Posts tagged ‘Mobile Marketing’

March 5th, 2012

How Coca-Cola Created a SmartPhone App that Keeps Customers Coming Back

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I’m always looking for ways to keep my marketing programs fresh and engaging. One of the ways I do that is to study what the Fortune 500 are doing so I can incorporate their ideas into my own  campaigns.

The Coca-Cola Company is, of course, one of the world’s great marketers, so they’re a great company to keep an eye on. As you probably know, they were one of the first companies to fully embrace mobile marketing, so what they do on that front is very cutting-edge.

What follows is a short, 60-second video from one of my Pinterest boards that provides insights into what makes Coca-Cola’s mobile apps so engaging. It’s worth taking a look at the video to get a sense of how the pros use mobile to grow their sales and revenues.

You can watch the video by clicking the image below or by clicking here.

Source: youtube.com via Jamie on Pinterest

 

Posted by Jamie Turner, Founder of the 60 Second Marketer and co-author of “How to Make Money with Social Media” and “Go Mobile.” He is also a popular marketing speaker at events, trade shows and corporations around the globe.
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January 23rd, 2012

What is Mobile Marketing?

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If you’re like a lot of people, you might be asking, “What is mobile marketing?” It sounds like a basic question, but in doing some keyword research for the 60 Second Marketer, I found that “What is mobile marketing?” is the third most common mobile search phrase after “mobile marketing” and “mobile media.”

So, given that, I thought I’d shed some light on what mobile marketing is and how it’s used.

The definition of mobile marketing is pretty straightforward — it’s the set of techniques and practices that enable organizations to connect and engage with their audience in an interactive manner through any mobile device.

The tools and techniques that are used in mobile marketing included the following:

  • Mobile websites
  • Mobile apps
  • Mobile paid search
  • Mobile display (banner) ads
  • Location-based advertising
  • Location-based services (e.g., Foursquare, SCVNGR, WHERE, etc.)
  • Near Field Communication and BlueTooth (i.e., wireless communication between two devices)
  • SMS and MMS (i.e., text messaging)
  • 2D codes (i.e., QR codes, EZ codes, Microsoft TAG, etc.)
  • Mobile email

In Go Mobile (affiliate link), the book I’ve written with Jeanne Hopkins from HubSpot, we provide a roadmap on how to set-up, launch and manage a mobile marketing campaign.

What follows is an excerpt from the introduction in the book. It’s currently the #1 mobile marketing book in America, so if you like what you see, feel free to take a closer look by clicking here.

Here’s the excerpt:

“Are you curious about how to use mobile marketing to grow your business? Would you like to know how to use QR codes, mobile apps, location-based marketing and other mobile tools to increase your sales and revenue? And are you wondering how companies like Coca-Cola, Delta and Starbucks use mobile marketing to connect with their customers?

If so, we have some good news. That’s exactly what we’ve set out to do in Go Mobile. We’ve demystified mobile marketing and re-packaged it as a simple, easy-to-understand tool that you can use to grow your sales and revenue. The questions you have about how to set-up, launch and run a mobile marketing campaign have been answered in this book.

There are four primary mobile operating systems in the U.S. Percentages indicate total U.S. market share.

It’s worth noting that mobile marketing isn’t just an evolutionary new technology, it’s a revolutionary new technology. In fact, it’s a once in a generation shift in the way consumers connect with brands. And it’s going to have more impact than radio, TV and the personal computer – combined.

How can we say that? How can something as small as a smartphone be as powerful as radio, TV and the personal computer combined?

The reason is because mobile provides all three of those things (and more) in a small device that can be put in your pocket. There’s no need to be tied down by a big box that needs to be plugged in all the time. Instead, you (and your customer) can access it whenever they want and wherever they are.

In fact, research by Morgan Stanley indicated that 91% of all mobile phone users have their phones within arm’s reach 24/7. Additional research by Nielsen shows that the growth of the iPhone was 10 times faster than the growth of America Online.

It gets even more incredible. According to the 60 Second Marketer, there are 6.8 billion people on the planet, 4.0 billion of whom own a mobile phone. Do you know how many own a toothbrush? 3.5 billion. That’s right, more people own a mobile phone than own a toothbrush.

What’s more, Gartner predicts that by 2013 the primary way people will access the internet is via their mobile browsers. In other words, more than half the time someone accesses the internet, they’ll be doing it from a mobile phone. That has huge implications for how your business needs to connect with prospects and customers.

Given all that, it’s not surprising that you’re curious about mobile marketing and that you’re reading this book. After all, people like you have realized that mobile is going to be huge. No, wait. Strike that. Mobile is huge. And it’s going to get even huger. (Is huger a word? Why, yes. Just Google it from your mobile device if you don’t believe us.)

Is Mobile Marketing Right for You?

The starting point for anyone interested in diving into mobile marketing isn’t to run out and develop an app or set up a mobile website. Instead, the starting point is to begin by asking yourself, “is mobile marketing right for my business?”   

With that in mind, we’ve come up with a handy little checklist designed to help you figure out if mobile is right for you.

Mobile marketing is right for your business if…

  • You need new customers
  • You want existing customers come back more frequently
  • You want to improve your profit margins
  • You need to appeal to a broader audience
  • You want to differentiate your brand
  • You’d like to improve your marketing ROI
  • You want customers to spend more money each time they buy from you
  • You’re looking for new distribution channels
  • You want to grow your market share
  • You want to be in front of your customers 24/7

See where we’re going with this? The odds are pretty good that one or more of the items listed above is important to you. Who doesn’t want more customers? Who doesn’t want to improve their marketing ROI? And who doesn’t want to differentiate their brand?

5 More Reasons Mobile Marketing Might be Right for Your Business

If the list of reasons above wasn’t enough to get you started in mobile marketing, here are five more that will almost certainly help you along your way.

  1. It’s easier than you think. Setting-up, launching and running a mobile marketing campaign is easier than you may think. If you’re interested in getting a helping hand, reach out to an SMS service provider, your digital advertising agency or a mobile ad network like AdMob, iAd or Millenial Media. A quick phone call to any one of those entities will help you understand just how easy it is to get started in mobile marketing. (Of course, reading this book will help, too.)
  2. There’s a huge untapped mobile audience. The mobile audience is huge, which leaves a large gap between the amount of marketers targeting mobile users, and the actual amount of people using mobile devices, like smartphones. This means that now is the ideal time to test out a mobile marketing campaign for your business to see how effectively it can build your brand and sell your products.
  3. Mobile converts prospects to customers. The conversion rate for many mobile marketing campaigns is dramatically higher than the conversion rate for traditional campaigns. eMarketer reports that 1 in 10 people currently redeem mobile coupons, which is 10 times higher than the redemption rate of some traditional coupons channels.1
  4. It costs less than traditional methods. The cost of running a mobile marketing campaign is currently less than the cost of running many traditional marketing campaigns. Because of that, the ROI of most mobile campaigns is higher than other marketing channels. What’s wrong with a healthy ROI? Nothing.
  5. People respond to mobile. Just like it’s easy to start a campaign on your end, it’s also easy for customers to opt-in or respond to an ad through a click of a button on their smartphone. Easy sells; and more people are willing to reply to a text message or a mobile banner ad than are willing to clip a coupon out of a newspaper.

