Utlising the iPad

• Wednesday, 4 August 2010
• By Tusk
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The iPad certainly is the topic of the moment. Due to the non-flash compatability some of our clients have chosen to update their sites so there is an alternative to the flash that shows when viewing on an iPad/iPhone and this has worked well. But how else can you appeal to iPad users through your marketing strategies. Here are a couple of ways you may like to consider...

Branded applications
There is no doubt about the popularity of branded apps on the iPhone, I have many as do most users, and everyday there are more and more available. The iPad is no different and the application choice will continue to grow rapidly.

Games are one way to appeal to iPhone and iPad users, but some brands have appealed to mobile users through more useful and practical apps like banking, news, radio and even barcode scanning to produce content. The key is to make it appealing and useful to users. A branded game may appeal to more users but it will not necessarily deliver the engagement and frequency of use of an app that is more useful.

 
Email marketing
Like the iPhone, users can access their emails quickly and easily once they have set their accounts up on the device. Email is easy to view and read on the iPad’s interface, so it offers an excellent experience for the user, who is likely to spend more time reading emails as a result. Email marketers need to think about how they will tailor emails for iPad users. Since it is a touch screen device, placement and size of links and call to action buttons need to be large enough for users to select. The lack of Flash on the iPad means that marketers will need to ensure that any landing pages are free from Flash and optimised for the device. 

Display advertising
Whether delivered via the internet, or through apps, the iPad is well suited to display advertising. This may be the biggest opportunity for marketers targeting the iPad, as advertisers can create attractive and compelling ads, while the device allows users to quickly interact with ads. Add to this that Apple debuted its iAd mobile advertising network on 1 July. 

iAds combine the emotion of TV advertising with the interactivity of Internet advertising, giving advertisers a dynamic and powerful new way to bring motion and emotion to mobile users.

Here is an example of a magazine on an iPad as well. Magazines and thus their advertising will become more interactive and engaging...

These are just a few and there are many other options you can consdier to add to your marketing mix. One thing for sure is you need to look to these devices and the necessary changes required to your current marketing to ensure you are capturing your audience.....as they are, or will be very soon, using them!iAds combine the emotion of TV advertising with the interactivity of Internet advertising, giving advertisers a dynamic and powerful new way to bring motion and emotion to mobile users.