As the web continues to change in a variety of ways, so must the tactics of those who wish to be seen on it. For years, marketers and content creators alike have relied on desktop users finding their content through search engines in order to make it big. Make no mistake: both search engines and desktop devices still are huge elements of the search and marketing worlds. What is changing, however, is how mobile and social media are giving each a run for its money. Mobile marketing is the future – it won’t replace search and desktop devices, but it will disrupt them – and we have put together a series of the most important mobile marketing stats you need to know today.

Mobile Devices are Big

As of the end of last year, mobile devices officially surpassed the number of human beings on the entire planet. This means that the global market is saturated with these devices. Not all mobile devices are internet-capable – especially in the developing world – but many users do access the web occasionally or regularly to find what they need. In the developed world, roughly three-quarters of all mobile users access the web through their mobile devices at least once per month. This could be to perform a search, access social media or check email. Are all of your marketing tactics taking this into account? If not, then it is well past time to give your campaigns and tactics an overhaul.

Social Media is a Mobile Frenzy

Serving up content through organic pages and tweets on social media? Paying to advertise through Facebook and other social media platforms? If so, then there is one important stat you must know: the average social media user spends 65% of his or her time accessing social media through a mobile device. Pinging users with content designed to be viewed on desktops can backfire; not all mobile devices can handle desktop-designed content and without a mobile responsive design on your website, they may not even be able to view it at all. Any content strategy on social media must be mobile dominant – if not, you risk on missing out on the majority of impressions that would otherwise be successful.

Mobile Money is Fluid

There is a ton of money to be made in mobile activity, and marketers must be aware of how big the pot of gold is for major marketers and social media. For instance, more than two-thirds of Facebook’s ad revenue in 2014 came from mobile ads; there is a reason for that (remember us mentioning that 65% of an average person’s social media usage is through mobile?). Pinging users with mobile-optimized ads just makes sense, and there is evidence to suggest that mobile users actually engage with ads more than desktop users. In addition to this, the mobile commerce industry as a whole is growing by leaps and bounds. For the past several years, the amount of commerce occurring through mobile devices has tripled relative to the increase for e-commerce as a whole. You simply cannot afford to not engage with mobile users from a marketing or commercial standpoint!