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Just when most consumers were getting used to e-mailing as the most innovative way of communicating, along came a new media called Mobile Text SMS Messages which as now become the unprecedented preferred choice.

This is the hand writing on the wall for small business owners ranging from auto repair, restaurants and hair salons to professional services such as mortgage brokers, realtors, dentists and retail stores.

Churches and schools are jumping on this bandwagon for getting important messages to their members and students. Notices such as upcoming sermons, fund raising events, daily prayer texts, births, deaths and local emergencies are now being read instantaneously.

Communicating by mobile phone via text SMS messages has become a one of the best ways to stay in touch with a client or customer. This only makes good marketing sense since over 90 percent of Americans carry some type of cell phone with them at all times.

And once you take into consideration that 97 percent of all mobile phones are now SMS enabled. This convenience has led to text SMS messages becoming more popular than e-mail.

The low cost and the ease of use has contributed to the amazing rise of text messaging. If you have a cell phone then you have the capability to text. And best of all, there are no additional downloads or installations needed.

And with over 81 percent of mobile users having unlimited messaging plans, texting has become the mobile communication option of choice for not just teens, but for the other seventy-five percent of the SMS text alert market encompassing the ages of 25 and older.

I think these numbers tell more of the story:

Over two-thirds surveyed said that they would rather receive a text from someone they know or a company they shop at than to take the time to speak with someone personally.

Approximately 65.2 percent of America’s mobile subscribers currently use text SMS messages showing that this has now become an essential, yes, necessary way of communicating with customers, patients, members and of course, friends.

This market is growing by leaps and bounds literally every single day. The SMS text marketing and the potential for mobile SMS marketing will take this e-commerce industry from $1.5 billion to a staggering $12 billion market in 2011. Now that your customer has gone mobile, shouldn’t you?

Mobile marketing simply allows you to reach rapidly increasing markets. Massage Marketing Advertisers mostly make use of this mode of SMS for promoting their brand. Mobile marketing simply allows you to reach rapidly increasing markets.

Have an iPhone, Blackberry or any other smartphone? If you do, chances are that you’ve already integrated mobile applications into your day-to-day lives. For those of you not familiar with these revolutions in the world of technology, mobile applications are programs, often downloadable, that run on mobile devices. They come in a variety of forms and serve numerous purposes be it to increase productivity, network or just provide pure and simple entertainment. As even the most inexpensive mobile phones are capable of running mobile applications, the scope for development is limitless and applications are only really constrained by the imaginations of developers.

Mobile applications first came about around the same time as mobile phones. In particular, SMS messaging was one of the first applications to be incorporated into handsets and is still the most widely used today. However, early mobile applications were constrained by the phones of the time and their limited capacity to access the Internet.

The introduction of Apple’s iPhone effectively turned the mobile phone industry on its head. It brought about the rapid development of thousands of different downloadable applications serving to facilitate communication and social networking, productivity and entertainment. Some of the most popular of these applications include Facebook for iPhone and a GPS navigation assistant from TomTom. As Apple’s competitors have moved quickly to launch their own smartphones that can compete with the iPhone, an incredible array of applications have emerged in very little time.

The future presents a number of opportunities for mobile applications. The gradual introduction of 4G networks allow for far larger transfers. Google is also looking to release web-based applications meaning developers will not to keep applications to a convenient downloadable size. Both of these developments will facilitate the creation of larger and more sophisticated mobile applications that will continue to revolutionise the way we come to see, and use, mobile technology.

Importantly, mobile applications present ain incredible opportunity for businesses to advertise. Mobile applications are widely used and notably, used by a diverse cross-section of society. It is therefore possible for very precise marketing campaigns to be inserted into applications. Be it through title cards or themed applications, the opportunities are limitless.

To find out more on how you can use mobile applications to increase the success of your mobile marketing campaigns, visit www.txt2get.com today.

The Seven Network released details of a new digital channel, entitled 7mate. The network will become the first commercial network to have three channels in Australia. The network hopes to capture the attention of the mass male market by broadcasting the Australian Rules grand final later this year. The channel will offer a range of comedy, movies and sports shows which are targeted mainly at men between ages 16 to 49.

The network’s Director of Programming and Production, Tim Worner, said, “We are after the most elusive demographic in media and we think we’ve got the offering to get them.”

