I keep this blog to post current mobile marketing industry information, studies about the use of text marketing and sms advertising, mobile marketing case studies and success stories, and comparisons of competing digital and social mediums.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Mobile Marketing Success Through M-Commerce
The articles biggest point was talking about growing e-commerce, specifically through m-commerce. The recommendations were to mobile your website, mobilize your existing customers, and close the deal. We recommend all of our customers build mobile websites as one element of their digital advertising and mobile marketing plans. The number of people using the mobile web is growing every day at a rapid pace; many still predict mobile search to surpass PC search by 2020. Get your website mobile. Then mobilize your current customers to ensure none are lost in the transition. For more great tips…email us and we’ll help you make money where your competitors aren’t, too.
At Ballyhoo Mobile Marketing, we have an executive team with decades of marketing experience (both the selling and planning/buying sides of the desk) in newspaper, television, radio, web, interactive, search, and of course our firm’s specialty, mobile. Contact us today for a free marketing consultation. Email us at Sales@BallyhooMobile.com.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Mobile Internet Usage is Making Mobile Websites Quickly Necessary

At Ballyhoo Mobile Marketing, Inc. we have been talking with our clients for many months now about the rising importance of having a mobile website. And not the garbage work of some who filters your current website so that it looks okay on a mobile phone. Rather, a website built from the ground up specifically for mobile browsing.
People accessing your website on the go are looking for different information, in a different order, and don’t need all of your flash. In fact, they are even typing different terms into search engines to find your business and your competitors. If you don’t yet have a mobile-specific firm working on a mobile website and mobile search initiatives for you, it’s time to begin.
eMarketer predicts that by 2013, nearly 50% of mobile phone users will access the mobile Internet at least monthly (see graph above). Along with rising smartphone shipments and increases in spending on mobile data plans, this will create a growing mobile content market. “The expected increases in mobile Internet users, mobile data revenues and smartphone sales will produce an environment in which users will be hungry for content,” said Paul Verna, eMarketer senior analyst and author of the new report, “Mobile Content: Paid Models Take Shape.” “It is likely that mobile content will follow a trajectory similar to Web content
Let us help you by starting with a free, no-strings-attached marketing consultation. Visit us at www.BallyhooMobile.com to learn more about affordable and custom mobile marketing campaigns from one of the leading mobile marketing boutique firms. Also feel free to email us directly at sales@ballyhoomobile.com with any questions.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Mobile versus Email: Third Party Research Study Results
Forrester Consulting conducted the survey. They polled 312 marketing decision-makers and 760 internet users in August 2009. The findings were that 74% of marketers said they preferred to use SMS messaging as a marketing tool, while 44% of consumers said they would rather receive product information, etc. via SMS campaigns versus any other channel.
The study also concluded that UK companies are the best at harnessing multi-channel promotions to build a relationship with customers. What does this mean to Joe and Jan American Business Owner? That the playing field is wide open! We have already helped many of our clients step far in front of the competition.
Let us help you by starting with a free, no-strings-attached marketing consultation. Visit us at www.BallyhooMobile.com to learn more about affordable and custom mobile marketing campaigns from one of the leading mobile marketing boutique firms. Also feel free to email us directly at sales@ballyhoomobile.com with any questions.
Google, AdMob, and Mobile Marketing
Today’s cap is of the Google AdMob purchase. I can assume almost everyone involved with selling advertising has read about this and is either excited (if they benefit from mobile) or scared (if they could lose share to mobile). It is the business owners and marketing directors who should take note of the implications. Google’s investment shows many things; most notably that mobile is not a flash in the pan. Mobile is an industry that is cost-effective, showing results, and only just getting started.
Many mobile industry sites have written stories, so to read one from another point of view I have the link here to the Business Week article: http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/nov2009/tc2009119_588360.htm
Email us! At Ballyhoo Mobile Marketing, Inc. we create custom mobile strategies for businesses of all size and we operate in all 50 states. Our firm’s specialty is mobile and we have countless success stories to prove it. It’s important to work with a company that specializes in mobile. We will prove it with a free marketing consultation: Sales@BallyhooMobile.com
Mobile Marketing, Text Marketing, SMS Marketing for Trade Shows Creates a New Level of Booth Interest
First, the brand can get people involved via text either through in-store signage or implementation with traditional advertising. For example, “Coming to the 2010 Auto Show next weekend? Text HUMMER to 12345 and get free gas card!” When someone texts in, the message they get back reads something like “Hi! Bring this message by the Hummer booth (#747) and get a free $10 gas card!” At many trade shows booths blend together; this offers an individual way to stand out and builds a database of people to contact (yes, some interested in free gas, but certainly others open to investigating Hummer).
