Mobile sites and mobile apps may command most of the sex appeal when it comes to mobile marketing, but SMS is vital to online retailers’ marketing strategies.
While retailers and marketers spend ample time developing mobile apps and sites, David Geipel, co-founder of QWASI Inc, says text messaging is the workhorse of mobile marketing, and can work to boost the profile of apps and sites. “Text messages are direct, conversational and interactive, something that is not always true about other forms of mobile engagement,” he says. “As brands deploy apps and mobile web sites, SMS becomes even more important to drive customers back to the apps or newly designed and updated mobile web sites.” Read the rest of this entry »

Mobile commerce is expected to reach $31 billion by the end of 2016 and grow at a rate of 40 percent each year for the next five years, according to a report published by Forrester Research.
Coca-Cola, for example, is currently testing the use of vending machines that accept payments via mobile device with SMS, eliminating the need to carry coins to make a purchase. Read the rest of this entry »

Broadcast network CBS has opted for SMS calls to action as opposed to QR codes within its print advertisements to draw in primetime viewers. CBS is creating buzz for its fall lineup that includes five new series with SMS calls to action, which let consumers learn more about the TV shows. The ads bridge mobile, video and print. Read the rest of this entry »

Consumer usage, mobile ad spend, smartphone penetration and mobile site proliferation tell the story that the mobile medium has reached the level of maturity that no brand can afford to ignore.

But what are the big mobile playgrounds of 2011? SMS Text Marketing is right at the top. From day one SMS delivers universal accessibility without huge barriers such as driving application downloads, navigating Bluetooth protocols, or hoping a consumer walks by your geo-fence. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s no surprise that finding nearby restaurants and dining options is one of the ways that people use their mobile phones. Everyone’s got to eat, right? New findings from a broader mobile study last year by Yahoo and Nielsen, however, aim to shed more light on the connection between cell phones and eating out or even or ordering in.

To find dining information, about a third of respondents (34%) remembered seeing a dining ad on their mobile device via mediums such as text messaging, and most of those (77%) “sometimes” or “always” looked at it. Read the rest of this entry »