NEW WEBSITE DESIGN
Posted by Phil Robinson
Wednesday 27th October 2010 at 08:16
Thanks to a lot of hard work from our team our brand new The Text Works website has been finished and launched successfully!
Our new site is much smaller and clearer than its counterpart. We have made your needs central to the content and layout - focusing more on the features of our product range. We have lowered our prices dramatically, for instance you can send a message for as little as 4 pence.
The way you can pay has changed too. We accept all major cards including Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, Solo, Discover and Amex. The most recent update allows you to pay using your PayPal account.
You can buy message credits using our Pay as you Go or Monthly Payments.
Tags: New site, Site launch Our new site is much smaller and clearer than its counterpart. We have made your needs central to the content and layout - focusing more on the features of our product range. We have lowered our prices dramatically, for instance you can send a message for as little as 4 pence.
The way you can pay has changed too. We accept all major cards including Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, Solo, Discover and Amex. The most recent update allows you to pay using your PayPal account.
You can buy message credits using our Pay as you Go or Monthly Payments.
TOP 10 BROADCASTING TIPS
Posted by Peter Ratteler
Friday 14th May 2010 at 14:42
- Only send relevant offers. The most important aspect of any SMS broadcast is the content within the message, and more importantly, the relevancy of the message to your target audience. High relevancy will give you a high conversion rate.
- Refine your lists. Lists should be refined to remove any failures (messages which were not delivered) from previous marketing sends, as well as any customers that have previously opted out.
- Remove duplicate numbers. Most mobile marketing platforms automatically remove duplicate entries in uploaded lists. This prevents the same marketing message being sent to a customer twice which can lead to unnecessary costs.
- Only send to mobile numbers. As with removing duplicates, most modern SMS platforms also strip out landline numbers. In the UK, numbers starting 07 are reserved for mobile phones.
- Tailor your message. Think about the target audience and tailor it to their needs based on other customer information collected such as date of birth, or last product or service purchased.
- Personalise each message. If you have managed to collect a customer's name - use it to make your broadcasts more personal.
- Calculate the best time to send. Try to think about when your customer will be most likely to take action on the message.
- Measure the response. If you are planning to broadcast to a large amount of customers, why not try several messages test messages on a smaller.
- Stagger the send. In most cases a promotional marketing message will a call to action such as "Visit our new website here..." or "call our sales hotline now on 0800..". If this is the case, make sure you stagger your broadcast to help manage your workflow as you won't be able to meet the demands of the customers.
- Use long messages. It is sometimes difficult to get your offer across in 160 characters so look for a provider that allows you to send long messages.
WHICH MOBILE PHONES SUPPORT SMS?
Posted by Phil Robinson
Monday 19th April 2010 at 11:26
Well the great news is all mobile phones support SMS messaging, even the original mobile phone handsets. So if you don't want to limit your marketing reach you should use SMS and consider MMS - depending on your experience.
Other types of mobile marketing technology includes:
None of the above are supported by all mobile phones in your target market. So if you want to be absolutely sure everyone gets your message, choose SMS messaging.
Something that's worth mentioning is the percentage of people opening and reading their messages. At least 98% of UK based mobile phone users opened any text messages according to Event Mobile Marketing Blogs research.
If you want to dip your toe in the SMS messaging world then the next thing to decide is whether or not to just send or to send and receive messages.
If you think sending, or one way, messages are perfect for your needs then you should take a look at our SMS broadcasting service.
Tags: SMS phone support Other types of mobile marketing technology includes:
- Bluetooth (proximity) marketing - http://www.nextgenbluetoothmarketing.co.uk/
- GPS (proximity) marketing - http://www.gps-marketing.co.uk/
- Smartphone applications and advertising
- Mobile Internet websites
- QR code and mobile bar code marketing
None of the above are supported by all mobile phones in your target market. So if you want to be absolutely sure everyone gets your message, choose SMS messaging.
Something that's worth mentioning is the percentage of people opening and reading their messages. At least 98% of UK based mobile phone users opened any text messages according to Event Mobile Marketing Blogs research.
What can I do to start SMS messaging?
If you want to dip your toe in the SMS messaging world then the next thing to decide is whether or not to just send or to send and receive messages.
