistic another reprieve. But even with ongoing updates, SKAdNetwork is becoming a known entity. Google’s proposed replacement for cookie-based targeting in Chrome has been pushed back to the second half of 2023, at the earliest. Back in March, Google announced that developers could “begin testing globally the Topics, FLEDGE, and Attribution Reporting APIs in the Canary version of Chrome.” April brought the first developer preview of Privacy Sandbox for Android. Updates since then have been few and far between, so mobile marketers — and developers — need to keep an eye on developments to be prepared for what’s to come.
2. Remain flexible so you can adapt quickly
The one thing we can say for sure about 2023 is that changes are still to come. The ability to adapt is key to thriving in the ever-changing mobile landscape. But that requires companies to stay nimble — whether that means being open to new tactics or working with technologies that can be flexible in the face of change.
For instance, as a young, innovative company, Swaarm was able to adapt to market needs even in the face of significant changes. In anticipation of App Tracking Transparency and SKAdNetwork, we introduced our industry-first Privacy Enabled Attribution (PEA) chain. In place of the IDFA, Swaarm generates a special token called “PEA Chain” that is passed in the click and can be retrieved in the postback. The token contains all the information needed for networks to determine the campaign and traffic source. With a little forward-thinking — and flexibility — we were able to solve the attribution challenge before it truly began.
3. Keep an eye on ROI
With inflation in full swing and a looming recession, every budget is under scrutiny, including ad spending. Marketing teams should keep a close watch on marketing costs and ROI, something that is harder to do in the privacy era. That’s why it’s more important than ever to evaluate your marketing channels to determine which ones return the best results and most valuable users. That also means deciding what is important to you and what KPIs really matter when it comes to ensuring you use your budget effectively.
Having the right tools in place can help you analyze your marketing campaigns and extract more value from them. For example, Sameer Singh, Head of Advertiser Relationship at Aragma says, “With the help of advanced capabilities of Swaarm Explorer, Aragma was able to gain real-time data insights. As a result, we increased campaign profitability within the first quarter of using Swaarm.”
4. Put affiliate marketing in the mix
Affiliate marketing spending is predicted to hit $13 billion by the end of 2022, making it a key channel for mobile marketers in 2023. A study from Awin and Digiday found that “80% of marketers view affiliate marketing as an important revenue source, with nearly half (46%) stating it will become more important in 2023 as they allocate more budget toward the channel.”
The right affiliate network can provide an important mix of channels that look beyond the limitations of Google and Facebook. Respondents to the Awin and Digiday study said they are working with a variety of affiliate partners, including influencers and creators (40%), media houses (39%), price comparison (36%), bloggers (35%), and technology partners (34%). It’s clear that affiliate networks can be a valuable part of any mobile marketing strategy.
5. Automate whatever you can, whenever you can
Automation has been on marketing trend lists for years, and for good reason. Automating tedious, manual processes frees people up to do more creative, big-picture tasks. This is especially important for small teams looking to maximize every cent spent on advertising. The AI behind automation improves every year, making it easier to work smarter instead of harder, freeing your team up to do business-critical tasks.
For example, Puneet Choudhary, Founder of Vytomi says, “It was crucial for us to automate repetitive processes in order to let our team focus on value-adding tasks. Swaarm gives us access to real-time insights in order to make fast data-backed decisions to get ahead of our competition.”
What to expect from mobile marketing in 2023
The mobile marketing landscape is changing — forcing advertisers and service providers alike to keep up. The companies that will thrive in 2023 are the companies that look at these changes as challenges instead of setbacks. Keeping an eye on mobile industry trends will allow you to prepare for what’s next and stay ahead of the curve even when you don’t know what’s around the bend.
The right technology is more critical than ever to helping companies navigate what’s ahead. Innovative solutions can enhance client performance and prove their ROI — making them indispensable partners for the road ahead.
