This week’s advertising update starts with a look at Facebook’s Q2 2016 earnings announcement which yet again surpassed expectations. In particular, we’ll talk about the huge boom in mobile advertising on Facebook and in addition, the growth in mobile purchasing in the United Kingdom. Finally, stick around for inspiration on what to do about those unopened emails you’ve been sending your customers and how to reach them in a whole new way.

Facebook has blown us all out of the water, once again, with their latest Q2 2016 earnings announcement. The platform has now reached a user base population of 1.7 billion, the entire population of the globe just 100 years ago. Revenue from advertising specifically was up 63%, from $3.8 billion to $6.2 billion, since Q2 2015. Mobile advertising revenue now represents 84% of all advertising revenue, up from 76% last year. This major rise in share of all ad revenue is big and just goes to show how important mobile is today, to consumers and advertisers alike. The U.S., Canada, and Asia Pacific were cited as having the fastest growing ad revenue. With 1.7 billion users each month, Facebook is clearly an essential place for advertisers to reach their customers.

Facebook’s mobile ad revenue has become 84% of its total ad revenue for a reason. Consumers are using mobile devices on-the-go all the time these days. This has become especially true for shoppers as they search for items in-stores, allowing them to simultaneously research the competition’s prices, check another store for an item in a different size/color, and read reviews from others who’ve made a similar purchase. However, no longer is mobile activity disconnected from the final purchase, according to a recent report by Signal. Today, a third of internet users in the UK buy gifts on mobile devices. To be more specific, 57% of 18-24 year olds in the UK are mobile purchasers, and 50% of UK consumers age 25-34 purchase via mobile (according to a report by Criteo). So as a retail advertiser, consider mobile as a top priority in your ad campaigns, as opposed to accessory. Consumers are constantly connected, so make sure that the next time they are interacting with your brand on their mobile device, you are there, prepared, and ready to engage.

We’ve all received email communications from a retailer in the past. This method of communication is still an essential next step in acquiring new customers for many brands. The best time to reach out to customers is within the first 24 hours of the first interaction, while your brand is fresh in their mind. Yet 40% of marketers are not engaging with customers within 24 hours of purchase. Even more astonishing is that 52% of retailers report that fewer than 20% of email recipients respond to their first communication. So what's the solution? Try reaching out to them on another channel where they are engaging, often on a daily basis. By using what you already know about your current customers, like their email address, you can target them on channels like Facebook and Instagram, where they are constantly interacting with others, sharing content, and likely engaging with brands already. In short, use what you already have to acquire what you don't!

To learn more about the power of leveraging your own customer data to build your customer base and bring back dormant users, check out what Scotch & Soda did to find success!