A wave of new-media marketing is expected to follow the network’s move. The centralised male market will be advantageous to many businesses, but the capacity to effectively interact with viewers will remain possible with mobile marketing campaigns only.

Technological advancements have forced businesses to change the way they interact with customers. A recent study by a digital marketing agency, Defakto, showed 80% of all ages said they would get a quicker response from a text than from an email or voicemail. Mobile marketing company, TXT2GET (www.txt2get.com.au), claims quick responses are generated most efficiently using SMS keywords and automated responses.

Country Manager of TXT2GET, Andrew Campbell explains, “SMS is an instant response mechanism. It’s easy and simple for people to use and that is why you get higher response rates and improved customer experience.”

Traditionally, television advertisements have provided customers with limited options should they require more information. 1300 numbers have a reputation of placing customers on hold, while internet access is still unavailable to all- but texting has proved to be simple and convenient. The service encourages viewers to simply text a keyword to 19 33 33 in order to participate in competitions, receive mobile coupons or seek more information. Businesses that have used TXT2GET keywords have been able to double and triple advertising responses.

New marketing strategies are essential with technological advancements. Text Marketing can increase business interaction with customers. Try out TXT2GET – Mobile Marketing Australia Free Trial .

Telstra has announced plans to cut internet access of 1.6 million Blackberry and iPhone users. The announcement follows the telco’s loss of millions from customers overspending and failing to pay bills.

An “app cap” will be implemented to those who over spend, barring services to users of smartphones until the following month.

Telstra’s chief financial officer, John Stanhope, says the main problem is the “bill shock” that customers experience when they do not expect a large bill.

“It [app cap] stops the charge, but it also stops the service,” Stanhope says.

Customers who use the internet service will be inconvenienced by the mobile internet barring, but businesses with mobile internet advertising will be hit particularly hard by the “app cap”.

Telstra has advised the “app cap” is not expected to affect basic SMS services. SMS has already proved to be a reliable and cost effective way of interacting with customers. Customers now have greater incentive to keep a cap on bills by using SMS rather than mobile internet.

Digital and traditional advertisers are turning to SMS mobile marketing in increasing numbers. The mobile marketing company TXT2GET has been offering advertisers mobile keywords as an alternative form of marketing to retain customers and increase advertising response.

“By using SMS keywords in advertising a marketer can double or triple responses to advertising. It also helps them measure what’s WORKING and what’s not,” says TXT2GET’s Australian Country Manager Andrew Campbell, “Sydney’s talkback radio station 2UE was able to increase audience interaction by using SMS. They asked listeners to enter a competition by texting 2UE to 19 33 33. By the end of their 7-day campaign, over 1000 entries were received, more than double the usual response.”

With Telstra’s internet barring, accessing the internet to visit a website to complete a form will not always be possible. The unaltered SMS service, however, will ensure Telstra’s 1.6 million smartphone customers ability to interact and communicate with companies using TXT2GET keywords.

TXT2GET is offering a Free Trial to use their mobile marketing tool. See what their service can do for your business

Mobile technology is the latest thing, but it is far from a fad. Mobile technology is the way forward for businesses, and those who are waiting to see how it progresses are going to quickly be left behind.

Mobile technology adoption and its ever increasing popularity has brought with it the development of mobile marketing. Businesses need to make sure that they adopt this technology to ensure they are not being overtaken by their competitors. Mobile marketing is an opportunity to increase market share and improve a business’s reputation as a market leader.

Mobile marketing is still a relatively new concept to a lot of consumers. By integrating it into advertising campaigns, businesses can show that they are innovative and open to new marketing methods. A huge bonus of mobile marketing is the benefits to consumers. This quick and efficient marketing channel can attract customers, simply because it can make their lives easier.

Mobile adoption is steadily increasing worldwide. Recent statistics show an almost 90 percent adoption rate in the United States, with similar statistics across the developed world. This high rate of adoption means that with clever marketing and providing a mobile marketing call to action in advertising, businesses can be wherever a customer is, 24/7. All it takes is a simple adoption of the quick and cost-effective mobile marketing platform.

When the internet was booming , a business without an online presence was seen to be missing out, but now that has changed. Mobile adoption is booming, and businesses need to change along with it. Mobile marketing is not the next big thing; it is the logical advancement in technology and marketing channels. It is important to integrate the technology now to ensure that a business is not left behind.

