With the increasing number of smartphone users, mobile marketing and advertising is growing at a decent rate. Companies are increasing their mobile ad spend on social media apps while using SMS to engage their audiences with updates.
Technology like mobile marketing software has made targeting mobile users with diverse marketing campaigns easier. You can use this software to engage users with promotions, discounts, or coupons, encouraging them to go forward with their purchases.
Overall, the mobile marketing growth rate is following an upward trend.
What is the growth rate of mobile marketing?
The global mobile marketing market was $11 billion in the US. It’s growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18 per cent and is predicted to reach $57.85 billion by 2030.
Source: Statista
Let’s dive into these statistics to understand why mobile marketing makes sense in 2025 and how to make it more effective.
Why does mobile marketing make sense in 2025?
The statistics below clearly suggest the growth of mobile marketing. If you don’t have a mobile strategy yet, this is more of a heads-up for you to level up your marketing game. Let’s see what the data says:
- In 2024, mobile use leads with 66.88% of online traffic, leaving desktops at 31.42%. By December 2023, mobile had made up 66.02% of all digital traffic. This trend will likely grow as 2024 data suggest smartphone sales growth is higher than laptop or PC sales in Q1 and Q2 2024.
- Mobile shopping is expected to account for 72.9% of all e-commerce sales in 2025. It shows how crucial mobile-friendly sites are for retailers.
- About 65% of online sales happen through mobile, and mobile users are 40% more likely to buy impulsively.
- Mobile ad spending worldwide will hit $402 billion in 2024, up 11% from last year. This growth mainly comes from revenue on video apps and short-form video platforms.
- In the U.S., mobile ad spending is set to exceed $216 billion in 2024, a growth rate of 11.1%. The U.S. is the largest mobile ad market, followed by China, which spends around $150 billion.
47%
of mobile purchases come from social media.
Source: Mintel
- With over 2.7 billion monthly users, YouTube ranks as the second-largest search engine. Seventy percent of viewers have purchased products after seeing a brand on YouTube.
- Around 69% of customers appreciate personalized mobile shopping as long as the data is shared voluntarily.
- The average mobile e-commerce conversion rate was 2.89% in June 2024.
- Over 60% of U.S. adults believe mobile shopping is essential for convenience.
- U.S. mobile commerce sales are expected to reach $558.29 billion in 2024, representing 44.6% of total U.S. retail e-commerce sales. Globally, mobile commerce hit $2.2 trillion in 2023, and it’s expected to grow to $2.52 trillion in 2024.
How to make mobile marketing more effective
These mobile marketing statistics below establish a solid case to consider the following aspects when you’re marketing or advertising on mobile devices:
- Configure ads to show on the right browsers. Samsung’s default browser, Samsung Internet, has a strong mobile market share at 4.48%. Meanwhile, Microsoft Edge holds only 0.24% on mobile, being more popular mainly on desktops.
- Give mobile-friendly options to compare prices and read reviews. 49% of mobile users compare prices and read reviews on their mobile phones before buying.
- If you’re selling in these regions, prefer marketing on a desktop. In areas like Australia and New Zealand, desktops still lead slightly over mobile, with 53% of traffic on desktops versus 42% on mobile.
- Design with a mobile-first approach, especially if you’re in e-commerce. About 40% of customers abandon their carts if an app isn’t mobile-friendly.
- Use stunning creatives to capture attention. About 91% of people check their phones for information while doing other tasks. They have a shorter attention span on mobile devices than desktops or laptops.
- Prioritize mobile search engine optimization (SEO). About 92% of smartphone users make a related purchase after a search.
What is the value of mobile advertising?
The statistics below showcase the value of mobile advertising and why it makes sense to continue investing in it.
- Marketers direct 64% of their digital ad budget to mobile.
- Mobile is projected to drive 70% of all ad spending by 2028.
- Mobile devices account for 70% of all paid search impressions.
71%
of Gen Z social media users (ages 18 to 26) will likely buy something directly on Instagram in the US.
Source: eMarketer
- By 2028, mobile will contribute around $255.8 billion to social media ad spending.
- Paid mobile ads on YouTube are 84% more effective than traditional TV ads.
- One in three business messages go unanswered due to a lack of two-way messaging.
Mobile phone and SMS statistics make a strong case
These statistics related to mobile phones and short message service (SMS) will help you see the opportunities beyond your awareness. Is it worth targeting mobile devices for marketing via SMS?
- Around 98.1% of users access the internet through mobile devices
- When in-store, 82% of mobile users search on their phones for details.
- Nearly 30% of smartphones worldwide are iPhones.
- A smartphone user typically uses 9-10 apps daily and around 30 apps monthly.
- About 66% of the world’s population uses mobile devices.
- Mobile devices generate 60% of global web traffic.
- As of 2024, 90% of U.S. adults own a smartphone.
- 90% of text messages get read within three minutes.
- On average, Americans check their phones 96 times daily.
- About 48% of customers prefer receiving texts for business reminders.
- Though 61% of marketers have not tried SMS marketing, 73% plan to increase their SMS budgets.
- Around 96% of marketers credit text message strategies for increased revenue.
- About 58% of consumers are open to hearing from brands several times a week via SMS.
- About 72% of people are open to receiving brand texts at least weekly.
- 69% of adults aged 50-64 shop online with mobile phones.
Move toward mobile
Apart from a few exceptions, the statistics suggest why investing in mobile marketing at present is essential. Smartphone or mobile app usage growth is consistent and predicted to increase, automatically creating more opportunities for businesses to target their audience.
If you plan to scale up your revenue from mobile ads in 2025 and beyond, it’s the right time to set up a mobile marketing platform and start testing.
Learn more about new SMS marketing ideas you can try.