World Gone Mobile Apps

There are currently about 1.3 billion smartphones in use globally. By 2017, it’s expected that 2.5 billion users will connect through messaging-based apps.Seven of the top 12 most-used apps are messaging based apps.Everyday an average of 20 messages a day are sent through one of these apps . In addition to Snapchat and WhatsApp, there are hidden dragon players like WeChat,
LINE and KakaoTalk, which are BIG in Asia as the World has Gone Mobile .

The increasing popularity of the Internet — coupled with maturing online payment systems and enhanced logistics service reliability — has fuelled e-commerce growth globally . The world is witnessing a shift in how people discover and share information using mobile internet enabled devices worldwide and typically the Greater China where the social, digital and mobile ecosystem in China is unlike anywhere else on earth.

It utilizes both the processing and mobility advantage which smartphones offer.
Real-time experience means that we can reach out and engage with friends, associates and customers at any time, place at anywhere without constraints. Consumers are sharing information and, at the same time, gaining immense knowledge at a faster speed.This is thanks to the services like tweets, social media posts and the newly evolved messaging -based apps with prominent new social platforms namely Snap chat ,LINE , Whisper and Wechat who themselves has evolved from simple SMS text to becoming increasingly influential service provider with messaging ads and stickers that trends well with Mobile phone users,

World Gone Mobile Apps

Social media services therefore will become more noisy with crowded ads contributing to messaging apps and user with preference for user- friendliness apps will seek out simpler, clearer and easiest platforms to make communication and have fun at the same time at no expense

The Easy Access of the Internet on smartphones and other mobile devices has changed the way people communicate and consume information. It has created new ways of information dissemination and consumption; and it is still on its way to creating new ones.
These allow consumers to make more and more quickly and informed decisions based on real-time data on-the-go.

What does this mean for businesses enterprises and Branding throughout the World?

As consumers start to adapt to the power of mobile devices, it will cause a domino effect on every economy and starts to transform.
It will adapt to the new mobile technologies which has proven to be challenging.
Mobile social media technologies have proven to be highly effective and valuable when consumed on the go and especially whenever and wherever businesses are concerned.

Power of Mobile Social Media Knowledge

Small business owners who are in the battle for more local customers will find it tough  this days  with traditional  method  therefore  engaging  into the HOT mobile market is a Priority

Mobile device usage is on raging  with Hot fire and  Steam rising up fast , so businesses today have to adjust their marketing efforts to keep up... that's if they want any chance of out-doing their competitors and maintaining their share of the market.

Profit from Mobile 

If there's one thing small businesses understand, it's the Power of Mobile Social media  .

 Learning the different ways of Mobile Social marketing  and  When you couple that with the love of smartphones, mobile social media  will be  the perfect solution to help businesses bring in more local customers.

Did you know that approximately 95% of all text messages are answered within 15 minutes of receiving them?

Did you know that MOBILE coupon offers receive 10 TIMES the redemption rate of traditional advertising methods?
These stats alone prove just how beneficial mobile social marketing can be when it comes to helping small businesses generate more sales, profits, and revenue.

The EXPLOSIVE usage of smartphones has changed consumer buying patterns and the way they like to do business.

Social Mobile World

However...

It has also left some businesses scratching their heads as they try to figure out how they can tap into this new-age digital market...

While many companies KNOW they need to "mobilize" their businesses, some of them are CLUELESS about how to go about it.

Many business owners are actually still pondering the idea of mobile marketing, while their competitors are already up and running with their mobile campaigns... snatching up  good leads along the way  and learning new technique of Mobile Social media marketing

In order to grab your share of local business clients, you need all of the TOOLS and STRATEGIES you can get...

This Credibility ebook : Profit from Mobile Social Media Revolution  will help you EDUCATE local business owners about  how  Mobile Social media can help them. Many business owners today want to market to the massive mobile audience, but just haven't taken action yet because they simply don't understand it...

To help you overcome this barrier, this book will help you generate new leads simply by explaining the power of mobile  social media  in a way that they can understand it.

