SMS

You’ve all read the stats and seen the infographics: consumers are awash with technology, and mobility is leading the charge. Many marketers already have mobile marketing strategies in place--but for those who don’t, now is the time to prioritise. It’s no longer a matter of just being mobile-friendly. You have to think mobile first.

Remember, you’re up close and personal

Consider how you use your phone. You keep it in a special case, use it to take and store personal photos and communicate with loved ones. You work with it. You play with it. Heck, most of us even sleep with it! The smartphone...

When Seth Godin introduced the concept of permission marketing in 1999, it was a big idea: ask customers to accept marketing messages from you. Looking at the best uses of mobile, I believe we are at a new crossroads; one where customers request marketing messages.

Never forget that digital messages rendered on mobile devices are personal and intrusive. On the Advertising Aggravation Continuum (shown below), they are most comparable to telemarketing. We all know what happened to that traditional marketing channel and the impact on brands that abused it.

In the middle of the continuum, people...

It was no suprise to us that Australians are leading the world in their adoption of technology, and in partiular how they connect with brands on mobile devices. The unparalleled adoption of smartphones in Australia (49% of us own one!) means that today’s always-on, hyper-connected consumer is placing demands on marketers that can often seem bewildering. What was once seen as the "multi-channel opportunity" is now a "cross-channel imperative" as our audiences continue to adopt technology that opens up an increasing array of brand engagement mechanisms.

SMS is just another way to adapt to the...

The arena experience is changing; ticket prices are rising and attendance is dropping. While technology is increasing rapidly, the in-arena experience at sporting events remains relatively static. Yes, Jumbotrons are getting even more jumbo and teams are becoming smarter with their social media marketing but for the most part, the experience is not improving fast enough to entice fans away from their couch and 75-inch HD television... until now.

It should be no surprise that the brand new Barclays Center is stepping years into the future with their social media and mobile marketing strategies....

Convenience, ease-of-use, and efficiency are no longer wants, but necessities in our fast-paced society. Auto bill pay, GPS, and other developments in technology continue to automate our lives. Marketers are working to stay at the forefront of their customers’ interactions across channels—including mobile.

Mobile SMS and push messaging are some of the easiest ways to cut through the clutter and get directly in front of customers. Yet, to have a robust mobile presence, it’s the magic behind the display that makes it possible.

Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) arm marketers with the...

On Monday, Twitter and Compete published results of a study on Twitter’s primary mobile users. According to this study, 60% of their 200 million active users log in via mobile at least once a month. To improve engagement with mobile-age consumers, here’s what you should take away from the study:

1. Primary mobile users on Twitter are 57% less likely to use Twitter on desktop, and 15% use tablets to access the app. Hint: Optimize your content for mobile and link to sites that are mobile optimized.
2. 18 - 34 year olds are 52% more likely to access Twitter via mobile. Hint: Consider targeting mobile...

It has been an exciting few days at this year’s MMA Forum in San Francisco with mobile at the center of every conversation. Michael Becker, North America managing director of the MMA, set the stage well: “We are progressing the dialogue from ‘why mobile’ to discussing mobile as it relates to the centerpiece of the consumer experience.” Since mobile has proven itself as a powerful channel for marketers, the content and sessions were more focused on what is working regarding mobile practices. I was most fired up about these featured topics:

Cross-Channel. It’s great to hear how brands are taking...

This week at the Mobile Marketing Association’s forum in San Francisco, leading marketing pioneers will discuss the power of a mobile strategy and how it can support and strengthen your existing marketing channels. ExactTarget is excited to be part of this event, as we are eager to announce the launch of our new mobile marketing solutions—MobileConnect redefined and MobilePush. These solutions will let you manage every aspect of mobile—SMS, push messaging, mobile email, couponing, and more—from one easy-to-use interface. We will be celebrating this launch at the MobilePush Launch Party.

By...

The United States Postal Service is encouraging marketers to integrate mobile campaigns with direct mail in an upcoming promotion that will offer businesses a two percent discount on qualified pieces. From March 1 through April 30, the USPS will let marketers place SMS calls-to-action, mobile bar codes, and digital watermarks on direct mail.

