Image by: Sean MacEntee
By Gordon J. Pruitt

There is no denying the excitement surrounding the future of mobile advertising. There are approximately 160 million mobile internet users in the U.S., most of them using what are classified as mobile devices, you, know, the type that use … mobile advertising.

How big is mobile advertising? It’s a monster, and a growing one at that. In 2012, total global mobile ad spends are expected to be worth $5.78 billion. While that number is shocking, swipe this – that same market is predicted to top $13.5 billion in 2015. It will literally be raining billions.

The question is, how do you – as a publisher or advertiser – take advantage of this fantastical mobile advertising market growth? Each has their own unique characteristics worth exploring on their own. Let’s break them down and look at how you can gain an advantage:

Publishers

People clicking on ads on their mobile sites – that’s how publishers make their money. And guess who’s finally starting to show a profit in the mobile advertising market? Publishers who jumped early and got in on the action, that’s who. They wanted a piece of that emerging mobile pie, and they got it. But the numbers are so huge and the market so vast that there is plenty to go around for everyone.

So grab yourself a plate and dig in.

Here’s a good truism, content developers: Minimalism works wonders on mobile platforms. Keep your graphics clean and simple, say the experts, and they’ll keep coming back for more.  Also, screen-filling product shots look pretty awesome on those touch screen devices, so make sure that they are part of your content mix.

There are also programs to automate your ads to yield the highest amount of impact and put more revenue in your pocket.

Advertisers

Advertisers generate profits by earning commission sales as affiliates for other products or by selling their own products. And because it is in its relative infancy, the mobile advertising market is there for the taking by anyone willing to spend a little time and little time and effort carving out some action for themselves.

And it just keeps getting better: Tablet users actually spend more money than non-tablet users, making those affiliate sales really pay off. And with tablets on many wish lists this holiday season, that buying base is sure to grow.

Mobile platforms have also proven themselves to be an attractive format to experiment with some more experimental approaches to advertising. And wrap your head around this particular bit of information: In 2011, mobile device traffic accounted for 33% of all Facebook’s traffic, showing us all the way forward.

The point is, think outside the box here. Then think about what is outside that area that is outside the box. Your competition already is. More localized content may be the key. With more data such as GPS location and previous purchase histories increasingly becoming available to advertisers, the more intuitive the ad product can be.