Have Fun with Mobile Tagging - QR Codes, SnapTags and more

Connecting the digital and physical worlds– tags are on tangible things – like products, signage, flyers, countertops,display windows, print ads (newspapers, magazines and more.) Scanning themconnects the consumer to a relevant digital experience. Using tags allows you tomeasure response rates to a particular marketing effort.

There are anumber of different mobile tagging apps that you can use to tie physicalmarketing materials to your mobile website, texting program or other mobilemarketing services. Some mobile tagging services to consider are:

·        QR Codes

·        Microsoft Tags

·        SnapTags

QR codes are a type of 2D barcode made upof a series of square dots that encode alphanumeric data. When scanned, yoursmart phone reads the data and takes the action indicated, whether it sends theuser to the home page of your website, to a special offer you’ve created oreven your company Facebook page.

QRcodes were created in Japan and have been widely used there and in Europe, butare just evolving into wide use in America in the past couple of years. Thegreat thing about QR codes is that they are free to use and there are a numberof free applications you can use to easily create them for your small business.The downside is that they are more functional than aesthetically pleasing. ( see Picture ) 

Microsoft tags are much like QR codes in theirfunctionality, but have more visual style. Another plus to Microsoft tags isthat you can easily create a custom tag in just a minute or two for absolutelyno cost. There are five different types of Microsoft tags:

·        URL tags – these open a webpage on the customer’s mobile phone and sends them to a specific page of yourmobile site or a video or some other type of content.

·        vCard tags – these open avirtual business card that customers can add instantly to their contact list.

·        App Download tags – itrecognizes the type of mobile device and sends the customer to the appropriatedownload source to get your mobile app.

·        Free Text tags – this displaystext of up to 1,000 characters, but is not an SMS/text message, it simplydisplays the text.

·        Dialer tags – thisautomatically dials a specific phone number that you specify – it can be yourbusiness number, a help-line or even an automatic voice message.

SnapTags  work in much the same way as QRcodes and Microsoft tags, but typically take either your company logo or associated icon and convert it to an interactive tool that will direct people to your digital content. The upside of using a SnapTag is the advanced customization and visual appeal; the downside is that both creation and use ofthe tags come with a price tag. 

Mobile Coupon Redemption 

There are several different types of SnapTags:

·        Branded SnapTags – these are tiedto a particular marketing campaign and can take you to product information, aspecial promotion or something similar.

·        Social SnapTags – these arelinked to your Facebook or other social media account and allow the consumer toeasily “like” you or “follow” you depending on which social media site it istied to.

·        Buy It Now SnapTags – these arelinked to a specific product and take the consumer to an instant “buy it now”window where they can buy your product or service instantly.

·        Action SnapTags – theseinitiate specific actions when scanned, such as getting a mobile coupon,emailing you, accessing your website, viewing video or requesting information.

·        Mobile Giving SnapTags – these allowyour customers to make a donation to a specific charity you have selected. Youcan even offer to match customer donations to promote your brand.

No matter which platform you decide to try, mobile tagging is a great way to make use of everyinch of physical advertising space available. These can be created and placedon your checkout counters, takeout menus, packaging, posters, flyers, printads, on your car or anywhere there is a physical surface and will increase yourbrand recognition.

Social Mobile World | Location-Based Mobile Marketing

No matter what type of device they use, more and more consumers are browsing the web on the go for places of business near them. Not only do consumers use their smart phones to find businesses, they actually use them while shopping, dining and spending.

A recent study showed that 55% of smart phone users will comparison shop on their device while in a store – nearly 47% will search for reviews while shopping – 21% searched for coupons to use instantly – 12% opted to buy online instead of in-store and over 5% searched for a recommendation on the business or product from their friends.

Consumers age 25-44 are most likely to comparison shop and search for reviews on products, services and businesses using their mobile devices. If these ages are in your target demographic, this lets you know that location-based mobile marketing services would likely be used by your target customer.

When it comes to location-based mobile marketing, coupons are increasingly popular. 44% of smart phone users have redeemed an online coupon and 18% have redeemed a mobile coupon. Another growing outlet for location-based mobile marketing services is QR codes. Over one-third of mobile devices have a QR code scanner.