If you think sending, or one way, messages are perfect for your needs then you should take a look at our SMS broadcasting service.
SMS BROADCASTING AT 4 PENCE A MESSAGE WITHOUT RENTAL
Posted by Phil Robinson
Friday 16th April 2010 at 10:52
TheTextWorks.com have launched a brand new SMS broadcasting product allowing people to send bulk SMS messages without a recurring monthly fee.
All our customers have to do is pay 4 pence per message and that's it! You can buy 200, 500, 1000... all the way up to 100 thousand messages all at just 4 pence each. There is no set up fee or any other charge for this service meaning you can pay as you go.
Read about SMS broadcasting.
View our packages and prices page.
Tags: Pay as you go SMS All our customers have to do is pay 4 pence per message and that's it! You can buy 200, 500, 1000... all the way up to 100 thousand messages all at just 4 pence each. There is no set up fee or any other charge for this service meaning you can pay as you go.
Read about SMS broadcasting.
View our packages and prices page.
GOVERNMENT SMS HEALTH ALERTS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH JOHNSON AND JOHNSON
Posted by Phil Robinson
Thursday 18th March 2010 at 15:17
The USA government have teamed up with health specialists such as Johnson and Johnson, and Pfizer to create health alerts specifically for pregnant women.
The service "text4baby" is targeting new mums and pregnant women with health related messages. Using the baby's due/birth date the service is guaranteed to be timely and concise.
Because some mothers are unable to attend all appointments or just cannot pay medical insurance the health standards and survival rate of children is in decline. To combat this worrying trend the US government have decided that SMS is the only way to assist and advise mothers.
The decision to use SMS as the main communication method came from the fact that pregnant women use SMS more than any other communication method; presumably because its cheap, instant and easy to use.
The health reminders are sent thrice weekly with helpful information, developmental advice, dietary information and other health related suggestions.
The service, just like our own default SMS reminder campaigns, only costs the standard network rate to enter. All resulting reminders are absolutely free to the end user.
Tags: Johnson and johnson, Pfizer, SMS alerts The service "text4baby" is targeting new mums and pregnant women with health related messages. Using the baby's due/birth date the service is guaranteed to be timely and concise.
Because some mothers are unable to attend all appointments or just cannot pay medical insurance the health standards and survival rate of children is in decline. To combat this worrying trend the US government have decided that SMS is the only way to assist and advise mothers.
The decision to use SMS as the main communication method came from the fact that pregnant women use SMS more than any other communication method; presumably because its cheap, instant and easy to use.
The health reminders are sent thrice weekly with helpful information, developmental advice, dietary information and other health related suggestions.
The service, just like our own default SMS reminder campaigns, only costs the standard network rate to enter. All resulting reminders are absolutely free to the end user.
SMS REMINDERS CAN IMPROVE RETENTION BY 70%
Posted by Phil Robinson
Thursday 18th March 2010 at 14:50
A local hairdresser near Brighton have used the SMS reminders service to increase their repeat visitation rate by 70%.
As with many services of this kind, the hairdressers clients were missing appointments and consequently having to reschedule and in some cases loose customer appointments. Forgotten appointments also meant some members of staff were without work for up to 3 hours, reducing profit margins exponentially.
By reminding their clients of their appointments they claim there has been an increased attendance resulting in a 70% reduction in losses.
What a great example - SMS marketing is not necessarily a gold mine, but it is a way to apply leverage to your business and amplify your efforts and marketing exponentially.
Tags: Hair dressers, Hair salon, SMS reminders As with many services of this kind, the hairdressers clients were missing appointments and consequently having to reschedule and in some cases loose customer appointments. Forgotten appointments also meant some members of staff were without work for up to 3 hours, reducing profit margins exponentially.
By reminding their clients of their appointments they claim there has been an increased attendance resulting in a 70% reduction in losses.
What a great example - SMS marketing is not necessarily a gold mine, but it is a way to apply leverage to your business and amplify your efforts and marketing exponentially.
'SMS DOMINANCE TO CONTINUE' FROST AND SULLIVAN REPORT
Posted by Phil Robinson
Thursday 18th March 2010 at 14:40
According to the research company Frost and Sullivan in the report "The Future of Messaging" text messaging will continue its prolonged dominance.
