A Need For Mobile Security

The massive popularity of smartphones has changed the way the marketing game is played. Businesses are constantly developing new ways to communicate with customers through their phones. It is also becoming easier for people to make purchases via smartphone. Mobile users can access their bank accounts, PayPal, and email from anywhere in the world. Unfortunately, so can smartphone thieves.

A Rise In Smartphone Theft

Smartphone theft is on the rise. Every minute more than one hundred smartphones are lost or stolen in the US alone. While many thieves may only be interested in the hardware, many more aren’t looking to sell the phone for a couple hundred bucks, they’re looking for access to its owner’s personal information, bank accounts, and credit cards.

Protective Measures

It is apparent that smartphone companies and app developers are going to need to come up with protective measures to keep mobile device owners’ personal information safe. But in the meantime, there are a number of things smartphone users can do themselves to protect themselves from credit card fraud and identity theft:

·         Make sure any personal information such as bank account numbers or social security numbers are not easily accessible

·         Protect your device with a password

·         Don’t allow any apps that deal with personal information to automatically sign you in. Make sure a password is required before being able to access any personal information

·         Don’t keep a smartphone in a shallow pocket or a place where it can easily fall out and into the wrong hands

·         Never leave a smartphone unattended, even for a few seconds

Taking these simple steps can protect you from identity thieves looking for an easy target.

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Source: http://www.mobilemarketingwatch.com/mobile-security-becoming-a-crisis-in-great-britain-28240/

Is Mobile Advertising Getting Noisy?

As the concept of mobile advertising continues to grow, mobile users are going to continue to get more and more advertisement texts. Some people are already starting to complain about all the mobile ad noise. One of the greatest advantages of mobile marketing is the incredibly high open rate. Unlike junk emails which are discarded without look twice, text advertisements are almost always looked at. The last think mobile marketers want is to see mobile advertising become like email advertising.

LoopMe, a new company in the UK says they have a simple solution to the problem, an “ad inbox.”

The Ad Inbox

On the surface, it sounds like more bad news for mobile marketers: all their advertisements getting dumped into a separate inbox that might not be viewed. But LoopMe CEO, Stephen Upstone puts those fears to rest. According to Upstone, about 5 to 10% of people with the ad inbox actually go into that inbox. And while that’s nowhere near the open rate of a message sent to the regular inbox, this next part makes up for it. The response rate for ads sent to the ad inbox is ten times higher than other ads. So while less people will see the ads, those that do are far more likely to act on them.

There are some pretty interesting implications if the ad inbox works as well as Stephen Upstone claims. It could have the potential to benefit both mobile marketers and the consumers they’re targeting, which is something that just doesn’t happen. This might be the answer to the mobile ad noise that marketers are searching for.

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Source: http://www.mobilemarketingwatch.com/have-mobile-ads-become-too-noisy-28371/

Mobile Marketing And The Restaurant Industry

If you think that mobile marketing doesn’t have a place in the restaurant industry, think again. Never has mobile marketing been such an important priority for restaurant owners. In fact, almost 70 percent of consumers have ordered food online using their mobile device. Many of these do so frequently. Not only are people ordering food online but they are using their phone’s geo-locating service to find nearby restaurants, check hours and menu options, and look at customer reviews.

With such a powerful connection between mobile and the restaurant industry, it is critical for restaurant owners looking to expand their business to launch a mobile marketing campaign.

The Mobile Marketing Advantage

Mobile marketing is already playing a huge part in the success of many restaurants. For instance, nearly a third of all orders from Domino’s and Papa John’s are done online or from mobile devices. Text message marketing is especially effective because 99% of those texts are opened and 25% are redeemed. No other advertising media packs that kind of punch. Restaurant owners who have learned how to take advantage of mobile marketing are reaping the rewards.