The bottom line is that there are amazing opportunities for any business interested in taking a dive into mobile marketing. Better still, mobile marketing is not that hard. If you have a basic understanding of marketing, it’ll be a piece of cake. And even if you don’t have a basic understanding of marketing, it’s incredibly easy to learn.”

If you’d like some quick tips on how to get started in mobile marketing, check out the video below from the 60 Second Marketer YouTube Channel. It includes some additional tips on how to get started in mobile marketing quickly and easily.

Posted by Jamie Turner, Founder of the 60 Second Marketer and co-author of “How to Make Money with Social Media” and “Go Mobile.” He is also a popular marketing speaker at events, trade shows and corporations around the globe.

CategoryMarketing Tips, Mobile Marketing, Mobile Marketing Training, Mobile Media | Comment2 Comments »

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December 31st, 2011

19 Ways to Use Mobile Marketing to Drive More Traffic to Your Blog

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In Go Mobile (affiliate link), the book I’ve written with Jeanne Hopkins, V.P. of Marketing at HubSpot, we discuss a number of ways to use mobile marketing to grow your sales and revenues. The list below is specifically designed to help bloggers use mobile marketing to drive traffic to their websites but can be used by just about any company interested in mobile marketing.

With that in mind, here are 19 things bloggers can do with mobile marketing to get more traffic:

  1. Add a QR Code Generator to Your Site: The second most popular post on the 60 Second Marketer blog last year was “How to Generate a QR Code.” The post highlighted the fact that we’ve got a QR Code Generator on the bottom right hand side of our blog. The darn thing attracts visitors like you wouldn’t believe.
  2. Make Your Blog Mobile Friendly. If you’re using the HubSpot platform for your website, it’s very simple to create a mobile version of your blog. HubSpot has documentation outlining the process on their site. If you’re using the WordPress platform, I’d recommend going with WPTouch or WPTouchPro. That’s what I use for the 60 Second Marketer blog and they’ve been flawless.
  3. Create an SMS Promotion. Organizations like the American Red Cross and Subway use SMS to connect with customers. Why shouldn’t you? I’ve worked with Tim Miller at SumoText and he’s a stand-up guy who knows everything there is to know about SMS promotions.
  4. Drop a QR Code into Your Next PowerPoint Presentation. When I conduct mobile marketing webinars on behalf of some of the world’s best-known companies, I drop a QR Code into the presentation. The first person to scan the code and use it to text me a message gets an autographed copy of Go Mobile. It’s a great way to engage an audience via mobile marketing.

    You can use location-based advertising techniques to deliver mobile banner ads to people in a tightly-defined geographic area. That's just one of the many ways you can use mobile to attract new visitors.

  5. Create a Mobile Display (Banner) Ad Campaign that Targets People in Your Community. Did you know that you can run a mobile display campaign that targets only people within a certain geographic area? By using location-based advertising services (readily available at any of the big mobile ad networks), you can target people in a very small geographic area. That’s perfect for interior designers, real estate agents or any other small business that has a small footprint for customers.
  6. Add a QR Code to Your Business Card. You can create QR codes that provide your contact information to the people who scan them. That’s a great way to connect with people and provide them a link to your blog. The best QR Code generator that easily includes contact fields is on the SPARQ Code website. Check it out!
  7. Create an App for Your Blog. In the past, creating an app was for larger corporations with bigger budgets. Today, there are plenty of tools you can use to create good apps for your business. The best ones we came across when we wrote Go Mobile were RunRev, ShoutEm, AppMakr, GENWI, MobBase, MyAppBuilder, Mippin,Swebapps and MobiCart.
  8. Run a Mobile Paid Search Campaign. Mobile paid search is so inexpensive right now that smart bloggers are using it to drive visitors to their sites. Since everybody hasn’t jumped on the mobile paid search bandwagon yet, there are still plenty of inexpensive keywords you could use to grow your traffic.
  9. Create a foursquare Campaign. Yup, it’s true — foursquare isn’t just for restaurants and bars. You can use it for your blog, too. I’ve claimed the 60 Second Marketer on foursquare and am going to give away copies of Go Mobile to the 60 Second Marketer Mayor every month for the next several months. (For information on claiming your business on foursquare, click here.)
  10. Record a YouTube Greeting and Link it to a QR Code. Want to provide visitors to your blog some extra love and attention? Then create a YouTube video, cut-and-paste the link into a QR Code generator (like the one on our blog) and generate a QR Code. Just add the QR Code to a page on your blog and every time someone scans the code, they’ll see a video greeting from you on their mobile device via YouTube. How cool is that?
  11. Build Your Mobile Website. It’s one thing to mobilize your blog, but you should also mobilize the rest of your website, too. I wrote a blog post on this a while back called “How to Set Up a Mobile Website in Four Easy Steps.” It provides a quick overview of how to create a mobile website. Another option is to visit BlueTrain Mobile, who is one of our sponsors. They have an easy-to-use platform that makes building a mobile website easy and pain-free.
  12. Optimize Your Mobile Website with Mobile-Specific Keywords. Don’t forget to add mobile-specific keywords to your mobile website or your mobile blog. For example, if you own an Italian restaurant and have a blog, then you’ll want to add keywords that people will be searching for in your content. In other words, don’t just use “Italian Restaurant,” also use “Italian Restaurant Locations,” “Italian Restaurants on Peachtree Street,” and “Italian Restaurants in 30342 Zip Code.” By adding location-based keywords, you’re targeting the mobile visitor which ultimately drives customers to your door.
  13. Optimize Your E-Newsletter for the Mobile Reader. Most email service providers have set their platforms up so that they’re mobile optimized. So, if you’re using one of the big boys, the odds are your emails are already mobile-friendly. That said, it never hurts to check, so send yourself a sample of one of your mobile emails and see how it renders on your smart phone. If it doesn’t render properly, work with your email service provider or your designer until you’ve fixed the problem.
  14. Use a Mobile Website Grader to Find Out How Your Mobile Site Stacks Up. Marketing Grader is HubSpot’s fabulous upgrade to their Website Grader tool. Included in the new tool is a mobile grader that can give you insights to how well your mobile website is performing. Another useful tool is MobileGrader from our friends at BlueTrain Mobile. Both tools are worth checking out. (Disclosure: HubSpot and BlueTrain Mobile are sponsors of the 60 Second Marketer.)
  15. Check How Your Site Renders on Different Devices. My friend Cindy Krum, who has also written an excellent book on mobile marketing called, inventively, Mobile Marketing, has a mobile website emulator on her website. The emulator is a good, solid way to see how your site looks on different devices.
  16. Add a QR Code to Your Collateral. Does your business have printed collateral? If so, then why not add a QR Code to the back of your brochure? It can drive people through to additional information about your company or your blog.
  17. Link Mobile Display Ads to Viral Email Campaigns. Did you know that you can run a mobile display ad campaign that, when clicked, creates an email that can forward to friends? So, for example, a person sees a mobile display ad for your company on their smart phone and they click the ad. Instead of it driving through to a web page, an email pops up on their screen that they can forward to friends. The email might say, “Meet me at Bob’s Italian Restaurant and we’ll all get 10% off our bar tab.” For more information on this technique, check out the MobClix website.
  18. Run a Sweepstakes or Contest that can Only be Completed on a Mobile Device. In a few weeks, Jeanne Hopkins (my co-author) and I are going to run a scavenger hunt for four iPads hidden (along with our new book) throughout the country. How will people participate? Via their mobile devices, of course!
  19. Run a Mobile Banner Ad that Adds an Event to the Visitor’s Calendar. This is another fun trick that the folks at MobClix came up with and it works like this — someone visiting a mobile website sees a mobile banner ad on their smart phone. The banner ad is for your company and it says, “Mark Your Calendar for Our Grand Opening Event!” When the user clicks on your banner ad, the event is automatically added to their calendar. Pretty cool, eh?