The report was compiled from 18 separate interviews of leading Telecom providers across the globe.
"Simple accessibility, ubiquitous network interoperability, ease of use, affordability and price predictability" were the words used by Ronald Gruia in reference to the SMS marketing medium.
With nearly 4 trillion messages sent globally every year and with this added accessibility, SMS is still the No.1 choice for mobile marketing professionals throughout the UK and beyond.
Tags: Why SMS is no.1 The report was compiled from 18 separate interviews of leading Telecom providers across the globe.
"Simple accessibility, ubiquitous network interoperability, ease of use, affordability and price predictability" were the words used by Ronald Gruia in reference to the SMS marketing medium.
With nearly 4 trillion messages sent globally every year and with this added accessibility, SMS is still the No.1 choice for mobile marketing professionals throughout the UK and beyond.
WHAT DOES BULK RATE MEAN?
Posted by Phil Robinson
Friday 12th March 2010 at 12:23
Definition: Bulk rate means the cost per SMS message in pence.
With the Text Works you will not be charged for your standard allocation of SMS messages. The bulk rate only applies when you are topping up your account.
To see how many message you will receive for free with each package visit our mobile marketing price page.
Tags: Bulk rate, Free SMS With the Text Works you will not be charged for your standard allocation of SMS messages. The bulk rate only applies when you are topping up your account.
To see how many message you will receive for free with each package visit our mobile marketing price page.
WHAT IS A BULK SMS MESSAGE?
Posted by Phil Robinson
Friday 12th March 2010 at 12:14
Definition: A bulk, or free message, is an SMS text message sent from an SMS marketing service provider to a phone without any charge to the end user.
We recommend using bulk SMS messages for service related campaigns such as SMS broadcasts, SMS alerts and SMS group messages.
Another powerful use for bulk SMS is to send targeted promotions for your products and services.
If you want to know more about our SMS campaigns why not visit our SMS services page.
Tags: Bulk message, Bulk messages, Bulk SMS The best way to use bulk SMS messages
We recommend using bulk SMS messages for service related campaigns such as SMS broadcasts, SMS alerts and SMS group messages.
Another powerful use for bulk SMS is to send targeted promotions for your products and services.
If you want to know more about our SMS campaigns why not visit our SMS services page.
WIN AN IPOD TOUCH!
Posted by Phil Robinson
Wednesday 10th March 2010 at 16:23
With only 22 days left before the SMS competition closes who will be out lucky winner.
Take our SMS marketing quiz and find out how much you know about SMS terminology and marketing. Some parts of the quiz help to diagnose any issues you may have had in the past.
For the three runners up there are consolation prizes in the form of a link from our blog to a page of your choice!
Tags: SMS quiz, Win an iPod touch Take our SMS marketing quiz and find out how much you know about SMS terminology and marketing. Some parts of the quiz help to diagnose any issues you may have had in the past.
For the three runners up there are consolation prizes in the form of a link from our blog to a page of your choice!
TEXT WORKS - THE GREENER MARKETING COMPANY
Posted by Phil Robinson
Tuesday 2nd March 2010 at 11:08
With every passing year it seems our environmental awareness increases and the ongoing efforts to reduce our carbon footprint as individuals and businesses are improved by innovation and technology.
Globally governments are discussing carbon fixing strategies such as nurturing and encouraging the growth of Phytoplankton. Another clever invention to reduce the worlds carbon levels is the production of thousands of artificial trees that simulate the same carbon cycle of trees, fixing the carbon permanently. More experimental attempts include pushing air through sandstone on a huge scale to lock the carbon within the rock forever.
We at the Text Works believe that being green is essential in this day and age and have started implementing some simple and manageable ways to reduce our companies carbon footprint. For instance we are part of the national cycle to work scheme and even supply our employees with bikes on request. The remaining staff either walk or take public transport to get in.
If you have any suggestions or ideas to make our company even greener we would love to hear them get in touch with support any time.
Tags: Cycle to work, Green sms Globally governments are discussing carbon fixing strategies such as nurturing and encouraging the growth of Phytoplankton. Another clever invention to reduce the worlds carbon levels is the production of thousands of artificial trees that simulate the same carbon cycle of trees, fixing the carbon permanently. More experimental attempts include pushing air through sandstone on a huge scale to lock the carbon within the rock forever.