Ensure your business’s success by integrating mobile marketing into your marketing strategies today.

Visit www.txt2get.com to see how easy it is to usetext marketing in your advertising.

The Christmas period is a hectic time. While it is a key sales period for many businesses, it can also become a hassle to gather information and report on accurate customer attraction statistics.

A successful advertising and marketing campaign needs to be measurable and the results have to be able to be reported on. But what brings a customer into your business over the holiday? How can you track if that spend is just from foot traffic, or from your advertising spend?

The holiday period is a stressful and hectic time for business and customers alike. Adding an additional pressure on staff to question customers in an attempt to gather information about what has attracted them to the business isn’t going to be welcomed by either group. So businesses need to find other ways to capture this data. Vouchers are a traditional way to attempt to gather information, but this requires customers to actually read the publication they are in, clip them out and then remember to take them on their shopping trips.

Mobile marketing allows businesses to capture data easily. Making mobile marketing a key part of any holiday marketing campaign allows a business to create a measurable system. Including a text call to action as a prominent part of any campaign will allow customers to have a mobile-voucher or discount sent straight to their phone. Customers will more often than not have their phone with them, which means that they won’t need to remember to carry any additional vouchers with them. When that customer comes into the business and presents the mobile-voucher, the business can capture that data and measure the success of their campaign.

When developing your holiday marketing strategies, consider integrating text marketing into your approaches. Developing an attractive mobile voucher that can be sent direct to a customer’s phone and presented in store will ensure that the results of the holiday campaign are measurable.

Visit www.txt2get.com to see how easy it is to integrate text marketing into your Christmas advertising campaigns.

Mobile Marketing using an SMS campaign is a simple and effective way of reaching and interacting with target audiences. Using TXT2GET keywords in a promotion has the potential to double or triple ad responses.

Set up and running of an SMS campaign is easy. Whether you set up a competition that places keywords on products as Australia Post did, or use a keyword in a series of TV ads like Telstra Shop- all of these competitions can be run using TXT2GET keywords. It is a cost-effective method that requires minimal manual administration and has the potential of doubling and tripling responses to a promotion.

Here is an example of how effective SMS competitions can be. Sydney’s leading talkback radio station, 2UE, achieved its goal of audience retention and encouraged engagement.

2UE gave audiences a chance to win a holiday to Hunter Valley during Food & Wine Month by running the ‘Tim Webster Hunter Valley Escape Competition’. The competition was promoted on live radio and published in 13 national and community Fairfax Media publications.

Listeners were asked to enter this competition by texting the keyword 2UE 954 and their name to 19 33 33. Those who saw the ad in the newspaper were asked to text 2UE and their details to the same number.

2UE used the ability to have multiple keywords to their advantage. The flexibility of multiple keywords allowed 2UE to reach audiences in radio and prnt and still be able to track the source of the audience.

Responses to keywords used in print and TV can be conveniently streamlined into one response system. 2UE was able to determine audience characteristics and behavior based on the real time response report.

SMS campaigns are advantageous for the company and consumer. Mobile technology replaces manual administration and the sorting of paper entries. For the customer, the process of entering a competition using SMS is faster and easier than filling out an online entry form.

More than 1000 entries were received by 2UE by the end of the seven day campaign. This is more than double the amount of responses typically generated by short term 2UE campaigns.

“We’re very happy. It was interesting to see success of live radio reads and the ability to track immediate responses,” says Rebecca Coleman, 2UE Promotions Manager, “We also gained great insight into both listeners and readers and their habits by being able to see exactly when they responded. People that texted after seeing the newspaper ads did so on the day the newspaper went to print, but also during the following few days.”

For a company that measures worthiness of a promotional campaign by the amount of entries, the campaign was a success. TXT2GET was the essential tool which helped 2UE achieve its original goals.

Check out this free trial to see how mobile marketing to could benefit your company.

Creating a marketing campaign and a competition for just one day may seem like a lot of work, but with the developments in mobile marketing it is not only easy, but hugely effective. Global beer giant Heineken tried out the one-day competition at a recent music festival and saw fantastic results.