Those are the top 19 ways you can use mobile marketing to drive more traffic to your blog. Can you think of any others? If so, let us know in the comments section below.

Posted by Jamie Turner, Founder of the 60 Second Marketer and co-author of “How to Make Money with Social Media” and “Go Mobile.” He is also a popular marketing speaker at events, trade shows and corporations around the globe.

CategoryMobile Marketing, Mobile Marketing Training, Mobile Marketing Workshop, Mobile Media, Mobile Search, Mobile Website Best Practices, Mobile Website Best Practices, Mobile Website Best Practices, Mobile Website Design | Comment1 Comment »

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December 29th, 2011

Mobile Marketing 101: How to Get Started in Mobile Marketing Quickly and Easily

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Are you interested in learning more about mobile marketing? Would you like to understand how to use mobile marketing to drive new customers to your doorstep? If so, then you’ll want to watch the video below which provides 5 steps on how to get started in mobile.

Included in the video are tips on how to become a mobile marketing Power User — that is, someone who uses mobile well enough to understand the differences between an app, a mobile website and a location-based advertising campaign.

Many of these tips are covered in-depth in the new book I’ve written with Jeanne Hopkins, V.P. of Marketing at HubSpot. The book is called Go Mobile (affiliate link) and we spent hundreds of hours researching and analyzing all the tools in this fascinating new marketing channel. We’ve distilled our findings down to 256 pages of essential information outlined in the book.

Go Mobile is available at Amazon, Books-A-Million, Barnes & Noble and other fine bookstores, so be sure to order your copy today.

In the meantime, check out the video below. It’s packed with great tips to help you get started in mobile marketing right away.

Can’t see the video? Click here to watch it on the 60 Second Marketer YouTube channel.

Posted by Jamie Turner, Founder of the 60 Second Marketer and co-author of “How to Make Money with Social Media” and “Go Mobile.” He is also a popular marketing speaker at events, trade shows and corporations around the globe.

CategoryGeneral Marketing, Mobile Marketing | CommentNo Comments »

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September 28th, 2011

How to Get Started in Mobile Marketing Webinar

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Last week, I conducted a mobile marketing webinar with Jeanne Hopkins, the Director of Marketing at HubSpot. We covered a lot of topics including SMS, MMS, mobile websites, QR codes, mobile apps, paid search, display ads and location-based marketing.

We’ll be covering all that and more in our upcoming Go Mobile Conference in Atlanta on October 6th.

For those of you who want to catch the webinar, we’ve included it below. Alternatively, you can see it on the 60 Second Marketer YouTube Channel.

Enjoy!

CategoryGeneral Marketing, Mobile Marketing Training, Mobile Marketing Workshop | Comment1 Comment »

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August 16th, 2011

How People Use Smartphones [INFOGRAPHIC]

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How are people using smartphones? That’s a question Google asked in their ThinkInsights study. Here are some of the answers.

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August 14th, 2011

45 Best Mobile Apps for Business

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By some estimates, there are more than 400,000 iPhone apps and more than 300,000 Android apps on the market today. That makes it very difficult for the average businessperson to weed out the bad apps and focus on the good ones.

Well, I have some good news.

I’m currently writing a book called Go Mobile with Jeanne Hopkins, who is the Director of Marketing at HubSpot.

In the process of doing research for the book, we’ve narrowed down what we think are some of the best apps to improve productivity, provide news and information and help you connect with customers and prospects.

Here’s our list of the 45 best apps for businesspeople. It’s not a complete list, so if we missed any of your favorites, let us know in the comment section below.

 

News and Information Applications

ABC News Mobile:  This application is for all those who love to be in the know.  You can receive text alerts about breaking news, watch video, listen to podcasts or read articles all on your mobile phone.

CNN Mobile: Interested in staying up-to-date on the latest news from around the globe? CNN Mobile gives you the ability to read the latest stories and watch CNN live on your smartphone.

Google Books: Interested in re-reading the Declaration of Independence or Dante’s Inferno?  Download Google Books to your smartphone and you’re ready to roll.  I’m reading Ben Franklin’s Autobiography on Google Books right now and it’s fascinating.

Google Maps: What would men do without Google Maps?  They’d have to ask for directions, which, of course, will never happen.  Fortunately, Google invented their Map app for guys (like myself) who are too stubborn to stop and ask directions.

There are hundreds of thousands of smartphone apps. Which ones are best for business? Here's our list.

The Huffington Post:  The mobile version of this popular news and opinion online newspaper features breaking news, blogs and original content.

Kindle: You can use your smartphone to preview books that you might like to buy later.  Clean and customizable, the app permits you to preview the first chapter, as well as to add bookmarks, notes, and highlights.

MobiTV:  Missing your favorite TV shows is no longer an issue.  With MobiTV you can watch shows whenever and wherever on your mobile phone.

NPR News: Even if you can’t catch all of the news from NPR at home or in the car, you can still start your day with NPR News for your smartphone.  You can listen to national news stories on demand, or allow the app to use your smartphone’s GPS to pinpoint local content.

Stitcher: This mobile application lets you get your news on the go by streaming up-to-date audio content about business, sports, politics and entertainment.

The Weather Channel:  The Weather Channel’s app and the mobile version of weather.com provide up to date weather information, text alerts, animated maps and more.

Windows Live Messenger:  You can chat with your friends on Windows Live Messenger on the go with their mobile application.

 

Productivity

CamCard: Let’s you scan business cards and automatically add that information to your phone’s contact list and/or your Outlook or Gmail account.

Evernote:  After you create a text note, photo or audio note, you can synch them to your pc or to the web.

Instapaper: Through Instapaper you can save Web articles you browsed on your iPhone for later reading, using a browser bookmarklet.  The Instapaper Website reformats your saved articles (sans Flash ads and clutter) for quick reading on the desktop.

Yammer: Yammer brings together all of a company’s employees inside a private, secure enterprise social network.  This enterprise platform lets businesses set up a Twitter-like service allowing for the open exchange of ideas, links, and documents within enterprise communities.

