BY Kathy Crosett
Around $228B was spent on U.S. mobile advertising last year. Consumers are shopping more on their phones, and AudienceSCAN data shows that over 42% of U.S. adults are Mobile Smartphone App or Text Ad Responders. Reaching these consumers means being in the right place with the right offer.
How are advertisers allocating their mobile budgets?
eMarketer reports that advertisers put most of their mobile spending into search and video ads. The numbers break out as follows:
- Search $81.5B
- Video ads $58.92B
- Banner $50.96B
- Influencer $4.86B
The rapidly growing market means mobile ads will likely account for 58% of the digital ad market this year.
How can advertisers reach consumers through mobile?
Looking at the market another way, 82.3% of mobile advertising occurs in-app. Of course, accounts like to use in-app advertising because they can target specific audiences.
Advertising on video streaming apps is an increasingly popular way to reach consumers. This category grew in 2025. While consumers love to watch short videos, in the U.S., long-form video content remains popular.
Mobile advertising on social platforms allows advertisers to target broad demographics. For example, males are heavier users of the LinkedIn, X and Reddit social platforms.
On a daily basis, consumers use an average of 7 apps, reports Sensor Tower in the State of Mobile 2026. For social commerce, mobile-first video ads last for 10 seconds. That’s sufficient time for advertisers to make an impression. They like the high engagement rate they’re getting from this format.
How can marketers avoid aggravating their target audience?
But even short messages delivered through mobile outreach may aggravate users. Around 80% of consumers who use mobile apps or browsers are frustrated by ads to some extent.
Analysts believe an AI-driven refresh cycle for ads will be of interest to marketers. When advertisers appear in front of consumers with fresh messaging, they may attract attention.
Awareness of privacy regulations
Remind your accounts that consumers who opt in to receive messages must be given the option to opt-out. New laws regulate how businesses use personal information that they collect.
How should you phrase promotional text messages?
In addition to ads, consumers appreciate text messages from marketers. Consumers opt in for a variety of reasons, but Vibe research shows that receiving offers or coupons drives 58%.
Once consumers have opted in, marketers face another challenge. The language used in the text message must influence consumers to respond.
Purchasers say the following type of messaging drove them to click:
- “Deal ends tonight” 61%
- Promotion of a wanted product/service 57%
- Enticing visual 53%
Vibe researchers also reported that 81% of surveyed consumers prefer rich communication services (RCS) messaging over SMS.
What should marketers know about mobile ad responders?
Keep in mind that 20% of Mobile Phone App or Text Ad Responders say advertising in their mobile apps is useful to them. As AudienceSCAN data indicates, that’s 49% higher than all adults.
Your accounts should know that these consumers represent a coveted demographic. They skew male, 56%. And 43% are between the ages of 25 to 44. Nearly 53% are urban residents.
Your accounts should know about the purchase motivators for this audience. They are far more likely than average to purchase goods and services that make them feel sexy, powerful and connected. They are also 20% more likely than average adults to be in the market for a new internet provider and a new mobile/wireless provider.
This audience can also be targeted for their interest in events. They overindex for their interest in attending music festivals, beer and wine festivals and restaurant week.
Targeting audiences through mobile outreach has never been more important. Consumers use their phone throughout the day, giving marketers an opportunity to connect. After opting-in, consumers want to see messages that matter to them. Your accounts can succeed at this task when you share the right audience data with them.
Image on Pexels from Cottonbro Studios.