We at the Text Works believe that being green is essential in this day and age and have started implementing some simple and manageable ways to reduce our companies carbon footprint. For instance we are part of the national cycle to work scheme and even supply our employees with bikes on request. The remaining staff either walk or take public transport to get in.
If you have any suggestions or ideas to make our company even greener we would love to hear them get in touch with support any time.
WHERE TO SEND SMS ONLINE FREE?
Posted by Phil Robinson
Thursday 18th February 2010 at 08:59
We do offer an introductory free trial for mobile marketers using SMS but none of our services are completely free forever.
Our service best suites small to medium businesses who are trying to use the simplicity and accessibility of SMS to reach their prospects, existing customers and draw brand attention.
If this is right for your business why not view our SMS marketing prices page for more information.
Tags: Send text messages on the internet Our service best suites small to medium businesses who are trying to use the simplicity and accessibility of SMS to reach their prospects, existing customers and draw brand attention.
If this is right for your business why not view our SMS marketing prices page for more information.
I WANT TO START MY OWN BULK SMS PROVIDER WEBSITE SERVICE?
Posted by Phil Robinson
Wednesday 17th February 2010 at 09:20
I am pleased to tell you that we our SMS web interface allows you to create your own SMS business and even take payments on line through our white label SMS payment gateway.
Because we have worked with various types of businesses spanning various industries our interface has grown to accommodate any type of mobile marketing campaign. You can resell our services as if they were yours.
If you are interested why not get in touch with an account manager or view our mobile marketing prices and specifications page.
Tags: Start your own SMS service Because we have worked with various types of businesses spanning various industries our interface has grown to accommodate any type of mobile marketing campaign. You can resell our services as if they were yours.
If you are interested why not get in touch with an account manager or view our mobile marketing prices and specifications page.
CAN YOU SEND SMS FROM YOUR COMPUTER TO A MOBILE?
Posted by Phil Robinson
Tuesday 16th February 2010 at 09:11
In short yes you can. However, if you are trying to find a website to send text messages to your friends The Text Works is NOT for you.
Our SMS computer to mobile service is designed for small to medium businesses who want to send bulk SMS broadcasts or set up two way SMS campaigns.
I recommend you visit our mobile marketing prices page; if you want to test our service visit our mobile marketing introductory trial page.
Tags: Send messages from computer to mobile Our SMS computer to mobile service is designed for small to medium businesses who want to send bulk SMS broadcasts or set up two way SMS campaigns.
I recommend you visit our mobile marketing prices page; if you want to test our service visit our mobile marketing introductory trial page.
SMS MOBILE MARKETING FOR MEDIA BUSINESSES
Posted by Peter Ratteler
Friday 8th January 2010 at 17:03
Presently, media organisations such as radio stations, publishers, and TV stations use premium SMS as a way to generate revenue through audience participation, typically voting - think X-factor, Strictly, I'm a Celebrity... and who could blame them. With X-factor recently receiving 10m votes for the 2009 final, it's certainly lucrative. One issue that's always surrounded premium rate competitions is the uncertainty over cost to the audience. Wouldn't it be good if we could still have audience participation and make money for the organiser without it costing the audience an arm and leg? I think we can achieve this, but through a slightly different model - let me explain.
Lets pretend I'm a publisher producing a monthly magazine about the latest Computer Games, chances are my audience is primarily interested in new game releases, Consoles, news, and gaming peripherals. Secondary interests could range from Personal computers, gadgets, and general technology. Proof of this is the type of advertising in the magazine relating to these types of product. Now, once the reader has finished reading the magazine, how else can you contact them with advertising relating to them? SMS of course! If the reader has entered a competition, voted, or contacted the editor via an SMS campaign, you have a direct route to market back out to that reader with details on a product relevant to them.
To insure you have plenty of numbers to promote to, make entry to your call to action campaigns as cheap as possible to the end user, or charge a nominal value to cover operating costs, for example 25p. I spoke to the marketing director of a publishing firm this afternoon who agreed that in a few years, this will most likely be the approach taken by all publishers.