 

Financial Tools

Bloomberg Mobile: Use this app when you’re on the go to access financial news, stock quotes, company descriptions, market leaders and laggers, price charts, market-trends analysis, customized lists of stocks, and more.

CNNMoney: With breaking business stories and complete in-depth market coverage in a customizable format, CNNMoney provides real-time reporting of financial news and analysis, as well as data and charts.

Expensify: Takes some of the hassle out of creating expense reports by allowing you to report expenses as they happen while you’re on the move.

iStockManager: For continuous access to – and control over – your TD Ameritrade account, use iStockManager. You can get equity and option trading, streaming data, real-time balances and positions, news, and more on your mobile device.

XE Currency: Convert the currencies of more than 180 countries at up-to-the-minute rates. The app saves the last conversion just in case you may need to repeat it offline, too.

 

Organizers/Time Savers

1Password: To maintain your usernames and passwords on your iPhone in one place, try 1Password.  The mobile app syncs with the desktop version, as well.  If you wish, you can use it to store other personal information, too, such as your Social Security number and credit card numbers.

Barcode Scanner: Barcode Scanner handles bar codes – including 2D QR codes – and lets you look up the associated product or URL for instant price checks and comparison shopping.

Craigsphone: Search and browse Craigslist posts near your current GPS location, and bookmark relevant listings, with Craigsphone.  The app also has tools for posting your own listings with photos and maps.

PageOnce: Use PageOnce to track credit card transactions, check your bank account status, monitor frequent-flyer miles and itineraries, and get alerts when bills are due and itineraries change.

 

Utilities

Analytics App: Full mobile service for your Google Analytics data.  You can check everything from reports to specific data, and the tidy interface makes it even easier to navigate than the web-based service.

AntiDroidTheft: If you lose your phone, AntiDroidTheft turns on remote GPS tracking so that you can determine its location.  You can also trigger the phone’s camera to shoot an image that might help you locate the handset.

AndroZip: The powerful AndroZip File Manager works with archives, including 7ZIPhone, BZIP2, GZIPhone, RAR, TAR, and ZIPhone files.  You can use it to create GZIP, TAR, or ZIPhone archives, too.  Free.

Fring: Really cool mobile app that lets you place free calls or chat with anyone from your Skype, ICQ, Google Talk, MSN, Twitter, or SIP contacts.

SmrtGuard: Can remotely track – and lock – your smartphone if it goes missing.  The Pro version lets you perform automatic wireless backup and restore.

Soonr: Need to access your PC directly from the handset?  Enter Soonr, a free mobile client that brings remote PC access to your phone:  search files, view documents, check emails, run programs and more.

Talk to Me: Originally, Talk To Me translated only English, French, Spanish, German, and Italian, with its speech-to-speech functionality.  Now it has many other languages from which to choose.

Vlingo: Replaces every instance where you have to type on your smartphone with voice commands.  It covers your phone’s basic messaging functions, voice calls, Facebook updates, and personal notes.  On Android and BlackBerry, the app will even read your incoming messages to you.

 

Social and Location-Based Applications

Bump:  This is a terrific application that allows you to exchange contact information, photos, social networking information and calendar events just by “bumping” your phone with another Bump user.

Facebook: You can update your Facebook page on the fly with their mobile version.  You can even update your Facebook Places profile, which lets people know where you’re eating, drinking, relaxing or just hanging out.

Foursquare: Ready to “check-in” to your favorite restaurant, bar, mall or retail store?  If you do it enough, you’ll become Mayor or be eligible for discount coupons.

Google+: This is much like Facebook, only better. (Seriously.) If the cluttered atmosphere of Facebook drives you a little batty, click this link and accept our invitation to join Google+.

Gowalla:  Much like Foursquare, Gowalla allows you to share your location with friends, all the while accumulating digital souvenirs that may be redeemable for real life rewards.

Hootsuite: Using HootSuite, you can manage your Facebook and Twitter accounts within an elegant, clean user interface.  HootSuite stands out from other social network managers for its extra features:  You can schedule updates, set columns to monitor keywords and hash tags, and translate updates in other languages                  .

LinkedIn: Ready to exchange LinkedIn contacts just by bumping your phone?  Or perhaps you want read someone’s profile while you’re waiting for them at a restaurant.  If that sounds enticing, then this application is for you.

Loopt: Allows you to connect with your friends by sharing your location and status with friends.  With Loopt, you can find your friends on a map and view their photo and status updates in real-time.

Mass Text Message:  Text up to ten friends with just one click by downloading the Mass Text Message app and creating custom groups of contacts.

Qik:  A new, faster way to share videos with all of your friends, Qik allows you to record and instantly upload videos to the internet or stream live video straight from your phone.  You can also 2-way video chat or send  video mail.

Skype:  Verizon Wireless users can now use Skype through their phones with free Skype-to-Skype calling and IM without using their mobile minutes.  Users with other carriers can get a Skype To Go number that they can reach from any mobile phone.

Twitter: You don’t have to be sitting behind a desk to update your Twitter status.  The mobile version lets you stay connected wherever you are.

Yelp:  This application can give you restaurant reviews on the fly.  Better still, their augmented reality mobile application lets you look through your mobile screen and places tags with reviews over the restaurants on that street.

YouTube:  You can now check out the latest YouTube craze straight from your mobile phone.  You can search for and watch videos or record and upload your own videos.

Did we miss anything on our list? If so, just provide the name, description and URL of your favorite mobile phone apps in the comment section below.

 

Jamie Turner is the co-author of How to Make Money with Social Media. He is the Founder of the 60 Second Marketer and is also a popular marketing speaker at events, trade shows and corporations around the globe. His next book, Go Mobile, will be published by John Wiley & Sons in 2012.

CategoryMobile Marketing, Mobile Media | Comment1 Comment »

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August 10th, 2011

Microsoft Tag vs. QR Codes: The Debate Continues

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A few months ago, a member of the 60 Second Marketer community started a discussion on our LinkedIn group that asked, “I am curious about everyone’s thoughts on Microsoft Tags vs. QR Codes.”

You can join that discussion by clicking the link above. In the meantime, you might also enjoy our analysis of the comments and information we received about the Microsoft Tag vs. QR Code debate. (Some very level-headed information was kindly provided by Nick Martin, the Online Community Manager at Microsoft Tag.)

Here’s our report, written by Nicole Hall at Mobilize Worldwide.

While these two codes both fall into the category of a 2D code, many people have differing opinions on which will win out to become the most widely accepted technology. So what is the fuss really all about?Microsoft Tag vs QR Code

We took a look at the 5 factors most commonly discussed in the debate to help you decide which code is best for your business.

Open vs. Closed Source: One of the biggest differences between the codes is whether they are open or closed sources.  QR codes are open source, meaning they can be created by many companies, and each company’s code reader should be able to read every other company’s QR codes. Meanwhile, Microsoft Tag’s technology is closed, meaning you can only create and scan Microsoft Tags using Microsoft’s platform. While some believe the open nature of QR codes will help them gain traction and become more widespread in the market place, others argue that by controlling the entire scanning process, Microsoft will be better able to assure quality, and thus rise to the top.