Launching A Mobile Marketing Campaign

There are a number of things restaurant owners should consider in launching their own mobile marketing campaign. The strategies that have proved to be the most effective in the restaurant industry are text-to-win campaigns, mobile coupons, and reservation reminder texts. Implementing these strategies helps customers feel connected and will keep them coming back again and again.

Now is the time for restaurant owners to start incorporating mobile into their marketing strategy if they want to capitalize on this growing trend.

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Source:  http://www.mobilemarketingwatch.com/sms-marketing-is-it-right-for-your-restaurant-33621/

Prepare For Remodeling Surprises

In 1785, Robert Burns, the famous poet, penned the words, “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” The words are as true today as they were over 200 years ago. This maxim is especially apt when referring to the home renovation schemes of homeowners. Unfortunately, unexpected mishaps are par for the course when people attempt to update their homes.

A Home Full of Unexpected Guests

Case in point: Keith Stivers, a contractor and president of Stivers Design LLC of Columbia Station, told a pair of homeowners that before he would repair their water-damaged ceiling, he wanted to inspect the roof for what he suspected was going to be a host of other problems. His prediction proved correct when during the course of his inspection he “uncovered a family of mice, a nest of centipedes and—as he suspected—lots of rotted wood and crumbling plaster walls.” Luckily, the family had planned in extra money to their renovation to cover this unwelcome surprise, but not all homeowners are so forward thinking.

Budget In An Extra 5-10%

With this and other cases in mind, Stivers has suggested that all homeowners “set aside 5 percent to 10 percent more than their budget for those unexpected discoveries.” And it won’t always be rotten wood or pests—Stivers said sometimes he runs across the remnants of past renovation projects that were poorly done or incomplete and he has to spend extra time and money repairing those.

Cheryl Reed, spokeswoman for Angie’s List, recommended, “Never pay for a project with cash. Always use a credit card so you have recourse in case something goes wrong.”

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Source: http://www.cleveland.com/insideout/index.ssf/2013/06/build_your_renovation_budget_w.html

The Challenge For Mobile Marketers

The mobile tech industry presents difficult problems to marketers that other forms of media don’t. Before the popularity of mobile devices, marketing was much easier. There was one type of advertising that worked for TV, one type for computers, and one for radio. But with mobile marketing, one marketing strategy won’t fit all. Currently there are smartphones, tablets, e-readers, and ultrabooks. Then there are upcoming technologies such as Apple’s iWatch and Google’s Glass. The problem with marketing is that it isn’t about the device itself but the concept of a gadget that people take with them.  Marketers need to be able to create a marketing strategy that works across multiple devices and operating systems and that will be effective regardless of the environment the consumer is in.

The Biggest Mistake

By far the most common mistake that mobile marketers make is treating the mobile industry as a unified whole. For example, they rely on the classic banner ad strategy because it works on all devices. While it does save money and reaches the widest audience, it fails to take advantage of the various strengths of each device. As a result it is a less effective strategy.

Liquid Creativity

The secret to successful mobile marketing is “liquid creativity.” Liquid creativity is creating a mobile marketing strategy that capitalizes on the opportunities each mobile device offers. The difficulty in achieving liquid creativity is taking into account the sheer number of mobile devices. One key could be a web server capable of recognizing each separate device and adjusting the advertisement for that device. Another challenge for marketers is learning to measure consumer behavior when they are using so many different devices in so many different ways. Answering some of these tough questions will make the difference between successful and unsuccessful mobile marketers.

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Source:  http://adage.com/article/digitalnext/mobile-a-screen-device-behavior/242024/

Text Message Marketing Is Constantly Improving

Text message marketing is the cornerstone of mobile marketing and has been for more than a decade. But despite its proven effectiveness as a marketing strategy, it continues to evolve and develop to become even more effective. Here is a look at five ways in which text message marketing continues to develop in 2013.