Now, sending the promotional messages. Media agencies, advertising firms, and brands are currently willing to pay up to 20 pence per message to send marketing messages or redeemable vouchers (think colour WAP vouchers, Web redeemable unique voucher codes). With the cost of sending free messages via such interfaces as The Text Works as low as 4 pence per message, you could be looking at a profit of 16 pence for every message sent. This starts to look interesting when you manage to build a list of 10,000 customers!
Let's look at an example. I'm a video game retailer looking to drive footfall to my store upon the release of a new computer game. The computer game company is set to run some high profile magazine, tv, and radio ads to drive sales. To cash in on this publicity, I need to drive potential customers to my chain of stores to buy the game.
I can do this by (1) broadcasting to my existing database of customers, or (2) working in conjunction with another company that already has a list of relevant numbers, providing of course they have permission (or opt in). The second option is where the publisher of computer game titles will make their money by charging me a per number rate for each mobile lead to which I will send my offer - providing of course they've built a mobile database!
Tags: Media mobile marketing Lets pretend I'm a publisher producing a monthly magazine about the latest Computer Games, chances are my audience is primarily interested in new game releases, Consoles, news, and gaming peripherals. Secondary interests could range from Personal computers, gadgets, and general technology. Proof of this is the type of advertising in the magazine relating to these types of product. Now, once the reader has finished reading the magazine, how else can you contact them with advertising relating to them? SMS of course! If the reader has entered a competition, voted, or contacted the editor via an SMS campaign, you have a direct route to market back out to that reader with details on a product relevant to them.
To insure you have plenty of numbers to promote to, make entry to your call to action campaigns as cheap as possible to the end user, or charge a nominal value to cover operating costs, for example 25p. I spoke to the marketing director of a publishing firm this afternoon who agreed that in a few years, this will most likely be the approach taken by all publishers.
Now, sending the promotional messages. Media agencies, advertising firms, and brands are currently willing to pay up to 20 pence per message to send marketing messages or redeemable vouchers (think colour WAP vouchers, Web redeemable unique voucher codes). With the cost of sending free messages via such interfaces as The Text Works as low as 4 pence per message, you could be looking at a profit of 16 pence for every message sent. This starts to look interesting when you manage to build a list of 10,000 customers!
Let's look at an example. I'm a video game retailer looking to drive footfall to my store upon the release of a new computer game. The computer game company is set to run some high profile magazine, tv, and radio ads to drive sales. To cash in on this publicity, I need to drive potential customers to my chain of stores to buy the game.
I can do this by (1) broadcasting to my existing database of customers, or (2) working in conjunction with another company that already has a list of relevant numbers, providing of course they have permission (or opt in). The second option is where the publisher of computer game titles will make their money by charging me a per number rate for each mobile lead to which I will send my offer - providing of course they've built a mobile database!
WISHING ALL OUR READERS A MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Posted by Phil Robinson
Wednesday 23rd December 2009 at 16:05
Whether or not you celebrate Christmas The Text Works team wish you all a happy holiday and a happy new year.
We hope 2010 will be prosperous, and there might even be a few special offers coming your way (hint hint).
Tags: Christmas We hope 2010 will be prosperous, and there might even be a few special offers coming your way (hint hint).
CHRISTMAS TIME SMS
Posted by Phil Robinson
Monday 14th December 2009 at 09:38
As the holiday season approaches it seems that a substantial amount of marketers are levering new and diverse marketing techniques including:
So how can you market with SMS and not contribute to the spammers of Christmas past?
The best recommendation we can make is give them something in exchange for permission to promote your brand or service. It's easy at this time of year to give away gifts or opportunities to win seasonal prizes such as hampers, toys and shopping vouchers. Football tickets at Christmas do not sell because it is out of season, so the more relevant and timely the better your response will be.
Whatever you do consider your audience first, your message second and your end goal last. If your attitude is what can I give them to get something back you've nailed the Christmas marketing spirit.
Tags: Holiday season marketing, Sms for christmas - Viral marketing
- Web 2.0 branding
- Interactive billboards
- and SMS mobile marketing
So how can you market with SMS and not contribute to the spammers of Christmas past?
