What Advertising Opportunities has the iPhone Opened Up?

Published On 2011-06-14 14:07:00

Any advertiser who hasn't yet heard of iAd is sadly missing out on the opportunities this advertising platform can offer any business. Introduced by Apple just over a year ago, the iAd allows those who wish to use iPhone advertising to do so by placing their ads directly onto apps, which are then purchased by the device users. This certainly sounds like a win-win situation, resulting in the advertiser reaching a market they could only have dreamt of, the app developer making money from their cheap or free app, and Apple making more profit than ever.

The iAd was introduced to the world by Apple chief executive Steve Jobs in April 2010 during their promotion of the iPhone 4. The mobile marketing platform was touted as being a way for Apple to help app developers make money in a way they haven't been able to until that point.

Jobs pointed out that the average iPhone user spends around 30 minutes each day using their apps or browsing for new ones. This clearly displays a huge marketing potential if it is multiplied across the millions of iPhone users across the world.

Of course, there is no point having this type of iPhone advertising if the app it is attached to is not very popular. Canny app developers know that simply building an app is not enough. The app needs to be interesting and fun to use and, to reach the real audiences that all developers hope for, it needs to go viral. What is needed is an app that people will recommend to their friends.

One of the main factors which encourage people to download an app is its price. Anyone who can build an app and distribute freely, or at a very low cost, has an advantage over their competitors. Making money from this type of app is difficult unless extras, which are paid for, are built in. This is where iAd comes into its own. Advertising revenue can come from even the cheapest app allowing developers the opportunity to build better apps for willing customers.

Of course, it is not just developers who are benefitting from the iAd platform. Advertisers are also reaching audiences which are far beyond those available in any other medium. In addition, the advertising can be targeted to a type of person or to the location of a particular person. With the help of a company which specialises in creating perfect adverts for the device, a great result can be achieved.

Somewhat controversially, Apple has been questioned recently regarding their gathering of location data from their phones. While they claim this data is not being used for any purpose, it is easy to see that location data will work well with iAds. Not only can advertisers target an audience which is close to their store, but they can do it in real time. For example, an ad could come up as the phone user walks past the advertiser.

While Apple has so far denied that this is the purpose behind the gathering of this data, it does seem likely that other factors could be used to make advertising on iPhones as targeted as possible. This may include basing it on Facebook profiles, what the routine of the user is and who they interact with. The options are endless and it is only good news for those who wish to advertise on the iPhone.

So, gone are the days when an advertiser would buy information from marketing companies to gain an insight into their customer. All they have to do is go to the customers directly via the sorts of apps which they purchase. With millions of people downloading apps every day, the options are endless for advertisers who want a worldwide audience and endless amounts of website traffic and sales.