LinkedIn is a staple of the business world, no matter
what industry you sit in. In the last few months, we’ve seen the professional
networking site ramp up with many improvements such as redesigning its home
page, profile pages and company pages, plus launching features such as
endorsements, notifications and sponsored job listings. These improvements came
off the heels of its Q1 2012 earnings call, which revealed that mobile now
accounts for about 22% of its membervisits and the launch of its first official iPad app in April. Despite all
this growth in mobile traffic, the network has yet to fully monetize its mobile
channels.
According to analyst Mary Meeker’s projections on Internetand Mobile Trends this year, mobile monetization could very well be on
track to outpace desktop monetization in as little as one to three years. In
August 2012, eMarketer
estimated that in the U.S., just under 82 million consumers, or 26% of the
population, will access social networks from their phones this year, rising to
nearly 117 million by 2014.
One factor that could very well contribute to LinkedIn’s success
in monetizing its mobile channel is the predicted growth in tablet advertising.
According to IAB’sreport on “Mobile’s Role In The Consumer’s Media Day,” nearly half of tablet users (47%) reported
engaging with ads on that mobile device more than once a week and an impressive
89% of tablet users are extremely likely to take action after engaging with an
ad on that device.
The larger screen real estate of tablets, for one, offers
a unique benefit to tablet publishers and developers looking to monetize with
mobile advertising. For tablet publishers and app developers, it will be important
not to simply stretch out existing smartphone apps to fit the device’s larger
screen size. With the recent introduction of the iPad Mini and other mid-sized
7 inch tablet devices entering the market, I can’t warn enough against making
that mobile mistake. Know the capabilities of and types of devices where your
mobile ads will be seen, and then tailor your ad creative accordingly. If your
ads are being served onto LinkedIn’s tablet app, rich media and video ads may
be a smart way to drive longer and deeper engagement rates and, as a result,
monetization.
As we move into 2013, all eyes will be on the professional
network to see what steps it will take to invest in a fully scalable mobile
solution.
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