The best recommendation we can make is give them something in exchange for permission to promote your brand or service. It's easy at this time of year to give away gifts or opportunities to win seasonal prizes such as hampers, toys and shopping vouchers. Football tickets at Christmas do not sell because it is out of season, so the more relevant and timely the better your response will be.
Whatever you do consider your audience first, your message second and your end goal last. If your attitude is what can I give them to get something back you've nailed the Christmas marketing spirit.
NEW YORK ALERTS US TO SMS
Posted by Phil Robinson
Monday 7th December 2009 at 12:49
The NYSEMO, New York State Emergency Management Office, have set up an SMS service for New Yorkers to receive appropriate hazard alerts and notifications. Through the SMS web interface New York public sector staff can set up emergency alerts and private notifications for New Yorkers. It is claimed the service will help raise public awareness and obtain vital information for the emergency and local government services.
The service received 4.7 million subscribers with 2.3 million opting in to receive related promotional messages. The opt in population covers 64 college campuses and the the New York City University network. The subscription is free and allows subscribers to register one or more mobile devices to receive alerts and notifications.
The alert systems is said to include major road closures, weather warnings and state recommendations with regard to public safety, as well as notification for local governments and universities.
British government bodies could learn a lot from New York's modernisation, local governments could offer a text message support channel and subscriptions for public announcements.
Tags: New York and SMS, SMS public alerts, Text message hazard notifications The service received 4.7 million subscribers with 2.3 million opting in to receive related promotional messages. The opt in population covers 64 college campuses and the the New York City University network. The subscription is free and allows subscribers to register one or more mobile devices to receive alerts and notifications.
The alert systems is said to include major road closures, weather warnings and state recommendations with regard to public safety, as well as notification for local governments and universities.
British government bodies could learn a lot from New York's modernisation, local governments could offer a text message support channel and subscriptions for public announcements.
NUMORO UNO FOR SMS PREVIEWS
Posted by Phil Robinson
Friday 4th December 2009 at 10:05
Numo's SMS preview application has achieved 600,000 new registrations in the last two months. The application displays a preview of SMS messages of any inbound text messages.
The app is targeting Android and Symbian mobile devices, it is free and remains one of the most popular download at app stores. The app is available for download from Numo's website.
For those who are using SMS as a marketing tool this is not bad news - I promise! The previews, lets call them snippets, are just like a search engine result. The opening to your SMS message can give it context and appeal. So design you messages with this in mind, experiment with this application - for instance do attached images appear in the preview?
Developments and obstructions to existing strategies can be turned to your advantage and don't forget the iPhone allows SMS preview by default anyway, so make the first 8 words an encouragement to open the entire message.
Tags: Android, Numo application, SMS preview, Symbian The app is targeting Android and Symbian mobile devices, it is free and remains one of the most popular download at app stores. The app is available for download from Numo's website.
For those who are using SMS as a marketing tool this is not bad news - I promise! The previews, lets call them snippets, are just like a search engine result. The opening to your SMS message can give it context and appeal. So design you messages with this in mind, experiment with this application - for instance do attached images appear in the preview?
Developments and obstructions to existing strategies can be turned to your advantage and don't forget the iPhone allows SMS preview by default anyway, so make the first 8 words an encouragement to open the entire message.
POSITIVE WEB SURVEY RESULTS FOR T-MOBILE
Posted by Phil Robinson
Thursday 3rd December 2009 at 15:37
Some really great news for T-Mobile recently as their mobile website has been ranked No.1 for the second year running. Global reviews announced T-Mobile the best of its assessed mobile phone websites this week.
Mobile web is still largely an untapped lead generation resource - so does this mean their success will be short lived, who knows. Another interesting factor derived from the Global reviews findings is that the mobile web development is not keeping pace with the vast growth and evolution of mobile related offerings.
With Google and Yahoo looking to dominate search for the mobile web will T-Mobile and similar industry leaders be able to rely on their mobile websites being a real web referral? Only time will tell.
The survey measured user experience on the T-Mobile, Orange, Vodafone, 3, Virgin, O2, Carphone Warehouse and Tesco mobile websites for a reasonable cross section analysis of the industries services.
