5 Reasons to Use Mobile Coupons Now

The 2010 U.S. Local Mobile Advertising & Promotions Forecast from Borell Associates estimates that mobile coupon spending will grow from $90 million in 2009 to $6.52 billion in the next four years. Indeed, the redeemed value of mobile coupons is already roughly 10 times greater than mail or newspaper distributed coupons and nearly 25 percent higher than printed internet coupons.

Yet despite the meteoric growth and success of mobile coupons, there remain marketers who still haven’t realized the ever-growing importance of reaching consumers when they’re on the move.

For those drifting in the mobile marketing doldrums, here are five reasons why mobile couponing can put some wind in your sails.

1. It’s simple. Although much of the mobile marketing hype is focused on apps, most businesses don’t have a need for one nor do they have the resources to develop and support an effective app. Regardless, apps have an incredibly limited reach, as only 17 percent of phones are smartphones. Meanwhile, virtually all phones are capable of sending and receiving SMS or “text” messages.

The simplicity of text messaging, along with its reach (SMS is available on nearly 100 percent of the 288 million mobile phones in the U.S. and 5 billion mobile phones around the world), makes it the most effective medium for reaching any customer — no matter where they are.

2. It can increase the frequency with which current customers use your product or service. Since mobile coupons require opt-ins, your current customers are the ones that will opt in for special offers, not random magazine or billboard readers that you target with normal (i.e., frequently wasted) advertising. These people like you already; you just have to get them to come in more frequently. Rewarding core customers for their continued loyalty by sending exclusive mobile coupons gives them a solid reason for purchasing from you again and again.

3. It can introduce new guests. Buy one, get one offers that require another person (buy an entrée, get an entrée or buy two tickets, get two free) will help introduce new people to your business. Launching mobile marketing messages when your customers are likely to be with friends, family or co-workers can bring new customers in by the droves.

This article is published by eMC, click here to read the original article.

Ford Takes on Texting While Driving With Audible SMS

Ford Motor Company has announced a round of updates to its SYNC technology that promotes safer alternatives to texting while driving.

New MyFord Touch-equipped cars will let drivers block incoming calls and texts with a “Do Not Disturb” button, but the biggest addition is support for a new protocol (MAP) that will allow SYNC to read aloud incoming text messages over Bluetooth.

Future BlackBerry owners will be the first to benefit as RIM is working with Ford to make audible text messaging via SYNC possible. RIM has agreed to implement the Bluetooth standard MAP — Message Access Profile — on new BlackBerry devices moving forward. BlackBerry MAP integration will create an enhanced connection between the smartphone and the SYNC system so that it can read aloud incoming text messages.

Ford’s Bluetooth MAP support means that other mobile device manufacturers can implement MAP to take advantage of the audible text messaging functionality of SYNC. Ford hopes that the hands-free bonuses will encourage other manufactures to adopt the standard as well.

The new version of SYNC — available on 2011 models with MyFord Touch — will also include a “Do Not Disturb” button that will give drivers the ability to block incoming texts and calls, but still make outgoing calls.

This article is published by Mashable, click here to read the original article.

What will this year portend for mobile messaging?

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Pioneering technologist Alan Kay once said that “the best way to predict the future is to invent it.” Reflecting on another year gone by, this comment rings especially true.

For mobile, 2009 marked a year of outstanding innovation and growth; communication in 140 characters became all the rage as Twitter reached mainstream consciousness; Apple delivered its one billionth application download from the App Store; Orange and T-Mobile announced plans to merge their British business to become the Britain’s largest network provider, and O2 overtook BT in British revenues.

After so much development in 2009, where will 2010 take us?

Revenues rising, profit margins tightening
The challenge for carriers in the coming months will be to begin to prepare customers to pay premiums for high usage or optimal quality of service.

SMS revenues
According to analysts, SMS revenues will continue to grow rapidly, breaking the $100 billion-mark next year.

Location-based services
The industry is realizing that location alone is not a revenue-generating service in its own right – but is recognizing that it can provide valuable enhancements to existing services that will greatly stimulate services such as mobile search, mobile advertising and social networking, making these services more relevant, actionable and personal.

Mobile payments
In developed markets, the challenge had been about building consumer trust. Now, issues such as security, regulation and quality of service are dominating peoples’ minds.

Mobile social networking will come of age
Until now, the flood of unbillable Mobile Terminated messages from social networks were an issue for using SMS and MMS to address the mass market. But now enhancements such as MT charging, anti spam, location, ad insertion and hash-tagging will enable the carrier to engage in new business models for two-way social networking traffic.

Android – iPhone
We will see more Android-based phones entering the market this year, so it will be interesting to see if the semi-monopolistic iPhone hype will be reduced to normal proportions as the open model for Android provides a good alternative to the relatively closed iPhone.

Carrier app stores versus handset app
Carrier app stores have the ability to reach the mass market and can be enhanced with a range of capabilities including messaging, security, location, charging and user profiling. The stakes will only get higher this year as the battle rages on.

Proliferation of mobile security
The increased opening of networks and handsets release myriad new threats, will lead to increased customer care, higher infrastructure costs and more churn and brand damage. It will also hinder the uptake of services such as mobile financial services and mobile advertising.

Wait and see, but be prepared
As we did with SMS and MMS, we need to focus on how we can use IMS and RCS to add value to enhance third-party applications and services.

Network sharing
The sharing of radio networks is the most obvious cost-saving opportunity. But for service delivery infrastructures it is also important to be as flexible as possible.

Read the original article here.

Who Says SMS is for Teenagers only?

The chart below shows the distribution of SMS users by age. It turns out that 50 percent of SMS users are aged 35 or over, and 75 percent are aged 25 or over. Marketers should avoid pigeonholing mobile as exclusively for youth.

However, marketers should take age-targeting into consideration when running campaigns.

Download the entire article and learn: “More than 50 percent of WAP users are above age 34,and one in 17 WAP users is over 65.”