Heineken prominently displayed calls to action on all Heineken branded advertising space, an effective use of space that took the advertising from passive to active. Festival guests were prompted by collateral found all around the event, such as wristbands, posters and on screens, to text a keyword to a short code for the chance to win a VIP backstage pass and the opportunity to meet the artists. The competition winners would be granted exclusive access to the Heineken hospitality tent at the venue.

Heineken were able to directly promote their brand and their pale ale by utilising a captive market of young, drinking age people from the brand’s key demographic who were attending the festival. They promoted their brand, and encouraged the festival goers to choose the Heineken brand over the competitors.

A mobile marketing competition was a creative way to capture the attention of the younger, festival-going market. An additional benefit was the data capture aspect. Heineken can now create a database of target market mobile numbers that can be used in the future for customer relationship marketing.

The flexibility of mobile marketing allows businesses to interact with their customers like never before. Mobile marketing is so cost effective, easy to plan and implement that a one-day campaign is easily budgeted for and run. The possibilities are endless; from festivals, to exhibitions, sporting events, to national holidays. Anywhere there is advertising, there can be a mobile marketing campaign. The mobile marketing channel is something that any business can utilise.

Visit www.txt2get.com to find out more about how your business can improve your brand recognition with SMS marketing.

The time to start planning Christmas advertising campaigns is already here. While it might be a few months away, what a business decides to do in their Christmas campaigns can have a big impact on the market share they will gain.

The key to Christmas advertising is to find a way to stand out from the rest. Customers are flooded with messages about sales and discounts over the holiday period, but it is up to a business to find a way to break through the noise.

Including a text call to action means that a customer can get the information that has caught their eye sent directly to their phone. A business can choose to send sale information, a mobile voucher or a discount, anything that will make them stand out, and help the customer choose to spend their money at that business. Additionally, the business now has a lead they can follow up at a later time.

The busy holiday period changes way customers interact with businesses. They just don’t have the time to sit down in front of a computer, or stop everything to make a call. Businesses need to finda way to stand out. Including a quick and efficient text marketing call to action in a marketing campaign will help grab the attention of the time-poor customers.

Businesses need to carefully consider the value of traditional call to actions in Christmas marketing. In a world saturated by mobile technology, it is time to move with the trend and adopt mobile marketing. The market is saturated by messages over holiday periods and customers can easily feel overloaded. By presenting a quick and efficient text marketing call to action, a business can capture the attention and the consumer’s spend.

Take Santa out of the centre of your advertising, and replace it with a cost-effective and efficient way to stand out from the noise of the other advertisers. Integrating mobile marketing will help you stand out from the rest and achieve your Christmas season sales targets.

Visit www.txt2get.com to see how easy it is to make mobile marketing a key part of your Christmas campaigns.

categories: Christmas marketing,Return on Investment,mobile marketing,text marketing,SMS marketing,marketing,advertising,messaging,texting,SMS

The new iPhone 4 represents another big leap forward for mobile technology but with all the hype, we can sometimes forget about the really amazing developments and trends in mobile. Sometimes it is the simple things that are the most amazing and game-changing.

There will be those who are not attracted to the latest Apple developments nor have access to their products, but most people will have access to a simple mobile phone with the ability to SMS.

Mobile Marketing through SMS is not about spamming people with annoying text messages, it is about connecting consumers with brands and products that they want. When you see an ad or a brand that you like, rather than remember a phone number or a website the easiest way to connect is to send an SMS.

A recent example in New Zealand for STA Travel connected this travel brand with their consumers in an instant, interactive and fun way. They received 765 TXT replies in 12 days using Web based SMS.

‘How often have you needed to have a good excuse for the boss or teachers? STA Travel has your back!’ STA Travel came up with a list of witty text in sick excuses. When people saw the promotion on TV, they simply texted STA to 244 for excuses they can send into their boss.

Over 12 days, more than 765 TXT responses were received. Using SMS, the travel agency was able to track which TV ad slots their audiences responded to most. STA Travel then overlaid the TXT response reports with the TV TARP (Target Audience Rating Points). From the analysis they were able to effectively place their ad in a advantageous ad slot.

Connecting with the customers can be simple with mobile marketing campaigns. SMS lets you leap over technological divides, reaching those with the latest iPhone 4, the smart phone, and even those with the most basic mobile phone.

Check out this mobile marketing free trial tool. Check out the STA Case Study