Adoption Rates: Though QR code companies and Microsoft are both extremely tight lipped about their numbers except to say that they are experiencing extreme growth, many 3rd parties have speculated about each code’s share of the market. According to Nellymoser, who is a partner of Microsoft Tag, Tag has an overwhelming presence in the print publications industry, with campaigns in publications such as Allure, Sports Illustrated and USA Today.

However, in most other areas QR codes seem to be dominating the space. In fact, Burson Marsteller recently reported that 22% of the Fortune 50 companies are using QR to promote their business. Companies using QR codes include retailers such as Walmart, manufacturers like Ford Motors and entertainment companies such as HBO, to name a few.  Additionally, ScanLife QR code readers are preloaded on to many Android devices, increasing the adoption rate amongst these owners. Microsoft Tags are not preloaded on any devices, despite the fact that Windows Phones are also a Microsoft product.

Scanability: Scanability is one of the hottest topics in the debate over codes, but unfortunately there is no definitive evidence one way or the other.  While Microsoft has put out research indicating their codes are successfully read up to twice as often as QR codes, 3rd party research is not available to back up these claims. Anecdotal evidence however, indicates that the codes tend to be fairly evenly matched, but that QR codes scanability can be hampered depending on what codes and code readers are being used.

Customizability:  One of Microsoft’s initial selling points was that, unlike QR codes, they could incorporate colors and custom logos into their tags. But now QR codes are catching up on this front. The codes can operate successfully with a 30% margin of error, meaning designers have been able to get creative with graphics and logos. Microsoft Tags can also include your logo, but typically work by layering a field of dots over a picture, as opposed to actually incorporating it into the design. This makes it easy to create a custom code without a graphic designer, but many argue it does not look as sleek. Check out some examples below and decide for yourself. And, for more cool QR codes, check out Mashable’s article.

Iams MST

Custom Microsoft Tag for Iams

Jay Baer MST

Custom Microsoft Tag for Jay Baer book, Now

corkbin

Custom QR Code for Corkbin

magic Hat QR

Custom QR Code for Magic Hat

 

Cost: It is completely free to create Microsoft Tags and to download their reader. Additionally, their metrics, which include the frequency, time frame, and geography of all scans, come free of charge. Microsoft has guaranteed that all of their services will remain free until at least 2015, and they will give 2 years notice before charging for any service, so a price hike is not a concern for their users. This cost structure differs slightly from most QR code companies which do not charge to create or scan codes, but often do charge a “premium” rate to achieve similar metrics.

While there are some definite differences between the two codes, much of their popularity will come down to individual preference. Regardless of which code wins out, the continuing adoption of one or both of these codes is a definite win for mobile marketers.

Posted by Nicole Hall, Account Manager with Mobilize Worldwide. Mobilize Worldwide develops mobile apps, mobile ad campaigns, mobile websites and just about anything else related to mobile marketing for brands interested in growing their sales and revenue using this new and emerging medium.

Category2D Codes, General Marketing, Microsoft, Mobile Applications, Mobile Marketing, QR Codes | Comment24 Comments »

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June 15th, 2011

Top 13 Email Marketing Tips Every Marketer Should Know

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It seems as though every new marketing article or blog post these days is focusing on social media or mobile media. But email marketing is still one of the most efficient ways to connect with customers and prospects.

So, how do you get consumers to actually open your email and read the valuable contents inside? Mashable and AdAge broke down a list of smart and effective email marketing tactics. Here’s a baker’s dozen you should consider implementing into your campaign.

1. Combine with social platforms: Brands are seeing success when using Twitter and Facebook to gain email subscribers. Send your followers tweets with a shortened URL that allows them to easily click and opt-in to your email mailing list. By creating easy email subscription sign-ups on your Facebook page you have the opportunity to attract more subscribers.

2. Know who you’re talking to: Companies often make the mistake of sending universal email blasts to their entire mailing listing with zero regard to who they’re actually talking to.  Segment your database and design personalized emails that the specific viewer will actually want to read. One way is to screen your subscribers when they first sign up. Ask them what they want to get out of these emails and find out who they are as a consumer. This way, you’re sending them content they actually want to and will read.

3. Let them know who’s talking to them: According to AdAge, 70% of consumers say the “from” line drives their decision to either open or ignore the email and 30% say it’s the subject line. These two touch points give you an opportunity to brand your email and let consumers know who’s talking to them.

4. Give them an incentive: Everyone loves getting a little something special in the mail. Send your subscribers a free gift on their birthday or a 20% off coupon for Father’s Day. Give them a reason to open up the email and they’ll be wanting to come back for more.

5. Extend the offer across social platforms: Extend this incentive across social media platforms by giving viewers the ability to share their news on Facebook and Twitter. By making consumers an advocate for your brand, their friends and followers will be interested in signing up, too. 

6. Create mobile-friendly emails: According to ComScore mobile email usage increased 36% in 2010.  By creating mobile-friendly emails, your on-the-go viewers have the opportunity to read and click-through while on the train or waiting at the doctor’s office.

7. Where to put your most important message: When designing mobile-friendly emails, the key is to make sure the first line in the email is your most important message. Why? The first line is what shows up as the preview on smartphones. It’s about putting your best foot forward.

8. Expand your email list with SMS text: Give consumers an easy way to opt-in to your email database with a simple text. You can do so by letting consumers know all they have to do is text their email address to you SMS short code to subscribe.

9. Make announcements: Consumers are more likely to open up an email with announcement of news. Letting them know a sale ends soon, a new product alert or limited time offers gets them to open up the email and act fast.

10. Frequency and Relevance: AdAge reports that these are the two key elements to keep in mind when using email as a marketing tactic. Don’t bombard your subscribers with a flood of emails, but don’t neglect them either. Provide them with relevant content. If they just bought a product at your store, send them a survey to learn about their experience.

11. Current event tie-ins: Mashable states that viewers respond well to emails related to current events and pop culture. Find creative and fun ways to tie in what’s going on in the area with your brand.

12. Test your tactics: Test subject lines, offers and messages to see what works and what tanks. By testing your tactics you have the ability to know what grabs readers attention and gets them to interact with your email.

13. Listen to feedback: Make it easy for your consumers to leave comments and give feedback so you can give them more of what they want. Email is and always should be a form of two-way communication, so give them the opportunity to respond.

Posted by Rebecca Wilson, Marketing Analyst for the 60 Second Marketer.

CategoryEmail marketing, Facebook, Internet, Marketing Techniques, Marketing Tips, Mobile Marketing | Comment4 Comments »

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June 13th, 2011

New Research on the Plans, Trends and Measurability of Mobile Marketing

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What’s on the mind of all marketers today? Mobile.

Because of that, King Fish Media, Maxmiser, HubSpot and Junta42 conducted research to understand the plans, trends and measure-ability of mobile marketing. The online study collected responses from 560 participants including both corporate management and marketing/sales management professionals.

