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Local SMS Ads
With more users getting their hands on smartphones companies are able to take advantage of the technology in them to help promote local businesses via text message ads.
Most smart phones have GPS built into them, this is great for getting driving directions, searching for local hot spots, or even letting you know where someone is. Now companies are using the same technology that helps you find where your going to advertise.
AT&T has begun rolling out this service in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco with some major partners like HP and Jetblue to name a few. AT&T is using cell towers that your phone connects to, to determine your location and send you relevant ads. For now this is an opt in service so users have control whether or not they receive these.
AT&T Launches Location-Aware SMS Ads Via Dslreports.com
Promoting Online to Get Business Offline
With a shift in how consumers are getting information companies are looking into new ways to get consumers to shop with them. Many print publications are going out of business so coupon distribution is starting to shift to online marketing.
Many companies are creating marketing strategies that are centered around the companies website or some type of interactive media. Text campaigns, QR codes, and online coupons are just a few ways companies are using technology to promote and sell products. Not only that but there has been a major push for the promotion of local businesses.
Facebook, Foursqaure, and Yelp are just a few examples of sites that allow mobile users to “check in” at restuartants or businesses that they are currently at. Keen businesses owners that know about these sites can post coupons or specials for users who “check in” which gives two advantages right away. Not only does the customer benefit from checking in by getting something but its also free advertising for the business because when users check in its posted on a number of social sites. These are just a few new ways businesses are using online strategies to get offline business.
How To Increase Leads & Sales With Mobile Landing Pages Via b2cmarketinginsider
QR Codes Starting To Take Over
Many businesses are starting to use 2-D codes or QR codes as some people know them. These codes not only are getting consumers to landing pages for their company but 2-D codes are being used for a multitude of different information sharing.
One example being American Airlines, they are placing QR codes on boards outside major airports so when passengers scan the code they can see real time flight information such as any delays or changes in the flight. Fox is using QR codes to promote TV shows with special content, The weather channel uses these codes on their broadcasts so when viewers snap the QR code they are lead to the smartphone app download page.
2-D codes are being used in different ways everyday to promote business. QR codes are easy to setup and have almost limitless potential in innovation.
HOW TO: Grow your sales and revenue via mashable.com
Standardized App Creation
Apps have become a very important part of our smart phones and every day new apps are created and help us do the things we want to do on a daily basis. One problem with apps for smart phones is the fact that depending on which phone and service provider you have determines what apps are available to you, but not for very much longer.
Mobius mobile web browser technology from appMobi will allow the app market to be shared between providers and smart phone versions. Apps created with the MobiUs Webapp browser will use HTML5 that will allow mobile and tablet devices to run fully featured web apps. The market for apps is ever growing and in 2011 is projected to make over $15 billion in revenue alone.
Web apps are a great tool that often takes advantage of local search and is essential to the grow of local marketing.
Gaming meets Local Search with foursquare
A new and exciting way to interact with customers is using a newer mobile app called Foursquare. This app allows users to check in to local shops, venues, and almost any other kind of geographical locations. Users earn badges for checking in multiple places and sometimes are even rewarded by unlocking coupons or specials.
There is a huge opportunity in marketing for programs that offer these capabilities. Only about 1200 venues have offers that are on Foursquare leaving huge opportunities for small businesses to take advantage of. Search engines such as Google and Bing have also started keeping track of Foursquare locations and showcases them in their local search maps with your venue page along with address and phone number. To check if your business is located on Foursquare simply go to their website and do a search, if your business is not listed it can be added by signing up your businesses and registering it with Foursquare.
List Homes For Sale Using QR Codes
QR codes are being used more and more in different venues across America. In Grandrapids, MI five star real estate are using QR codes to help sell houses. What consumers can do is scan the QR code that is on the for sale sign and get detailed information about the listing.
This provides a quick and easy way to distribute information about the listings that the agency has. Before realtors would have paper inserts that potential home buyers would grab but now by simply snapping a photo of the QR code they get the same information plus addition features such as online home tours, market trends and a whole bunch more that wasn’t possible before.
Using QR codes to sell homes has been going on for years over seas in Japan, and Europe and its now finally coming to the United States with very good results. Agents can actually see how many people have visited listings based on how many times the QR code has been scanned. This makes getting information to consumers that much easier and leads to more sales because of the convenience of this process.
Journalism And The Power Of SEO
Having the correct search terms for your business’s website is an important key to getting found on the web. Journalists and columnist have discovered the power of SEO for articles written online.
Recently the Huffington Post tried out this new way of getting found on the web and has had tremendous results. By using the most search for terms at the time, The Huffington Post created an article about the subject and posted it on their site in hopes of increasing their traffic.
This is a tactic more and more sites are using due to its effectiveness to reach out to more people. Website optimization is essential to the growth as well as the consistency of anything on the web.
Increased Mobile Marketing
The power of mobile advertising has not only helped out businesses but even national sports teams. In Pittsburgh Pennsylvania the Penguins were looking for new ways to reach out to a fan base that was slowly diminishing. While looking for new alternatives for marketing they stumbled upon what a lot of businesses have been doing, mobile marketing. When fans text a number with corresponding text they are entered into giveaways for merchandise, coupons, and even free tickets.
With a new push behind the mobile focused advertising the club saw a growth in their fan club 14,000 to about 72,000, a 58,000 person difference. Not only is the NHL taking advantage of this new type of marketing but also other sports organizations such as the NBA has taken up text campaigns to give fans input and keep them up to date with the latest happenings.
Growing Field of Mobile Internet Users
What was once a very small market has now grown into a huge field of opportunity. The market is changing when it comes to the internet and how people are accessing it. Ten years ago we had mobile internet with pages that were barebones and slow and often didn’t work due to the lack of advancements in mobile web.
Mobile internet is on the rise and will only continue to grow as smart phone prices continue to lower allowing every day users to access the web, email, and other applications they once only used at home. Studies have shown that in a few years more searches will come from mobile devices as then conventional at home web browsing. Trends will also show that in a few years cell phones will mostly be smart phones allowing an entire market (cell phone users) the ability and means to connect to the internet without having a home computer.
