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.

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.

The Liverpool based Telemedia show, sponsored by Mobile Marketing Specialists - Piri ltd, boasted a range of speakers offering suggestions and solutions to combat the decline in media monetisation during the recession, and in my opinion they delivered just that.

The fact that so many media consumers spend their spare time glued to the TV, laptop by their side and a mobile in reach proves that media is centric to our personal life. Professionals too are becoming more and more reliant on media peripherals and terminology, bizarrely during the introductory talk when asked who owned an iPhone the majority of the left spectators raised their hands, and when asked the same about Blackberry's the right side raised their hands, a select few roughly central to the room owned both. What does this prove, is it a coincidence or do birds of a feather buy the same brand and sit together?

I sat through a number of talks regarding Mobile, media, UGC and CRM concepts.

CASE STUDY How the FT uses apps to drive people to online subscriptions

Panel and Speaker
Stephen Pinches, lead product development manager, FT.com
Panel
Rick Gleave, head of interactive & mobile, Trinity Mirror Group
Oli Roxburgh, MD, Bluestar Mobile
Paul Wright, digital director, Lifestyle, Bauer Media
Gary Corbett, commercial director, Oxygen8
Chair
Mark Challinor, european director, INMA

A presentation outlining mobile application and mobile web initiatives employed by FT.com and their outcomes. It was clear from their statistics that mobile websites were the way to go, considering the expected shift from desktop to mobile web consumers and the low cost of development. FT.com demonstrated some great interactive apps too.

NEW CHANNELS: Engaging consumers through Social Networking and UGC

Panel and Speakers
Tom Weiss, CEO, TV Genius
Andrew Yates, chief executive, Artesian Solutions
Panel
Steve King, technical director, Jigsaw
Ivan Ali-Khan, head of digital, Virgin Media
Chair
Paul Maidment, business development director, BBC Worldwide

Although the presentations for IPTV and Artesian Solutions were largely a sales pitch there was a measure of useful information. Better still the panel thrust full force into a heated debate, the arguments largely were about giving people enough choice, building systems to deliver content to the user in a relevant way and how users searching Google feel like they are trying to take a sip from a fire hydrant.

I concluded that the fragmentation of media is a problem that won't go away any time soon, the Internet should be the channel for all media and relevant content should find the viewer not the other way around. There is a fine line between delivering relevant content and spamming people with sales pitches, marketers would do well to take care when targeting new leads.

DATA & CRM: Getting to know you...

Panel and Speakers
Nick Weatherall, Future Publishing
Panel
Tajinder Jagdev, Head of Communications, Media and Entertainment Practice SAS UK
Andrew Yates, Chief Executive, Artesian Solutions
Chair
Paul Skeldon,editor, Telemedia 360 and Telemedia-news.com

Nick from Future gave a detailed and precise presentation outlining a great Mobile Marketing case study, his strategy for monetising SMS was as follows:

1. Use mobile as entry point for competitions, votes and text the editor
2. Give them a chance to opt out
3. Market third party products and services to relevant users

Nick, one of our biggest customers, found that only 0.01% of entrants opted out - meaning that they were willing to receive relevant news and offers direct to their phones. This is an exciting step towards User Generated Content, content that finds you!

All in all the whole experience was very helpful and I met some really interesting people, I have learned a lot about the media's struggle with measurability, monetising content and fragmented delivery mediums. Where will the future of TV lie, IPTV? Sky? and will the publishers still offer on-line content for free in the years to come? One thing is certain, the SMS world will take off in 2010 - its time to diversify and solidify your position in the Mobile Marketing world.

The Text Works will be one of the many companies visiting the Liverpool Docks T360 show. Promoting and discussing all things media, the show boasts good company and speakers. There is an evening opening party on Tuesday 20th October, between 20:00 - 0:00 at the Alma de Cuba, warming the business and networking attendees up and offering an informal social meeting place to speak to old and new contacts and affiliates. Wednesday 21st opens at 9:00 am and carries on until 2:00 am the next day!

We will be attending the day events and taking some pictures throughout. The Text Works will attend to learn, share and promote our mobile marketing solutions as well as make marketing and business contacts to better our products and services. I have often found networking meetings to be both helpful and inspiring and am looking forward to meeting new people within the media industry.

There will be a post show blog on Thursday 22nd October. If you are attending the T360 show I look forward to meeting you and I hope you have a successful day.