So, what did they find? Lots. Let’s break it down.

Given the low (but growing) penetration of Smartphones, it’s no surprise that King Fish Media found that mobile marketing is actually in its early stages. Only 33% of the companies that responded currently have a mobile strategy in place. For larger companies (those with 100 + employees) that number rises to 45%.

Where does mobile fit into the budget? Only 12% of brands’ marketing budget is spent on mobile, however 82% plan to increase their spending over the next year. According to their research, 30% of the increased funds will be taken from traditional marketing and advertising.

So what are marketers aiming to do with the their mobile marketing initiatives? Build relationships. This seems to be the core focus, which explains why social media, branded, email capabilities, geo-location/maps and general reference are the top content types right now.

What about mobile applications? There are hundreds, I know. So, are companies really involved in creating them? Well, 28% of companies are using native apps and their development is predicted to increase to 43% by next year.

The iPhone seems to be the most popular platform for application development with 75% of all companies planning apps on this platform. We’re also seeing a significant rise in apps using the iPad platform, 41% to a 76% increase by next year.

What are the take-aways from all this? There are several.

  1. Track your followers. Nearly 60% of companies are tracking visitors to their website from mobile devices. Google Analytics is a great tool to help you track visitors and see where they’re coming from.
  2. Realize the benefits. Mobile marketing can help improve customer retention and help establish closer relationships with customers. Want to gain new customers and strengthen your relationship with current consumers? I’m assuming the answer is an unfiltered, YES.  These are cited as two of the many relationship benefits for mobile marketing.
  3. Develop different mobile strategies to build relationships. Original branded content, ads, expert content and videos are popular types of content used by consumers. Find a way to tap into what their using to establish and build relationships with your consumers.

Mobile may still be in its infancy, but consumers are using it more and more frequently. If you’d like to differentiate your brand, then mobile marketing may be just what you’re looking for.

If you’d like to read the full report, click King Fish Media, HubSpot, Maxmiser and Junta42.

If you like what you read today, you can have these blog posts delivered to your in box each morning by clicking here. Or, you can sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter by clicking here.

Posted by Rebecca Wilson, Marketing Analyst for the 60 Second Marketer.

CategoryAdvertising, Marketing Techniques, Marketing Tips, Mobile Applications, Mobile Marketing, Mobile Media | CommentNo Comments »

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June 8th, 2011

60 Second Book Review: The Third Screen by Chuck Martin

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When I first grabbed The Third Screen (Amazon affiliate link) by my friend Chuck Martin, I thought, “Okay, I’ll take a quick spin through this over the weekend and write a review of it on Monday.” Now, 14 days later, I’ve gone through the entire book and dog-eared so many pages of good, useful information that it’s hard to know where to begin my review.

Chuck’s premise, embraced by most marketers these days, is that mobile media is the third big revolution involving a screen. The first two — TV and the PC — changed our lives dramatically. The third screen — mobile — is going to be just as important as the first two.

The Third Screen by Chuck Martin is filled with in-depth information about mobile media and mobile marketing.

The book is written to appeal to people who are taking a deep dive into mobile media. While there are plenty of tips and techniques to digest here, there’s also a lot of in-depth research and information about how people interact and use their mobile devices.

Case in point — about halfway through the book, Chuck talks about in motion research. “With in motion research,” he says, “you can look at your customers’ patterns of movement, including where they go and what they’re likely to do; that information helps you determine how to best serve them.”

Hmmmm. Interesting. Tell me more.

“Research using location and movement of mobile devices can provide marketers with additional insights and context about their customers’ behaviors. Following are some of the findings of the Mobext study (which tracked consumers using their mobile devices):

  • Those who preferred Dunkin’ Donuts were 33% more likely to dine out than those who preferred Starbucks.
  • Those who shopped at Walmart were 60% more likely to dine out compared with Target customers.
  • Of Target customers who dined out, about 25% went to a restaurant before going to Target, while 25% went to a restaurant afterward.
  • The average frequency of fitness activities for those who went to quick-service coffee or doughnut locations was 50% higher than those who did not visit those types of locations.”

The information above is just one example of the fascinating ways marketers are using the third screen to improve their understanding of consumers and their behavior patterns.

If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to get a superficial understanding of mobile media, this book probably isn’t for you. But if you’re looking for an in-depth book that’s packed with new and relevant information, you’ll want to take a deep dive into Chuck Martin’s The Third Screen.

If you like what you read today, you can have these blog posts delivered to your in box each morning by clicking marketing blog. Or, you can sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter by clicking marketing newsletter.

Posted by Jamie Turner, Chief Content Officer of the 60 Second Marketer, the online magazine of BKV Digital and Direct Response. Jamie is also the co-author of How to Make Money with Social Media.

CategoryGeneral Marketing, Mobile Marketing | CommentNo Comments »

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June 2nd, 2011

Is Mobile Marketing Right for Your Business? Fill Out Our Mobile Marketing Score Card to Find Out.

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Is mobile marketing right for your business?

That’s a question on a lot of people’s minds lately. After all, with the advent of smartphones, iPads, mobile apps, mobile search and other mobile marketing techniques, a lot of people are asking themselves, “Is mobile marketing right for my business?”

Is mobile media right for your business? Take this quiz then click on the question mark to join the discussion on our LinkedIn Discussion Group.

With that in mind, I came up with a handy scorecard that I sent out to all 5,900+ subscribers to the 60 Second Marketer e-newsletter last week. (Huh? You’re not a subscriber to our free e-newsletter yet? Well, c’mon. Hop to it.)

The mobile scorecard is designed to help you figure out if mobile marketing is right for your business. (When I say “mobile” I mean the use of mobile ads, mobile search, mobile apps, mobile websites, mobile catalogs or SMS to connect with customers.)

The scorecard won’t provide a bullet-proof answer, but it will give you a directional sense of whether mobile is right for you.

Just answer the questions below and keep track of your score.

Here goes:

  1. Customer Demographics: The median age of my customer is under 45 years old (Yes, +10 points. No, -5 points.)
  2. Business Category: My company has multiple bricks-and-mortar locations (Yes, +5 points. No, +0 points.)
  3. Business Category: My company sells only B2C (Yes, +5 points. No, +0 points.)
  4. Marketing Dependency: My company spends more than 5% of revenues on marketing and advertising (Yes, +10 points. No, +0 points.)
  5. Customer Demographics: My typical customer lives in a city with a population of more than 200,000 people (Yes, +10 points. No, +0 points.)
  6. Company Revenue: My company generates more than $10 million in revenues per year (Yes, +5 points. No, -5 points.)
  7. Industry Competition: Generally speaking, my industry is very competitive and I’m always trying to find ways to differentiate my brand (Yes, +10 points. No, +0 points.)

If you scored between 35 and 55, you should definitely begin investing in a mobile media marketing program.

If you scored between 15 and 35, you should probably begin investing in a mobile media marketing program.

And if you scored below a 15, you’re off the hook — no need to invest in mobile media right now.