In fact, all location-based mobile marketing trends are on the upswing. Last year, over half of all local business searches were conducted via a mobile phone or other mobile device such as a tablet or web-enabled iPod.

 Location-basedmarketing services are now getting even more local with the emergence ofproximity marketing. Already huge in Japan, proximity marketing is now trending in Europe and spreading to the US. Using proximity marketing, the nearness of a consumer to a specific object or physical location triggers a specific action.

NFC chips, QR codes and other new technologies can provide consumers with an interactive experience. QR codes in particular are attractive for both consumers and vendors because they are free to set up and easy to use. As more businesses use QR codes, their increased presence will increase consumer interest and use of the tool.

As more and more consumers seek to engage with local businesses, it will become more and more critical for business owners to equip their establishments to accommodate the increasing demand for mobile interaction. Consumers now prefer establishments that offer free Wi-Fi and this baseline service will be a necessity if you want to expand your mobile strategy to embrace proximity marketing. By hosting Wi-Fi services for customers, you’ll be able to offer fast-loading content attached to proximity items such as QR codes and NFC chips.

 More advanced proximity tools such as iSign allow you to ping a customer’s smart phone as soon as they enter or near (1KM  or less depending on your platform and technology) your establishment and ask if they would like an offer from your establishment. The mobile consumer can click yes or no. Current response rates are nearing 25% and may induce drive-by customers that may not have been planning a visit to your store to stop by and transact with you.  55% Percent of consumers  express an interest  in Mobile  coupons but only 10% have actually received one from a merchant . This trend  will further improve  since iSign  proves effective  to get merchant and consumers to  engage better with the new  facility .

 Mobile marketing is here to stay, is prevalent and constantly evolving. Ignoring this trend will be at great peril to your business. The good news is that many aspects of mobile marketing have a very low cost to use and a low barrier to entry.  

If you don’t have a mobilemarketing strategy, now is the time to develop one. 

How Catering Business and Restaurant Embrace Mobile Social Marketing Strategies

 With mobile technology quickly becoming an integral part of our everyday lives . It has become vital to pay attention to the wide-spread influence of the mobile device as it  has become a highly influential marketing tool for businesses world-wide. 

Even  so , while it is  the  most promising  marketing  tools , it  shockingly  reported  that a study  in 2012 made  by  Restaurant Sciences Industry  confirmed   that  95% of independent restaurants don’t have a website optimized for mobile devices and only about 50% of chain restaurants have one. Mobile applications ( mobile apps  ) used by restaurant and  development  to use them  to  work specifically  for  Chain restaurant  has been  just  picking up  

http://www.socialgonemobile.com

With millions of active  mobile  accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare, restaurant owners now have the ability to directly access their customer base on a daily basis ,it is  therefore   Not likely  that  Mobile technology  will be  going away and its usage will keep  increasing  by the day.

All  types of Mobile applications will therefore  present companies with unique opportunities to increase revenue and customer loyalty and they offer  full accessibility  to user on the  go .

Mobile  Social media outlets provide the best  and most ideal  way to share tantalizing information that will satisfy  all hungry  customers  with  Good Food  for Thought  .. Reach your customers on your mobile social media platform  of choice by sharing any of the following information:

Embracing Mobile Technology

Mobile websites will   offer  the  first major benefit.  . A mobile website can be optimized for search engines  for your restaurant  and it can be  optimized to use for  most type  of  mobile devices, the ever increasing usage of mobile devices for browsing the mobile  internet means your restaurant’s online presence will appreciated well by customers 

Mobile apps

Like most  general mobile applications , most apps  offer as the menu  to  the restaurant’s  information source. Contact information, nutritional facts, location search tools, and menus dominate these types of apps, but a restaurant app can be more than an information source.It also can serve  as  Online Order  tools . Restaurants with online ordering systems offer customers the ability to browse  online and place an order for pick up via their mobile device or computer or relatively   in the restaurant or  for  early booking  avoiding  the  queue   for  advance  food ordering concept . Such application can be incorporated   into  the restaurant’s own reservation system or utilize as an online booking network  reservation services  to allow diners to easily reserve a table.