There are two ways that marketers can receive a discount—by including a mobile coupon or a click-to-call feature directly on the mail. For the mobile coupon, mail can be marked with an SMS short code, QR code, or digital watermark. For click-to-call offers,...

Marketers are not normal. 

By this, I simply mean that marketers are not average consumers.  We are creations of this very specific moment in history in which communications devices and channels are evolving at an unprecedented pace.  As a result--and much like risk-taking explorers, we rush headlong into the unknown, leading our own lives on the bleeding edge of technology, social networks, and revenue models that our bosses barely understand--let alone our target audiences. 

And in that knowledge, an idea was born for the 20th research report in our SUBSCRIBERS, FANS, & FOLLOWERS series: Market...

This week, I'm presenting a series of posts that reveal some of the top things consumers want from marketers—backed by solid, statistical data—plus real, actionable recommendations to help you improve your cross-channel marketing program.

Check out Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 of this series, then read on for today's tip!

TIP #4: Consumers want to interact across multiple channels

Let’s face it—email, mobile, and media social belong together! Consumers don’t limit their interactions to one channel, and neither should your marketing.

According to our 2012 Channel Preference Survey:

• 91% of consumers...

Happy Birthday to SMS! On this day 20 years ago, Neil Papworth sent the phrase “Merry Christmas” from his computer to the Orbitel 901 handset of Vodafone’s Richard Jarvis, and so began the great SMS race.

According to the Wall Street Journal, “In the developing world, where smartphone penetration is low, SMS remains a key technology, enabling mobile money transfers, the sending of alerts on weather and planting advice for farmers, and distribution of health information for consumers. Globally, SMS traffic is continuing to grow and stood at 7.4 trillion messages in 2011, up 44% from the year...

I don't mean to scare you or create undue cause for alarm, but there are enemies in our midst. Enemies that operate with such stealth that we fail to see the power they wield over the majority of our marketing efforts today. Enemies so cunning they have convinced us that they're on our side--like Nationwide. Enemies that are here with us now...AS WE SPEAK!

To catch a glimpse of these marketing enemies in all their crooked glory, just slowly glance down your arms to your hands--no sudden movements! Do you see them there? All cool and akimbo? 

Thumbs.

Yes, thumbs. The mortal enemy of marketers...

Online retailer eBags sells bags and accessories from some of the most premium and popular brands, such as JanSport, Samsonite, The North Face, and Eagle Creek. As eBags owns no brick-and-mortar stores, it relies entirely on engaging with customers through its digital channels, including email, mobile, social, and the web.

Back in July when back-to-school season was in full swing, the etailer was looking for ways to generate buzz around the eBags brand and drive sales. In an effort to engage with customers across channels, eBags partnered with Jansport to create its “Bag an iPad” campaign using...

Connections 2012 brought together over 4,000 interactive marketers from around the globe. For us ExactTarget employees, the huge event is a time to focus on our world-class clients. That’s why the Client Experience Team launched first-ever Client Listening Lounge at Connections – an oasis where we could interact with our clients and listen to their stories.

We leveraged surveys at iPad kiosks to gather insight from hundreds of people, asking about their current and future planning. How much did they expect their companies’ totally interactive spend to change in the next 12 months? As it turns...

Earlier this year, I told you that the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) had issued final regulations regarding its part of implementing Canada’s new anti-spam law (CASL). The CRTC issued two new, additional sets of guidelines regarding those rules on October 10, 2012. If you haven’t read the previous post concerning those requirements, you should probably read that first (and even if you have, you might want to review it before continuing).

In “Compliance and Enforcement Information Bulletin CRTC 2012-548,” the CRTC sets out guidelines regarding who and what...

Last week ExactTarget Mobile participated in Adverting Week 2012 in New York City. Mobile marketers, software providers, ad-hosting networks, digital agencies and wireless networks alike used this time to discuss best practices, up-and-coming trends and much more within the moderm moble space. Included within the week's events was a 2-day visit to the SM2: Smarter Mobile Marketing conference run by the Moblie Marketing Association (MMA). During the event it was announced that ExactTarget has become the first North America Premier Member of the MMA. 

Topics throughout the week included:

• Reboot...