How’d you do? Share your score with other people on our LinkedIn Mobile Media Discussion and see how you compared.
If you like what you read today, you can have these blog posts delivered to your in box each morning by clicking here. Or, you can sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter by clicking here.

Posted by Jamie Turner, Chief Content Officer of the 60 Second Marketer, the online magazine of BKV Digital and Direct Response. Jamie is also the co-author of How to Make Money with Social Media.

CategoryMarketing Best Practices, Mobile Marketing | CommentNo Comments »

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May 24th, 2011

How to Reach Your Customers Using Android, Apple, Blackberry and Windows.

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Let’s be honest, as awesome as we’ve been told it can be, mobile marketing can be extremely frustrating. We hear all the time about awesome technologies and cool mobile campaigns going on in other countries like Japan, but have yet to really see widespread use of mobile in the States. So what’s the deal?

Balancing Reach and Budget in Mobile Marketing

With so many different phones, carriers, and operating systems, trying to reach all of your customers can be a nightmare.

As anyone who has tried to launch a mobile campaign can tell you, one of the biggest problems with mobile in the US is the segmentation of mobile devices and carriers.

The huge variation in the capabilities of phones and operating systems makes optimizing your mobile campaigns for a large number of people both expensive and time consuming. So that leaves those of us with lower marketing budgets with the difficult question of which mobile devices and operating systems we should optimize for.

The first thing to take into consideration when deciding how to optimize your campaign is the breakdown of feature phones to smartphones. Currently, Nielsen estimates that by the end of 2011, more than 50% of the market will be smartphone users. Meaning, that even though smartphones appear to be everywhere, 50% of the market will still not be able to access your content if you go with mobile tactics like QR codes, mobile apps, or sites. To access these people, you will need to stick with SMS campaigns, or new JagTag campaigns, which function essentially like SMS campaigns but allow for multimedia messages instead of just texts.

However, if you do decide to reach only the smartphone market, you will still encounter the issue of what operating systems and phones you should optimize for. Sites and mobile apps need to be optimized for specific screen sizes and operating systems, and each optimization takes additional time (and money) in development and testing. So if you have to prioritize, where do you start?

The simple answer is to start with the big four operating systems: Android, iOS, RIM and Windows7. But even within these categories, there are large breakdowns in share and OS versions.

Though the stats are changing every day, the current breakdown between BlackBerry, Android and iPhone users is a pretty tight race. However, as new Android phones keep rolling out, they are grabbing a 50% share of all new smartphone purchases, making it an undeniable force in the mobile space, and necessary to optimize for. The good news here is that all versions of the Android OS are highly capable and have enough market share to warrant optimization and testing.

The next most popular OS is iPhone’s iOS, with 25% of new smartphone purchases. The iOS is also fairly flexible and holds enough share to warrant testing and optimization, though versions earlier than 2.0 are no longer very visible in the market.

So the real issue comes in with the remaining big hitters in the smartphone space: BlackBerry and Windows Phone. BlackBerry has been on the market for years, and as such has a lot of different versions and phones that are available to be optimized for. However, they are only currently grabbing 15% of new smartphone sales, so optimizing for versions 6 and 7 of the operating system, should be satisfactory.

Finally, the Windows Phone, with 7% share of new phones has stumbled in the past and only recently re-entered the scene. As such, their most recent OS, version 7, is really the only heavy hitter in the game and the only one that needs to be considered if you’re working on a budget.

The potential of mobile is undeniable, but brings with it many unique challenges that haven’t been faced by marketers in the past. For big brands, it may be possible to address all levels of phones, operating systems and versions, but many of us need to make sacrifices during our first entrance into the mobile market. As such, these simple guidelines may help you navigate the tricky world of reach versus budget.

Posted by Nicole Hall, Account Manager with Mobilize Worldwide. Mobilize Worldwide develops mobile apps, mobile ad campaigns, mobile websites and just about anything else related to mobile marketing for brands interested in growing their sales and revenue using this new and emerging medium.

CategoryGeneral Marketing, Mobile Applications, Mobile Marketing, Mobile Website Best Practices | CommentNo Comments »

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May 17th, 2011

16 Mobile Marketing Statistics and Resources You Should Know About

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We’ve heard some pretty great promises about mobile over the past few years; promises that in many cases have yet to be fulfilled. And while I still have faith in the power of mobile as a medium, it’s understandable that some people are becoming wary of the potential of mobile. Because of this, fluffy promises and pretty screenshots may not cut it when you’re trying to pitch a mobile campaign to your CFO. So here is a round-up of some of the strongest stats (and their sources) to support your argument for mobile.

Mobile is EVERYWHERE:

  • There are 271 million mobile subscribers in the US.  Charts Bin
  • 82% of adults have a cell phone.  PEW
  • 31% of mobile subscribers own a smartphone.  Nielsen
  • There are five times as many cellphones in the world as PCs.  Impiger Mobile
  • 25% of Americans use only mobile devices to access the internet, as opposed to desktops.  On Device Research
  • By leveraging MMS and SMS, brands can reach nearly 95 percent of mobile phone subscribers on both smartphones and non-smartphones alike.   Mobile Marketer

Mobile is Immediate and Contextual

  • The average person has their cellphone within reach 14 hours a day.  Impiger Mobile
  • 90% of text messages are read within 3 minutes of being delivered.  Singlepoint
  • 9 out of 10 mobile searches lead to action, over half leading to purchase.  Google
  • 79% of smartphone users use their phone to help with shopping, with 74% ultimately making a purchase as a result.  Google

Mobile Outperforms other Media

Mobile Marketing Statistics You Should Know

  • Mobile coupons receive 10x higher redemption rates than print coupons.  Borrell Associates
  • Mobile ads perform 2 to 3 times better than online ads in key metrics such as brand favorability, awareness, and purchase intent.  InsightExpress
  • 70% of mobile searches lead to action within one hour, as opposed to online searches, 70% of which lead to action within 1 month.  Microsoft
  • The Weather Channel reports some of their advertisers receive 6- 7 times higher click through rates on mobile than on the desktop version.  Ogilvy

Of course the argument for mobile marketing is different for every company, but hopefully these facts will help you support your claims and win over even the biggest stat-cruncher in your company.

Posted by Nicole Hall, Account Manager with Mobilize Worldwide. Mobilize Worldwide develops mobile apps, mobile ad campaigns, mobile websites and just about anything else related to mobile marketing for brands interested in growing their sales and revenue using this new and emerging medium.

CategoryGeneral Marketing, Mobile Applications, Mobile Marketing, Mobile Media, Mobile Search | Comment4 Comments »

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January 29th, 2011

A Step-by-Step Guide on Taking the Mobile Media Plunge

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We know how you feel, you just got done spending a ton of time, money and effort into figuring out how social media works and how best to incorporate it into your businesses’ marketing and communications efforts and frankly, you’re exhausted.

Let us be the first to congratulate you on a hard fought victory.  But now is not the time to get complacent and rest on our laurels.  Now is the “year of mobile.”  A lot of forward thinking companies, ad agencies and technophiles are already out there using mobile media to attract attention to their companies, grow their customer bases and just plain generate revenue.

