Relevant Content Is Key to Getting Digital News Readers Interested in Mobile Ads

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Consumers who get their news on mobile devices look for ads that are relevant to the news, according to a new study from mobile ad network Mojiva.

Mojiva's study surveyed 1,000 U.S. and 1,000 U.K. mobile users to find out what sort of trends are coming out of the digital news market. According to the study, consumers are now getting their news fix from a variety of sources. Mojiva also found that when it comes to mobile ads on news sites it's all about relevance.

Consumers ranked relevance, humor, and interesting ad content as keys to getting them to pay attention to ads on mobile news sites. According to the study, 67 percent of U.S. consumers will pay more attention to an ad if it's relevant to the news item they are reading.

Another interesting factoid from the research is that 19 percent of U.S. respondents said humor is an important factor when it comes to ads. Another 15 percent said they are more likely to check out a mobile advertisement that has interesting content.

Ads on mobile news sites have become a growing way to get consumers to pay attention to advertisers. According to Mojiva, 24 percent of U.S. respondents reported they get their primary news from a smartphone or tablet.

Mojiva also found that 30 percent of respondents say they receive their breaking news via text message or mobile notifications. That figure comes in contrast to the 29 percent of respondents who said they rely on the traditional television sets to discover breaking news.

Consumers reportedly now use mobile devices in conjunction with a television. Mojiva found that 15 percent of respondents check news on their tablet while watching TV. Another 8 percent said they check news on a smartphone while watching television.

"People who read the news aren't necessarily giving up one platform in favor of a different or newer platform, but are instead morphing into 'multi-platform' consumers for different news 'experiences,'" said vice president of global research and strategic communications for Mojiva Amy Vale.

"Reading the news in print, or even online, is a much more immersive experience given the nature of the screen size, whereas reading news on a mobile device gives consumers up-to-the-minute information on breaking news the second it becomes available, wherever they may be."

Mojiva's research goes in line with reports from other studies, which found that multi-screen users are quickly becoming the status quo.