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Box.net claims 1,249pc increase on ROI conversions via mobile ads

Online content management company Box.net used Google to beef up its mobile strategy with the goal of getting consumers to buy its service on mobile devices.

After the first month of the campaign, the startup attributed one-third of all conversions from Google came from its mobile campaigns. Additionally, the company saw an increase in return on investment on conversions and reduced cost-per-acquisitions.

?Our goal was primarily to increase awareness of our product,? said Aaron Dunn, director of marketing at Box, Palo Alto, CA.

"Mobile usage is increasing in use, and I want to remind people that Box is a great solution for a variety of use cases," he said.

Box provides cloud content management system solutions.

Mobile switch
Box had been using primarily Web-based advertising before it decided to make the plunge into mobile advertising.

In particular, the company saw an increasing number of its clients using their mobile devices for big ticket decisions and started working with Google in February.

To begin, Box placed mobile ads on high-end smartphones, such as Android, iPhone and Palm devices.

Additionally, the mobile ads ran in technology-focused apps that Box?s clients use on a regular basis.
 
Box ran three campaigns that sent users to the company?s mobile-optimized site via apps and mobile search results.

After running the campaigns, Box saw a 1,249 percent increase in ROI on conversions.

Aaron Dunn, director of marketing at Box, Palo Alto, CA

Additionally, Box?s cost-per-acquisition on mobile is 10 times smaller than the company?s search-based campaigns.

?Mobile is essential to us as a product strategy as many of our customers want the latest technology and collaborative tools to work with? Mr. Dunn said.

?Though not everyone is ready for accessing and editing files on say an iPad, they want the ability to do these things when they are needed or are ready for them," he said. "We do also see people working more and more with mobile devices and given how Box allows people to access their data and work together, we need to enable all devices to work with our service."

Simple ads
The need to use mobile ads is increasingly becoming an important part of marketing for both brands and marketers.

But companies need to be wary of where they place ads to make sure they are still relevant to the consumer and align with the brand.

According to Mr. Dunn, Box was initially reluctant to tap into mobile ads because the company did not want its brand plastered on digital places that were not relevant to its clients.

Mr. Dunn said he believed Box?s goal with working with Google was to increase the number of consumers who either signed up for Box or started a trial for the service.

?In the future, we are looking a lot at enhancing security of file access," Mr. Dunn said.

"Imagine if a phone was lost that had access to company files - we want to protect workers from this," he said.

"There will be a lot more done around live commenting, updates and creating content from a mobile device."

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York