Sales Activation

Here's a truth that gets lost in the hype about mobile: Not everyone is open to marketing on their cell phone.

But 25% of cell subscribers are. And given the incredibly high action rates of mobile (think: double-digit redemption rates), it's more than worthwhile to mine this group heavily.

Some tips:
Make engagement via mobile simple. We use simple text messaging to activate sponsorships, ads, TV, radio, print and even online. We have developed a widget that clients can drop into ad units or web pages. With it, consumers can enter their cell number and have an offer delivered directly to their phones.

Make a premium offer. The hurdle you have to clear to get on someone's handset is fairly high. An added incentive helps.

Make redemption easy. Scanning barcodes just isn't happening yet. Use promo codes. Or offer unique offer codes that you can track in your POS system. We have developed a technique to serve these unique, trackable codes with each text we send.

Encourage viral opt-in w/ SMS. Include a reminder within your bounce-back that others can download by texting or going online.

Apps: "Around Me" Review

By far the most useful app I've downloaded to my iPhone is something called "Around Me." The app uses the phone's GPS to help you find things around you that you need. Such as the nearest coffee house, bar, bank, gas station or even parking lot.



The thing that makes it so good, aside from the simple user interface that requires no typing, is that it actually works. I use it constantly, often just to see if the results jive with reality. And they almost always do.

I've used it to eat lunch in Dallas and park in Los Angeles.

"Around Me" is app building at it's best. Useful, simple, intuitive and functional.

"Thanks, Steve!"

The U.S. has taken over the top spot in mobile web browsing, displacing Britain, which was the former leader.

The news, from mobile web analytics firm Bango, is encouraging. The U.S. typically lagged behind the rest of the developed world in mobile adoption.

Yet even in a recession, U.S. mobile web browsing is growing. Twenty-nine percent of all mobile web traffic now comes from the U.S.

The reasons? Bango gives three.

1) The iPhone. As we mentioned here before, combine a great user interface, a fast network, an unlimited data plan and, perhaps most importantly, Apple's sense of personal security and you have a license to roam the mobile web at will.

2) Flat-rate data plans. See point #1 for proof.

3) Technology. Again, refer to point #1.

See a trend here? It's no surprise that more than 50% of all mobile web traffic is coming from the iPhone.

On behalf of mobile users and marketers everywhere, "Thanks, Steve!