These are the primary mobile media operating systems used by consumers around the globe.

Getting Started with Mobile Media

Over the next couple of months, our team will walk you through what you need to know to stay ahead of (okay, maybe just with) the curve on this new technology and how you can use mobile media to your advantage.

You’re most likely very much aware of the fact that the big topic (technology) on the lips of businesspeople, bloggers, baristas and basketball players alike, is mobile media.  Its’ everywhere!  And that’s true because each year, more and more people are carrying mobile phones.

A report from eMarketer, predicts that by the end of 2011, 80% of the U.S. population will own at least one mobile phone. That’s a ton of people who are always connected and can always be reached no matter where they are.  The problem being that since mobile is such a new technology the rules are constantly being written, over written and rewritten on a daily basis.  So where to start?  That’s where we come in.

We are going to start you off today with

  • Some definitions of the basic types of mobile communications
  • Tips on how you can start to familiarize yourself with how mobile works

Types of Mobile Media Communications

The simplest and most basic form of mobile media is the text message, formally known as Short Message Service (SMS).  Because any mobile phone, smartphone or otherwise, can receive and send text messages, this is the most commonly used form of media when it comes to mobile advertising and it currently accounts for the largest potion of mobile ad spending.  It provides the greatest reach to the most users and its simple to create.

Moving down the ladder one rung to the second highest category of mobile ad spending we arrive at Mobile Banner Ads. Although, due to the rising popularity of smartphones and predicted advances in mobile browsers and networks, some marketing professionals think that Mobile Ads will overtake SMS in total ad spend in the next year or two.  Just like online banner ads, mobile display ads are sold on the basis of a cost per click (CPC), cost per acquisition (CPA) or cost per thousand impressions (CPM) and takes a mobile user who clicks on the banner to that advertiser’s mobile website.

Which brings us to our next type of mobile media: Mobile Websites.  Mobile websites differ from their desktop counterparts in that they have been specifically designed for the smaller screens of mobile devices and are more streamlined.  CNN is a good example of a company with a great mobile website that we at the 60 Second Marketer like a lot and visit on a regular basis.  Their mobile site is easy to navigate and it loads very quickly; the two must-haves for a company considering going down the path of developing a mobile website for their business.

Mobile Search is recognized by advertising professionals as one of the most popular mobile internet activities amongst all mobile users.  Searches can be performed on your phone through a number of providers like Google, Yahoo, Bing!  Your mobile phone might even have a search function/program built into its operating system.  Mobile search works in pretty much the same way as desktop Search Engine Marketing (SEM), where advertisers bid for certain keywords in an auction-based marketplace for their search ad to appear in a desired rank order.  This is a very simple type of mobile marketing that, at its most basic, can be set up and launched in a matter of a couple of hours.

Anyone out there that is carrying an iPhone, Blackberry, Android or other type of smartphone should know what a Smartphone Application is at this point.  Mobile apps can provide direct access to information in the form of directions, entertainment via a game (we wished we invented Angry Birds or Farmville) or can be a mobile social media application, like Facebook or Foursquare.  Bank of America’s mobile banking app that allows you to check your account balances and transfer funds as needed is an excellent example of a branded smartphone app that is not only useful but also serves to drive brand awareness with each use.

The last type of mobile media we want to introduce you to today is Mobile Video. According to industry reports, video is currently receiving the lowest percentage of mobile ad spending, but this relatively new mobile advertising medium, like mobile banners, will become more prevalent as mobile devices and networks continue to improve.   Mobile video ads are typically ten seconds long and are automatically played prior to (called, pre-roll) the video you selected to watch on your device.  This works much the same way as the advertising you see on Hulu.com before you view the video selected.  Advertisers like mobile video because, although your device has lots of functionality, you can’t multi-task while watching a video on your iPhone.

5 Tips on How You Can Get Familiar With Mobile

We know you’ve read a lot here today when probably all you really wanted to read were our tips on how you can familiarize yourself with the basic types of mobile media.  So, without further ado, here’s your “homework assignment” for next time.  Feel free to pick three or four from this list, the more the merrier:

  1. Send a text message to Google. How you ask? Send a text as simple as this, “Starbucks. 30326″ to the number 466453 (that’s Google spelled out on your keypad).  Wait about 5 seconds and you should receive a text message back from Google with the address for the two or three closest Starbucks locations to the zip code 30326.  The text is billed to your account like a regular text message and doesn’t cost anything extra.  Got unlimited texts? Even better!
  2. If you have a smartphone go to a mobile website that you visit often on your computer. We like the mobile versions of CNN.com and ESPN.com.  Once the page loads fully (and hopefully quickly) scroll around and find a mobile banner ad.  Take a look at who’s ad it is, what it says and what it looks like.  Click it and see what happens.  Again, this doesn’t cost you anything.  Where does the mobile banner take you?  Do this on a couple of different mobile banners you come across and compare user experiences.
  3. Point your mobile browser to a website that you often visit on your home computer. Compare it side by side to the full version of the website on your computer screen.  Notice the content that has been included on, or more importantly excluded from, the mobile version of the site.  Do this with a couple of different types of sites.  Remember, the shorter the load time the better.
  4. Already on Facebook? Only use Google to search online?  Have an account on Padora? Well guess what.  All of these sites have great mobile applications that you can download for free and use on your mobile device.  Again, compare the functionality of these mobile apps against their full sized counterparts on your computer.  The best mobile applications are very simple and have a couple of core functions.  With the Facebook app you can update your status wherever you go and the Pandora app lets you listen to the Bon Jovi station you secretly love but are embarrassed tell your friends you created.
  5. Getting familiar with mobile video may require a bit of patience depending on how fast your device can load and play videos, so consider this homework assignment extra credit. Go back to CNN.com on your mobile and scroll down until you see links for some of their videos.  Find one that interests you and click through on the links to play it.  Take note of the video that should play pre-roll to the video you’ve selected.

That’s all for today.  Class dismissed!  We here at the 60 Second Marketer would like to leave you with a brief parting thought — The quickest way to figure out how to properly utilize mobile media in your company’s communication efforts is to start using it yourself as much as you can.  To borrow a quote from Mark Twain, “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”

Stay tuned here for more information about trends in mobile media, mobile marketing best practices, companies who are using mobile in creative and effective ways and much more.

Posted by Matt Luber, Mobile Media Analyst, the 60 Second Markter, and graduate student at Emory University.

CategoryMobile Marketing, Mobile Media | Comment4 Comments »

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The 60 Second Marketer is a free online magazine brought to you by BKV Interactive and Direct Response. We try to provide quick updates on the newest tools, tips and techniques in marketing. We also try to accomplish that with a dose of humor or levity. As it turns out, we're pretty good at providing tools, tips and techniques, but we're not actually all that funny. Which would explain why people don't call us "funny" as much as they call us "laughable." Bummer. Our offices, for those of you who are interested, are located in Atlanta (404-233-0332) and Kansas City (913-648-8333). We also have offices on Bora Bora, but they don't have the phones installed yet.

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