They assessed each mobile service provider using the following criteria:
T-Mobile received a total score of 66%, O2 were a close second with 61% - an improvement on last years results. Vodafone are still in third position with 59%. I think all companies could invest in mobile web optimisation and facilitation - the question is can you afford to miss out on mobile?
Tags: Global reviews, T-mobile, Web survey Mobile web design is still the under dog
Mobile web is still largely an untapped lead generation resource - so does this mean their success will be short lived, who knows. Another interesting factor derived from the Global reviews findings is that the mobile web development is not keeping pace with the vast growth and evolution of mobile related offerings.
With Google and Yahoo looking to dominate search for the mobile web will T-Mobile and similar industry leaders be able to rely on their mobile websites being a real web referral? Only time will tell.
The criteria
The survey measured user experience on the T-Mobile, Orange, Vodafone, 3, Virgin, O2, Carphone Warehouse and Tesco mobile websites for a reasonable cross section analysis of the industries services.
They assessed each mobile service provider using the following criteria:
- content and tools
- customer support
- prospective customer information
- purchasing process
- site utility
The results
T-Mobile received a total score of 66%, O2 were a close second with 61% - an improvement on last years results. Vodafone are still in third position with 59%. I think all companies could invest in mobile web optimisation and facilitation - the question is can you afford to miss out on mobile?
EMAIL STRATEGIES RECYCLED FOR MOBILE MARKETING
Posted by Phil Robinson
Tuesday 1st December 2009 at 10:50
Email marketing has always been a favourite marketing method in the past and no doubt for the future. Email and mobile marketing have a lot in common, this article has some great information for email marketers. Using a variation on their advice I have compiled the following tips for mobile marketers;
For a comprehensive introduction to our service see our full list of features.
Tags: Email marketing, Email versus mobile, Mobile marketing - Customer Engagement
Use profile information from previous SMS campaigns to engage users with opinion poles, promotions and competitions.
- Stay on target
Always make sure your campaigns and promotions are as relevant as possible. One way to make sure participants are willing to spend money is to have them text in to start the campaign. That way you know they are interested in your offer, competition or opinion pole.
- Twitter
Use mini blogs like Twitter.com to promote campaigns, people share a lot of information very readily on social networks - can you afford to ignore them?
For a comprehensive introduction to our service see our full list of features.
MOBILE MARKETING VERSUS MOBILE ADVERTISING
Posted by Phil Robinson
Tuesday 1st December 2009 at 09:49
We have noticed a couple of blogs appear around the subject of mobile marketing and advertising. In short mobile advertising can be described as having a paid advert hosted on a mobile facing website or application. One or two blogs mentioned SMS messages as being "strictly" mobile advertising, and I wanted to discuss the distinction between sending an SMS advert and SMS mobile marketing.
If an SMS message is a stand alone advert then it is mobile advertising - I can't argue with that. But mobile marketing by definition is building a group/demographic of mobile device users from an array of mobile campaigns, sending them targeted messages and perhaps finishing with some follow up contact with other campaigns or promotions. SMS is one of the BEST ways to profile, promote and persuade mobile users.
My advice to anyone interested in learning more about mobile marketing is Google the term "mobile marketing" and have a look at the real industry news. SMS is still a core foundation to many mobile marketing success stories, from ABC's Heroes interactive initiative to Future Publishings editorial profiling campaigns.
We offer a free trial and live demonstrations of SMS mobile marketing. Don't just take our word for it, research and try it for yourself.
Tags: Mobile advertising, Mobile marketing, The difference between mobile advertising and marketing If an SMS message is a stand alone advert then it is mobile advertising - I can't argue with that. But mobile marketing by definition is building a group/demographic of mobile device users from an array of mobile campaigns, sending them targeted messages and perhaps finishing with some follow up contact with other campaigns or promotions. SMS is one of the BEST ways to profile, promote and persuade mobile users.
My advice to anyone interested in learning more about mobile marketing is Google the term "mobile marketing" and have a look at the real industry news. SMS is still a core foundation to many mobile marketing success stories, from ABC's Heroes interactive initiative to Future Publishings editorial profiling campaigns.
We offer a free trial and live demonstrations of SMS mobile marketing. Don't just take our word for it, research and try it for yourself.