Second, brands can adopt a brand new way for people to take information with them. Often, trade show or event attendees will stuff their bag with flyers and pamphlets and, at best, mindlessly flip through them once home. Now, if attendees were able to stuff their bag with everyone else’s information but have yours on their cell phone, don’t you think you might stand out? From what we’ve seen, you do!
Marvin K. Brown Cadillac in San Diego did a great job. Read the full article about what they did here: http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/news/advertising/2507.html
We love creating success for businesses and we can help you to! Visit us at www.BallyhooMobile.com or email us at Sales@BallyhooMobile.com for a free mobile marketing consultation.
This mission of this blog is to discuss great examples and changes in the mobile marketing landscape. We will discuss mobile marketing success stories, sms marketing campaigns, twitter versus mobile analysis, mobile coupon and twitter analysis, social marketing strategy, and free marketing advice.
Mobile Marketing, Text Marketing, Digital Advertising, and Social Media Discussed in Recent Study
Among findings, the study noted that social media is currently the biggest let down in terms of results; the respondents of the study found that results from their social marketing are not meeting expectations. Nonetheless, many are continuing to increase their digital budgets, encompassing search, mobile, and social. In fact, a vast majority said they were willing to cut traditional spending (such as print) to keep from cutting back on new media.
We found two things to be the most important advice to be taken from this survey:
1. The study respondents agreed that much new media (mainly social) is being done with no strategy. Now, I have written on this topic several times, as you can see in blogs below. Let a new media firm help you strategize your new media tactics and make them work for you!
2. The respondents said the best step to take is to work with a new media agency who has a full 360-degree understanding of marketing. This way, they can help you blend new media with your traditional; this is what we at Ballyhoo Mobile advise our clients to do everyday. We help them do it and they reap the benefits.
At Ballyhoo Mobile Marketing, we have an executive team with decades of marketing experience (both the selling and planning/buying sides of the desk) in newspaper, television, radio, web, interactive, search, and of course our firm’s specialty, mobile. Contact us today for a free marketing consultation. Email us at Sales@BallyhooMobile.com.
This blog’s focus is to cover the direction, growth, and strategy of text message marketing, sms marketing, mms marketing, mobile internet, methods for free marketing and free marketing consulting, and the evolution of the mobile marketing industry.
Mobile Marketing How-To: Longer Post, Worth the Read
The first flag I often see when someone asks about mobile is when I am asked about how to procure a list. Mobile is implemented and executed in a very different manner than direct mail, etc. The power in mobile is that you do not blast a message out to unsuspecting phones. Rather, you invite people to text in to receive an offer or information and, thus, they are participating with you and are very good business leads. Different than the direct mail approach, your mobile database will almost always be much smaller quantitatively and much stronger qualitatively. When mobile is done correctly and people opt-in to participate, there are no complaints about a mobile ad because it is of their own volition.
A second issue I hear raised is that the sms message is so plain and cannot contain graphics. In regards to this, it is entirely the point of mobile. E-newsletters have tons of graphics, flash, pictures, and links…and an average open rate between 8 and 10 percent for exactly this reason. Give the average business owner/marketing director tons of space and they will fill it, often times losing the point and the message (and the respective chance to drive business). And this is only natural; business owners are passionate about what they do and when given the opportunity to share, they will. However, when limited to 140 characters of simple text, it forces the sender to hone in on the best possible motivator to get someone to act. If they are persuasive in a message, they shouldn’t need graphics. Lastly, the smart mobile marketers have that simple 140 character message drive the end-user somewhere with all the graphics and flash, like a mobile website.
The third question I get is all about the cost; business owners ask me if it is expensive to secure a shortcode. If you want to reserve your own, the answer is yes. If you had a client that wanted to obtain their own number, and do it the right way, then there are boatloads of monthly fees that stack up quickly. That is why companies like ours exist. We take on all the monthly wireless fees, software fees, etc, etc. and simply allow the business owner to purchase a base number of messages from us (pennies per message) and that’s it. When someone works with a company like ours it takes it from costly to one of the most cost-effective marketing tools available. We are able to do it because of economies of scale and they are able to do it because their costs are greatly minimized.
The last issue I hear regularly is about mobile marketing costing the end user a fee. If someone does not have internet at home, they will not sign up for your e-newsletter. If they don’t have a car, they will not drive to your store to register to win something. If they don’t have a data package, they will not participate with you via text. This question often comes from someone who investigated buying a list and sending an unsolicited message. In the rare case where someone without a data package is inspired to participate, it costs them a regular text message (usually seven to 10 cents depending on the carrier).
The best way to make use of mobile is by including something like “Text in to win a free ______” or “Text in to save 50% on ________” in your current traditional marketing. You will build a database of warm, active leads and help your current marketing work more efficiently.