More Relevance

As the technology behind device targeting continues to improve, text message marketing adapts by offering the ability to tailor campaigns according to people’s interests and needs. More relevant messages means more effective and affordable marketing campaigns

More Industries

Gone are the days when just a few industries were using text message marketing campaigns. As the effectiveness of mobile marketing continues to prove itself, more and more people are unable to ignore it. Whether it’s a Fortune 500 company or a family-run bakery, text message marketing has something to offer. In 2013 SMS marketing will continue to spread into new industries.

More Loyalty

Another huge advantage to text message marketing is maintaining customer loyalty. 75% of smartphone users report being interested in texting-based loyalty programs. To sign up a person needs only to send a text and from then on they receive special promotions and discounts. This year will see more and more companies adopting these types of loyalty programs. They help customers stay in closer contact with their favorite companies and keep the customers coming back.

More Value

Text message marketing got its start in the form of mass texts that included a call to action to many potential customers. Now there are many more effective ways that businesses are using the technology. Businesses use texts to say thank you after a purchase, send customers special deals, send order confirmations, and inform customers that an order is ready for pick up. As businesses continue to find more ways to use texting, there will be more and more added value in text message marketing technology.

Less Is More

Finally, businesses are learning to follow the age-old advice: less is more. They’ve realized that customers don’t take well to receiving an excessive number of texts. Instead companies are working to make their messages as relevant, timely, and concise as possible. As they continue to refine their strategies, text message marketing continues to grow in effectiveness.

These are just a few of the ways you can expect to see text message marketing change in 2013.

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Source:  http://www.mobile-financial.com/news/sms-marketing-how-it%E2%80%99s-changing-2013

Eight Ways To Use Mobile Marketing Wisely

Mobile marketing has grown to become one of the most widely used, most effective marketing tools in the world. It has even surpassed online advertising as a medium for marketing. Despite all its benefits, however, mobile marketing is still only as good as the thought and planning that goes into it. Businesses that hope to capitalize on this lucrative marketing tool need to employ some smart mobile marketing practices. Here’s a look at eight ways businesses can use mobile marketing wisely.

Have A Mobile-Optimized Website

Few things are as damaging to a company’s image as a website not formatted for mobile devices. Many won’t take the time to try and zoom in and read content on a webpage that doesn’t fit on their device’s screen. If you need to hire a professional to design the mobile-optimized website, it’s well worth the investment.

Keep The Message Relevant

While people may put up with silly emails from friends or family members, they won’t stand for those kinds of messages from companies. Any message that’s worth sending to hundreds of customers, or potential customers, will be clear, concise, and purposeful. Take the time to carefully tailor these messages.

Do Market Testing

Remember that it’s much better to have employees or coworkers find your errors rather than your customers. Have employees and coworkers test out marketing campaigns before launching them. Make sure mobile pages are user-friendly and easy to navigate through. You can also pay an outside consultant to evaluate the quality of your mobile marketing campaign.

Stay On Top of New Technology

Change is the nature of the technology industry. Your marketing strategy can be made obsolete almost overnight as a result of new technology. Make sure you are staying on top of mobile technology and adapting accordingly.

Consider An App

Apps can be a valuable tool, but they’re not for everyone. Don’t design an app just to have one. Make sure it serves a purpose for your business. If an app won’t add anything to your company’s marketing efforts, don’t waste time and money on it.

Make It Easy To Share

Social media has made it easier than ever for your customers to become your advocates. Make sure it is easy for your customers to share your business with their friends via social media.

Take Advantage of Texting

There is no better way to get a timely message to your customers than text messages. The majority of texts are opened and read within seconds of being sent. Don’t overlook this extremely powerful communication tool

Don’t Forget About Email

With all the hype about texting it’s easy to forget about email. But don’t. More and more mobile users are accessing their email on their mobile devices making email marketing campaigns more effective than ever before.

