By Cortney Wright

“The advertising puck that is careening towards mobile is no longer a “nice to have”- it’s often at the core of everything, if not always first,” states director of communications for Vibrant Media, Jonathan Gradner. The reason for this is that mobile technology has become so commonly used in almost every country. Below are some key trends that are likely to strengthen mobile marketing in 2013:

Embracing mobile apps for the advantage of marketers

There are countless mobile apps available to consumers and some of them can be used for marketing purposes. GPS, for example, has been available on mobile technology for a number of years now. This technology, according to Dawn Altnam, the business technology world, can create profiles of people who pass certain stores frequently, which then allows marketers to target them with specific advertisements. This is a great strategy because if one is interested in the product, they would not have to go out of their way to purchase it as it is already part of their daily route.

With users displaying a big interest for mobile applications, marketers have taken notice and are increasingly looking for new ways to reach audiences through this. In the mobile world, marketers can also align their strategies with the type of apps people are currently using and make use of in-app adverting and even full video advertising within apps. This element, however, needs to take the correct approach so that it does not annoy the users.

An example of this relates not so much to an app as it does to a game: Angry Birds. Those of you who have played this game would have noticed “unattractive display banners that appear right in the middle of such a well-designed and thought-out game,” states Hillel Fuld, writer for Gigaom. This has proved to be highly annoying and distracting for the users who are busy playing the game or more so, using an application. “The point is, ads need to be just as engaging as the apps in which they appear,” continues Fuld. 2013, however, is expected to bring well thought out in-app advertising that has a positive effect on consumers rather than a negative one.

Augmented Reality

Augmented reality is a concept that may not have taken off in the mobile sector yet but, it’s likely to get there this year. This concept can be defined as a view of reality that is modified by a mobile device where the information about the surrounding real world of the user becomes interactive. “Augmented reality turns a smartphone’s camera into a “browser” for the real world. When the user points the camera at various objects, content is displayed,” explains Altnam. And so, marketers can use this new technology by creating applications that offer in-store augmented reality, such as the ability to find exclusive discounts or watch product-related videos.

These are of course just a few expectations for mobile marketing. What do you think 2013 will bring for mobile marketers? Tell us below.