MMA REDEFINE MOBILE MARKETING
Posted by Phil Robinson
Monday 30th November 2009 at 09:17
MMA officially released a new definition of mobile marketing recently. They say that mobile marketing is "a set of practises that enables organisations to communicate and engage with their audience in an interactive and relevant manner through any mobile device or network".
Insisting that mobile marketing is so much more than spamming people with SMS coupons, MMA discuss the functionality and definition of mobile marketing at the Mobile Marketing Forum, LA.
You can read their press release from the forum here - prnewswire.com.
Tags: MMA, Mobile marketing definition, PR newswire Insisting that mobile marketing is so much more than spamming people with SMS coupons, MMA discuss the functionality and definition of mobile marketing at the Mobile Marketing Forum, LA.
You can read their press release from the forum here - prnewswire.com.
ENGAGE PROSPECTS WITH SMS
Posted by Phil Robinson
Friday 27th November 2009 at 10:03
Before you send any messages its important to think about your engagement strategy from your target audiences perspective. Put yourselves in their shoes, would you like to receive a message saying "We are offering cars for even less, buy now!", no. You need to think outside the box, surprise them and make them feel like you understand them.
How do people achieve this? Here is a quick guide to customer attraction and engagement;
You might be saying at this point, why bother? Because we are seeing an exponential interest in SMS from all areas; retailers, marketers, publishers, broadcasters, hosting companies and many more. The Internet as a whole agrees on one thing - SMS mobile marketing will be widely used. Its success, like so many things, relies on your innovation and persistence and you need to be in it to win it (sorry for the cliché).
HAPPILY we are here to help, get in touch now or sign up for a free trial and have a play, if you get stuck you will have direct access to our support and marketing team.
Good luck with all your marketing campaigns and initiatives.
Tags: Customer engagement, Customer interaction How do people achieve this? Here is a quick guide to customer attraction and engagement;
- Create a campaign to attract attention - for example a competition, auction, SMS coupon or other loyalty scheme
- Use Point Of sale, websites, emails, cold calling - anything you can think of to get the word out
- Group your new users by age, geography and interests (campaigns entered of answers to profiling questions)
- Build a promotional campaign to target EACH specific group
- Run your campaign right away or at a more appropriate time
You might be saying at this point, why bother? Because we are seeing an exponential interest in SMS from all areas; retailers, marketers, publishers, broadcasters, hosting companies and many more. The Internet as a whole agrees on one thing - SMS mobile marketing will be widely used. Its success, like so many things, relies on your innovation and persistence and you need to be in it to win it (sorry for the cliché).
HAPPILY we are here to help, get in touch now or sign up for a free trial and have a play, if you get stuck you will have direct access to our support and marketing team.
Good luck with all your marketing campaigns and initiatives.
MOBILE CONTENT NOT ALWAYS AVAILABLE
Posted by Phil Robinson
Tuesday 24th November 2009 at 10:21
A Xiam Technologies survey indicated that mobile phone users are having difficulty accessing certain mobile content and how this is a barrier for a number of potential consumers.
80% of US and UK mobile device users at some time have had difficulty accessing mobile content. The major issues included slow search/download times, device issues and interface bugs. A whopping 27% said they could not access mobile content at all.
63% said they wanted to spend money on mobile content if only they could access it. Previous claims that there is not enough content for mobiles is no longer the case. One of the most popular services accessed by mobile users is weather content and apps, closely followed by social networking and games.
I think the key here is don't go mobile until your ready and test your content thoroughly; don't claim to be a mobile content provider until you can provide a version of the service for everyone. The negative attributions of a bold claim and poor delivery can stay with brands for years.
Tags: Mobile content issues, Xiam Technologies 80% of US and UK mobile device users at some time have had difficulty accessing mobile content. The major issues included slow search/download times, device issues and interface bugs. A whopping 27% said they could not access mobile content at all.
63% said they wanted to spend money on mobile content if only they could access it. Previous claims that there is not enough content for mobiles is no longer the case. One of the most popular services accessed by mobile users is weather content and apps, closely followed by social networking and games.
I think the key here is don't go mobile until your ready and test your content thoroughly; don't claim to be a mobile content provider until you can provide a version of the service for everyone. The negative attributions of a bold claim and poor delivery can stay with brands for years.
