Between the shift to virtual workplaces and classrooms, virtual exercise classes, and everything else in between, the pandemic has sparked major increases in screen time and mobile usage. Forbes recently noted that “mobile service providers are announcing record levels of traffic.” But this increase continues to be a double-edged sword for advertisers and publishers alike. As they continue to adapt to the shifts in the digital marketplace, an increased focus on mobile markets may be in order.

The drop in viewer impressions

The latest pandemic-era trend reveals a divide in mobile and desktop reach. Recently unveiled data suggests the number of desktop viewer impressions has actually decreased on average, while the number of viewer impressions on mobile devices has remained stable.

The impact on ad spending

Similarly, while ad spending as a whole has taken a hit since the onset of COVID-19, the mobile market has been impacted less significantly than the desktop market. In March, desktop ad spending dropped by 25 percent, while mobile ad spending only fell by 15 percent. Spending on video-format mobile ads, which are more expensive, dropped 27 percent in the last quarter, while mobile display ad spending only dropped 12 percent.

What’s the ad spending outlook like moving forward?

While some forecasts project digital video ad spending in the U.S. to drop in the first half of this year, there are some glimmers of hope. In a report from Advertiser Perceptions, over 50 percent of advertisers surveyed indicated that they intended to increase spending by the end of June.

Interested in learning more about how the world of marketing has been affected by the pandemic? Check out our post on how many retailers are adapting to the limits of public health restrictions with virtual reality features.