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Source:  http://www.imediaconnection.comb/content/34543.asp

Measuring The Success of Mobile Marketing

An important part of any marketing campaign is the ability to measure its success in order to fine tune it and better reach the target audience. Advertisement campaigns designed for reaching people on the computer already have very reliable metrics that allow marketers to gauge the success of their campaign. Smart phones and tablets on the other hand are relatively new and metrics for measuring mobile marketing still need some fine tuning. Without more reliable mobile marketing metrics, ad buyers will be less willing to buy into it and the industry won’t be able to expand.

A Mobile Metric Tracking Platform

Currently, a company called AD-X Tracking is working on a platform that will enable marketers to track the success of their campaigns. Their program is capable of clicks, app installations, and even in-app activities. The program lets marketers track how people are reacting to advertisements. Success of these and other metric programs will allow marketers to perfect their camngpaigns and make them more successful. By taking out a lot of the guesswork involved with mobile marketing, these metric programs will allow an already exploding industry to really take off.

Industry experts predict that by 2016, mobile marketing spending will increase from about 8 billion to about 37 million, that’s an increase of more than 400%.

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Source:  http://www.businessinsider.com/money-flowing-local-mobile-marketing-2013-6

Five Common Mobile Marketing Mistakes

It’s becoming more and more important for businesses to capitalize on mobile marketing. Smartphones and tablets are quickly catching up to PCs and laptops. The implications of mobile technology are nothing short of astounding for mobile marketers. Businesses that do mobile marketing right have the opportunity to quickly communicate with their target audience wherever they are and no matter what mobile devices they are using. The problem is, many businesses aren’t doing it right and are failing to capitalize on an amazing marketing tool. Here’s a look at the five most common mobile marketing mistakes.

Mobile Doesn’t Properly Reflect The Brand

A major mistake many businesses are making is not creating a fluent brand experience on mobile devices. One way they do this is by failing to create a website that is optimized for mobile devices. These makes consumers much less likely to make purchases from them on their mobile devices. Even worse than having no mobile site at all is attempting to create a mobile site that can do everything a website designed for PC can do. This overcomplicates the mobile experience and will only frustrate consumers.

Apps Have No Focus

The adage “less is more” is certainly true of mobile apps. Experience shows that the simplest apps are the most effective. Despite the abundance of evidence, many businesses can’t resist the temptation to cram as much as possible into their apps. Smart businesses will think about what they want their app to accomplish, and design it with that single objective in mind.

Failure To Promote Mobile

Sometimes businesses fail to realize that merely creating a mobile website or a mobile app will not attract consumers by the thousands. There are over a million apps in the IOS app store, one app won’t get attention all on its own. Before business owners invest money into designing a mobile app or website, they need to make sure they assign a good portion of the budget to mobile marketing of the mobile app or website.

Inaccurate Measure of Mobile Success

Another major problem business owners make is failing to attribute a good measure of their success to their mobile platform. Merely looking at purchases as a direct result of a mobile app or website is incomplete. Even if consumers aren’t making a lot of purchases through a company’s app or mobile website, that doesn’t mean their apps are not affecting the customers’ behavior in the company’s store.

Not Improving User Engagement

Finally, many businesses are failing to properly evaluate the success of their mobile tools. After designing a mobile app or website, a company needs to assess its effectiveness and continue to adapt it to make sure users are continuing to engage with it.

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Source:  http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/34587.asp

10 Tips For A Better Text Message Marketing Campaign

91% of Americans have a mobile phone device. That makes text message marketing the quickest and easiest way to reach out to customers. Communicating with consumers via text is more direct and intimate than other forms of communication. Plus, no form of advertising is as sure to reach customers on the go because they always have their phone with them. Because a text message marketing campaign is so critical, it’s important to spend some time optimizing your strategies.

Here’s a look at ten tips that will improve the effectiveness of your text message marketing campaign:

If You Have Nothing To Offer, Don’t Say Anything At All

Nothing will annoy your customers more than receiving texts that hold no value for them. If your message doesn’t include a coupon or information about a promotion of some kind, don’t bother sending it to them.

