One of the most striking differences between the development of the desktop web and the mobile web is the insularity of the mobile web. Writing exclusively for ExchangeWire, Alex Moss, VP Sales, Europe, YouAppi, explains why, despite the convenience of the walled garden, your advertising performance depends on you broadening your horizons.

Despite Google's dominance of the desktop web, users still spend a relatively small percentage of their web browsing time on Google-owned websites.

Compare that with the mobile web, and you'll find that a much greater percentage of user time is concentrated on mobile apps and websites owned by Facebook or Google. Google Sites and Facebook are the top two digital properties, according to comScore; although there are many other digital properties with tens of millions of unique monthly visitors. But when one looks at the leading apps, the top 7 apps, and 8 out of the top 9, are owned by Facebook or Google.

The concentration of Facebook and Google-owned mobile apps, and the scale and ease it enables, has encouraged marketers and agencies to focus on the two companies' mobile properties for their mobile marketing campaigns. While these companies have achieved their size and scale by offering unparalleled reach and targeting opportunities via an admirable technology platform, the marketers and agencies focused exclusively on Google and Facebook are missing out on some tremendous opportunities.

There is a reason 'Avis tries harder': For years, #2 rental car company Avis (behind market leader Hertz) ran a campaign centred on how they have to 'try harder' by offering amenities and better service because they weren't the market leaders. Likewise, mobile marketing solution providers, that aren't Google or Facebook, have to 'try harder' by offering more hand-holding, optimisation, creative consultation, and more, to ensure that their campaigns perform better. In the first three years of their ad campaign, the marketshare percentage gap between market leading Hertz and Avis shrunk from 61%/29% when the campaign launched to 49%/36% – and Avis became profitable. There is value working with a partner who has to try harder.

More data-driven insight/value: With data critical in digital marketing, working with other mobile ad partners will enable better use and optimisation of first- and third-party data. To differentiate themselves, most mobile ad data solution providers have adopted a more open data policy. This enables mobile marketers to both import first-party data for matching and identifying lookalike users and user segments, and also for extracting post-campaign insights, which empower smarter decision making down the road. With all the challenges facing mobile marketers – from ad fraud to ad blocking – mobile marketers need to take advantage of every opportunity; and the data-driven insights provided by other mobile marketing solutions can significantly improve conversion rates and campaign performance.

Checks & balances: How do you judge the efficacy of your marketing campaign? By comparing campaign performance being achieved via other marketing partners. When a mobile marketer broadens their pool of solution providers, they have more opportunities to judge campaign performance across all partners, resulting in better KPIs and results. Competition always improves performance – whether it means better prices, better performing campaigns, or a better ROI. The best way for a marketer to ensure that they have a system of checks and balances to optimise their performance is by adding more marketing partners to their marketing mix.

Let's be honest – it is easier to work with two marketing partners than to work with seven, because each partner requires specialisation and customisation.

But the only way to ensure that your marketing campaigns are truly optimised is to broaden your ad spend beyond Google and Facebook across a pool of marketing partners and to continuously run campaigns with multiple partners.