For a long time, there was great speculation about formal advertising on the mobile web, but now advertising over mobile phones and devices is not only common, but also has guidelines set in place by the Mobile Marketing Association. The initial guidelines were released by the MMA in 2005 and the latest release in December 2007 marks an increased interest in mobile advertising that will only continue to grow as the world of handhelds expands.

A Growing Trend
Mobile handheld technology is a growing trend all over the world, but especially in well industrialized countries. In North America, 10% of mobile users use the phones for gaming, browsing and sending messages. Most users are between the ages of 25 and 34 and have plenty of disposable income. In Europe, the number of users is considerably higher making mobile web advertising a very lucrative and growing field for marketers.

Buying Time Online
Buying ads on the mobile web is a bit different than buying ads online. You’ll still need to create a graphic banner ad, but the size of the mobile screen must be taken into consideration. The ads are sold through mobile ad networks or directly from the mobile internet websites. Rates for placing ads on the mobile web fluctuate greatly but will continue to rise steadily due to ever increasing numbers of users on the mobile web. (more…)