Time Your Messages Wisely

We live in a fast paced world where people are constantly on the go. People tend to forget about text messages shortly after receiving them. So if you want your text messages to be effective, be mindful of the best times to send them. A text for a promotion at a restaurant would best be sent around dinner time when people will be most likely to take advantage of it.

Use Sweepstakes To Build A Database

Getting people to opt in for your text message club can sometimes be the most difficult part. By giving people a chance to win something in return for opting in, you make it easier to compile a database of potential customers.

Less Is More

In the US, texts are limited to 160 characters. Make sure every one of those characters count. Don’t feel like you need to use every one of them. Get your message across using as few characters as necessary. Your customers will thank you.

Don’t Use Texting Jargon

You might have a tendency to try to sound hip by using abbreviations but in actuality this makes you come across as unprofessional. Try to use proper grammar and spelling as much as possible.

Include Links

It’s always a good idea to include a link to your company’s site in a text message. It will send more traffic to your site and hopefully drive up sales.

Choose Keywords Carefully

A mistake many companies make is choosing keywords that can mistakenly be divided into two words such as “hotdog.” About 11% of people will put a space between it and render the keyword useless.

Use All Caps To Make Promotions Stand Out

“BUY ONE GET ONE FREE” is much better than “Buy one get one free.”

Make Your Customers Feel Important

Strive to make sure that your customers who opt in feel welcome and important to your business.

Take Advantage of Social Media

Connect your text message campaign to social media. For instance, allow customers to enter a sweepstakes a second time by liking your company’s Facebook page.

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Source:  http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/34618.asp

Video Analytics Tools For The Mobile Marketing World

With video becoming an increasingly important aspect of any marketing campaign, it is time for a new tool that will allow businesses to analyze just how well their video is doing its job of advertising. Vidyard, a video marketing platform, has teamed up with Hubspot, a marketing software company, to create a video analytics tool. This new tool is designed to assist mobile marketers as they integrate video into their marketing campaigns.

What It Can Do
This new video analytics tool will be able to tell marketers:
·         The number of videos a player watched
·         The total amount of time watching video content
·         Which video was the most recently watched
·         The length of time that a viewer spends watching any given video
·         Which parts of the video, if any, were skipped by viewers
·         Which sections of the video were watched more than one time

What This Means For The Mobile Marketing World
Marketers who use video in their advertising campaign will no longer have to guess about how well their videos are achieving their intended purpose. By using this new video analytics tool marketers can determine what aspects of their videos are successful, and which aspects can benefit from some fine tuning. This will allow marketers to drastically improve the effectiveness of their video content to create an overall more successful marketing campaign.


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Source: http://www.mobilemarketingwatch.com/marketers-gain-new-anlyatics-tools-for-video-28203/

Text Message Marketing To Include Pictures And Video

As the use of mobile devices and mobile messaging continues to skyrocket, more and more businesses are turning to mobile marketing services to begin communicating with customers via text. Until now these texts were primarily limited to reminders, news alerts, special offers, coupons, and product information. But a mobile marketing company called TXTImpact is pushing the boundaries of what is possible in SMS marketing. They are introducing something they call multimedia messaging service (MMS) messaging.

What Is MMS Messaging?
According to TXTImpact, MMS messaging will allow businesses to include pictures and even videos with the texts they send to their customers. Essentially anyone who owns a phone with a camera can send or receive MMS messages. If a company wants to send their loyal customers a video introducing a new product, they can do it with the push of a button.

This technology can also be used in reverse. For instance, a business can hold a video or photo competition and people can submit their entries via MMS message.

What This Means For The Mobile Marketing Industry
MMS marketing breathes new life into the mobile marketing industry. It will allow businesses to connect with customers on a more personal level. MMS messaging will allow for more powerful and effective marketing campaigns. And of course, it will continue to stimulate more innovations in the mobile marketing industry.


