6 Tools SMBs Can Use to Push Mobile Ads

Nobody understands local like business owners on Main Street. Although the bulk of spending on mobile and location-targeted ads is still happening on the national level, small businesses are making headway in the space. More than a quarter of SMBs are planning to increase their mobile advertising budgets in the next year, according to Thrive Analytics.

Mobile marketers are rushing to capitalize on this trend, and as result, a number of well-known vendors have introduced hyperlocal solutions aimed directly at the SMB market. By streamlining the creative and logistical components typically associated with mobile marketing campaigns, these vendors are giving small businesses a way to expand their reach and modernize their advertising practices without increasing the associated costs. Here are six solutions SMBs can use to push ads to mobile users.

1. Cidewalk: Push DIY ads to local mobile users.
Designed by the mobile ad network Chitika, Cidewalk is a mobile app that gives small business owners and solo entrepreneurs access to DIY location-based advertising tools. Businesses can set up their own mobile ads in as little as five minutes, and they can push those ads out to mobile users in any town they select. Cidewalk differentiates itself from competitors thanks in part to the places where its ads run — Cidewalk ads appear on more than 10,000 mobile apps, including The Weather Channel and MLB. Business owners pay $1 for 1,000 views of their ads, and they aren’t required to sign up for monthly plans to utilize the service.

2. MyAcxiomPartner: Define audiences based on location, lifestyle, and demographics.
Thanks to a partnership with 4INFO, a mobile ad company, MyAcxiomPartner now provides small business advertisers with tools to create ad campaigns that reach prospective customers on their mobile devices. MyAcxiomPartner says its able to tie 152 million mobile devices to 101 million U.S. households, giving SMBs a way to link location to demographics and lifestyle factors when determining which consumers to target. Location-based mobile campaign packages start at $297, and MyAcxiomPartner says businesses can implement their mobile campaigns for as little as “2 cents per mobile device view.”

3. Moasis Global: Send relevant content to the devices of local consumers.
Moasis has developed a solution that enables business owners to reach their target customers when those customers arrive at pre-determined places at pre-determined times. The company’s small business product, mFlyer, includes tools to design ads or upload pre-made creatives. Businesses can then select the metro area where mobile their ads should appear. Moasis’ ads appear on more than 50,000 consumer apps and websites, including WebMD, Pinterest, and Pandora. Monthly plans start at $20 per month for 1,000 mFlyers.

4. Foursquare: Target local consumers based on search histories.
As a local search application, Foursquare has unique insight into both the interests and the locations of its users. As a result, the company is able to offer a service that allows small businesses to target their ads based on the location and interests of Foursquare users. For example, a local café could run an ad that reaches people in the immediate vicinity who’ve searched for coffee or croissants. When businesses advertise with Foursquare, their listings are the first that users see on the app. Foursquare features businesses for free and charges only when users act on ads by clicking or visiting the business in person.

5. AdLeads: Pay for mobile ads when consumers sign up to learn more.
AdLeads is a mobile marketing solution that charges SMBs based on the number of people who sign up to learn more about their services, rather than the number of people who view their ads. Businesses can select where they want their ads to show up, targeting down to the neighborhood level, and they can select the categories of mobile apps where their ads should appear. AdLeads ads appear on iPhone, iPad, and Android mobile apps. Most business advertisers pay between 50 cents and $2 for each customer who opts to learn more about their services.

6. ZettaMobile: Reach mobile customers within a pre-defined perimeter.
Using latitude and longitude targeting, ZettaMobile offers tools that small businesses can use to setup perimeters around their stores. The display ads that businesses create, using the company’s DIY campaign creation tools, show up within mobile apps like AccuWeather, Career Builder, and Café Mom whenever consumers enter those pre-defined perimeters. Businesses have the option to pause ads or change the content of ads at a moment’s notice, and they can create multiple ads to run inside individual locations. ZettaMobile offers free 30-day trials for small businesses.

Know of other tools that SMBs can use to push ads to mobile users? Leave a description in the comments.

Stephanie Miles is a senior editor at Street Fight.