We analyze all of our client’s marketing mixes and help them integrate mobile successfully! Visit us at www.BallyhooMobile.com or email us at Sales@BallyhooMobile.com for a free mobile marketing consultation.
A blog about text message advertising, sms marketing, mms marketing, mobile internet, methods for free marketing and free marketing consulting, and the evolution of the mobile marketing industry.
Mobile Marketing and Mobile Web Growth
Mobile marketing (sms marketing) leads beautifully into the mobile web. Certain business owners will think they are nailing it by building a mobile website and including that web address in their marketing…it is still a web address to remember. The beauty of tying mobile marketing and mobile internet together is this: the sms marketing element allows customers to interact instantly and easily with your traditional marketing. Then, the message they receive will have your mobile web address embedded, easily walking your customer who responded right into your virtual storefront.
According to Mobile Marketer, unique mobile web users increased 34 percent from July 2008 to July 2009. This is tremendous growth! And the growth is expected to continue at a similar rate. To read the entire Mobile Marketer story, click here http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/news/research/4334.html.
So, who is using the mobile web? The male/female split is 57/43. And the highest users are in the 35-54 demographic…much older than many business owners assume. In fact, the fastest growing demographic in mobile use is 65+, which I found astounding. Of course, the most savvy users are still in the younger demos. If you’re not yet on the mobile web, you’re already late. Email us today and we can price a fantastic mobile website for you!
We love creating success for businesses and we can help you to! Visit us at www.BallyhooMobile.com or email us at Sales@BallyhooMobile.com for a free mobile marketing consultation.
A blog about text message advertising, sms marketing, mms marketing, mobile internet, methods for free marketing and free marketing consulting, and the evolution of the mobile marketing industry.
Apple’s New Tablet Gets Everyone Closer to M-Commerce
With a device like Apple’s tablet, a business’ potential customers really will hear or see an ad and respond in real time to shop, research, or make a purchase. This won’t be like carrying a laptop around, but more like having a phone with all the capabilities of a computer. People will continue to text more than they make phone calls, as they did in 2008 and so far in 2009, and that means businesses need to speak their language.
Read the Newsweek article about Apple’s new device here: http://www.newsweek.com/id/217683
We love creating success for businesses and we can help you to! Visit us at www.BallyhooMobile.com or email us at Sales@BallyhooMobile.com for a free mobile marketing consultation.
A blog about text message advertising, sms marketing, mms marketing, mobile internet, methods for free marketing and free marketing consulting, and the evolution of the mobile marketing industry.
Selling $1 Million Worth of Pizza on the Phone
We love creating success for businesses and we can help you to! Visit us at www.BallyhooMobile.com or email us at Sales@BallyhooMobile.com for a free mobile marketing consultation.
A blog about text message advertising, sms marketing, mms marketing, mobile internet, methods for free marketing and free marketing consulting, and the evolution of the mobile marketing industry.
Rock Solid Mobile Marketing Tips
I recently read an article by Kim T. Gordon on Entrepreneur.com and it was the best article I had read in a long time (you can find the article here (:http://www.entrepreneur.com/marketing/marketingcolumnistkimtgordon/article203488.html
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Kim talks about how to avoid being bombarded by today’s hottest trends in marketing and sticking to the critical aspects of any marketing plan, especially in a tough economy. Kim’s article was fantastic and my quick notes and perceptions are below. Enjoy!
Put Finding Prospects First: This is exactly why we advise all of our clients to invest the appropriate amount of money in our search engine marketing services and mobile ads.
Don’t Drop Out Of Sight: This point is exactly one of the reasons we are in the mobile marketing business and why all of our clients are successful. They are using mobile to stay in sight while others fall out and they are doing it in an incredibly cost-effective manner.
Separate From the Pack: Mobile is about as green as marketing gets. And consumers understand that; they appreciate that you are separating yourself and your business from the pack by making it easier to communicate and do business with you.
Invest in Relationships: This is precisely the strength of mobile! When a business uses mobile, it is clear to their customers they are investing in the one-on-one relationship. It also shows respect to the customer that you are making an effort to communicate the way they want to. AND it offers you the quickest follow up in marketing.
Get People Talking: We have helped several clients create campaigns that “pass the word along.” The campaigns offer current database members something and encourages them to share that offer or, positive word-of-mouth, with like-minded friends and family. That is good business growth!
Expand Your Website: This is why we specialize in building custom mobile websites and blog sites. People are not just searching businesses on their home/work computers anymore. Mobile search is growing by leaps and bounds and, contrary to most beliefs, your regular website does not look “good enough” on a phone.
Email us at Sales@BallyhooMobile.com and ask us to put together a custom idea including text, a mobile website, and Search Engine Marketing for your business! Our analysis and custom idea comes at no cost to you but will allow you to feel out a fit between mobile marketing and your business from a firm who makes mobile marketing their expertise.