Byline: Mobile Technology News brought to you by: http://www.businesstexter.com/

Source: http://www.timesunion.com/business/press-releases/article/TXTImpact-Releases-Picture-Video-MMS-4178196.php

Jumpstart your Small Business with Text Marketing

Are you looking for a more effective and affordable way to market a business? Look no further than text marketing. Text marketing, or SMS marketing, has become an essential aspect of a business’s marketing plan. With advertisements constantly bombarding customers, there is no more direct way to cut through all that noise, than sending a text directly to the customer’s phone. Here are some things to consider before integrating text marketing into a growing business.

Why Text Marketing?

With over 5 billion mobile subscriptions in the world, no other consumer media can come close. In the US alone, nearly 300 million consumers average 16 hours a day with their cellphone. Unlike an email, a text message will not be filtered through spam blocking software, and unlike email’s 1-in-4 open rate, text messages have an astounding 98% open rate. If a business wants to get a message to a customer, then a text message will almost guarantee that message gets there.

What You Will Need

Launching a new ad campaign for a business can seem like a daunting task. But with text marketing, it doesn’t have to be. Of course as with any ad campaign there will need to be some strategizing before that first text message can be sent. Once a marketing strategy is in place, the business owner will need to obtain a dedicated short code or keyword and make sure that any consumers who will be messaged give opt-in consent. With these steps completed, a business can begin directly communicating with their loyal customers by keeping them up to date on current sales or deals or reminding them of appointments or deliveries.

Get Started

For business owners still not sure about how to get going with text marketing, there are mobile marketing companies out there that assist business owners in getting set up. They can teach business owners how to successfully implement text marketing into their current marketing strategy, and all for as little as 3 cents per text.

Business owners can benefit from exploring text marketing options for their growing business.


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Source: http://www.timesunion.com/business/press-releases/article/CallFire-Releases-Best-Practice-Guide-to-4170208.php#page-2

Seniors More Tech Savvy Than Mobile Marketers Think

One of the greatest advantages to mobile marketing is that it has the ability to target specific audiences like no other form of advertising can. No doubt marketers typically visualize teenagers and young adults when they think about smartphone users. Until recently, that speculation may have been accurate but recent research suggests that an important demographic is for the most part being ignored when it comes to mobile and digital marketing. That demographic is seniors and baby boomers.

Tech Savvy Seniors

The assumption most people make about seniors is that they don’t want anything to do with technology. In actuality though, seniors aren’t as hesitant to use new technology as they used to be. Not only are seniors beginning to use mobile devices, tablets, and other new gadgets, but they are using them to do their shopping as well. That should be an exciting prospect for any mobile marketer. Studies show that 84% of the baby boomer generation considers the internet to be the best source of information while 77% of seniors consider the internet to be the best source of information.

A Different Strategy

Even though seniors are becoming more tech savvy, the same strategies that work for younger mobile users may not work as well for seniors. While text message marketing or mobile apps may attract younger audiences, videos seem to have the greatest impact on seniors. Videos are much more likely to drive seniors to act than any other mobile marketing strategy. According to one study, 75% of boomers and 68% of seniors will take action in one form or another after viewing a video. 57% will go to a retailer or store after viewing a video while 37% will call the store or organization behind the video. Perhaps most important to marketers, 41% of the seniors in the study even forwarded the link to the video to others they felt would be interested in the product or service being advertised.

The Takeaway

The implications of these studies are huge for mobile marketers. While further research will still need to be conducted to gain more understanding about how seniors’ behavior is influenced by mobile marketing strategies, the research so far indicates that seniors shouldn’t be ignored as they have been in the mobile marketing industry. Because the human lifespan continues to increase, it’s expected that the senior population will continue to grow and become an even larger demographic. When marketers learn how to better target older audiences via mobile advertising, the result will be game changing.

Mobile Technology News brought to you by: http://www.businesstexter.com/

Source:  http://www.mobilemarketingwatch.com/why-digital-marketing-strategies-should-not-ignore-baby-boomers-34859/