Mobile marketing has closely followed the fast ascent of smartphone penetration around the globe. Developed markets like that of the US, UK, much of Europe, several countries in Africa, and across Asia and the Pacific have seen marked growth in the use of smartphones. What is most relevant to SEO companies and social media marketing professionals, however, is the fact that search behavior has grown along with the adoption of the smartphone. People are using them to conduct their internet searchers more and more thus opening up the opportunity for businesses to conduct paid search and SEO campaigns to target the mobile searchers. Now Google is looking to the developing markets in Latin America as regions ripe for Android predicting them to take off in the coming years.

Latin America in Focus
There are currently more than 600 million mobiles in Latin America, and although only 1% of the 200 million devices sold in the region as a whole in 2011 were smartphones, the rate is expected to climb. Google estimates for the smartphone adoption are highest in Chile at 25%, Argentina with 24%, and 13% in Brazil. Google sees special opportunity in the Brazilian market because it is largely a blank canvas without any trending devices or popular customer manufacture preferences, and Google wants to assert themselves in that position. This notion is echoed by the fact that Google Play, their market for digital content, will offer e-books and music in the Brazilian market very soon.

Businesses should look to the Latin American markets for opportunity more as they develop their smartphone capabilities. As adoption increases, there are simply going to be more customers for products and services, and businesses will have greater access to them through increased internet access and mobile web access. Coordinated social media and SEO campaigns can take a business to the next level and gain an increased foothold in such new markets.

Reach out to me directly at rbuddenhagen(at)webimax.com and @ryanwbudd for more information about the Latin American markets and the opportunity that exist there.