With  special  custom mobile application , restaurants  now have the opportunity to promote  unique or exclusive  dining experience while increasing business and building brand loyalty.

This  might  include

•       Offering  guests a discount if they uploaded a review  to specific Mobile ads  site 

•       Reward uploaded photos to some Mobile promo  sites  with a free drink or small dessert

•       Encourage spreading your name through any other food-related app with rewards 

•       Mobile Games competition

In the current mobile market, many restaurateurs  participate  and  utilize  major mobile apps  with mobile marketing  sites  like   Yelp, Foodspotting and OpenTable to market their  Food and wine  establishments which  allows users to be  able to directly share reviews, event scheduling , photos, check-ins and more with their social friends network  .Various other social networks can be integrated into your restaurant application to facilitate a seamless process for diners to share their experiences. 

Geolocation 

Some  good example for  integrating social networks ,like  Foursquare   will benefits to your restaurant by  its  word of mouth sharing ,check-in review , or coupon redemption  campaign . Pictures of food dominate social photo sharing sites these day  as friends  share around  wonderful pictures of the  food  meals  that they enjoyed  making it a great option to integrate into your restaurant application.  Restaurants can also include an interactive events promotion  to inform potential diners about exciting parties or event like Happy  hour , wine tasting  at your restaurant in order to  bring diners back to your establishment again and again.

The potential benefits of  an effective mobile social  strategies  to the restaurant industry are virtually limitless. .Reaching  out   to  your customers effectively and stay actively engaged with mobile social media opportunities will only grow in popularity as more people embrace the ease-of-use and convenience of their mobile devices.  

“ Mobile Influence Factors “ | Effects of Smartphone on Traditional In-Stores Sales

Market insights of Mobile technology  taking on the   World   has started the transitioning  where     mobile  technology has  embarked  on several types of   different platforms , ranging from the  SMS text messages all the way to full- fledged mobile apps , mobile advertisement ,  mobile ready video and commercials 

The power of Mobile Social Media  technology  lies in the fact that more and more people are accessing the internet through their smartphones rather than any other device. This is mainly due to the fact that  adoption of mobile devices have evolved tremendously  by leaps and bound . In addition, more and more websites are adapting to this by making their content mobile-friendly and even  shoppers -friendly

To help you understand the big picture, here are a few interesting statistics

·         More than 86% of Americans are cell phone owners.

·         An average of 5   billion text messages per day were delivered  .

·         Visa and Paypal  are  expanding its E-wallet services and challenging rivals with their  new in-store payment system, as the company broadens  their services  to the retail stores industry also with mobile  technology

·         Almost 60 % of Consumer who own a smartphone  have used it for  offline and online store related shopping

·         Mobile fundraising will be another  new way of  giving donation

As you can see, smartphones are becoming increasingly important in people's lives, and as it happens, they are an excellent way to reach out to a enormous number of people.

 They open your brand and business to a whole new and unexploited market which is only waiting to be tapped into, and that's precisely what most people are going to do in the near future. If what you are looking to do is increase your brand's exposure and have the opportunity to market yourself to millions of new potential customers, then you should get into Mobile Social media  marketing straight away; a market stays untapped for only so long.

Today’s Mobile Marketing Trends

The mobile  social media  outlook is a positive .

With  prediction that there  is high   possibility rate  of  Mobile   overtaking traditional PC Internet access in the next few years,  simple math tell marketers that abundant opportunities  exist within all this Go Mobile technology to present  media ads  to the right audience at the right  time 

Beside with  the advent of low cost  telcos mobile plan , virtually everyone  will  at least  have  access to almost free  SMS  text messaging capabilities or newer  application  like  - Whatapps .

Beside SMS , other new mobile marketing  trends   with use of  devices like  the  smartphones  and PC tablet  are   increasing  in  numbers introducing new application ,  like  the  Mobile apps  , LBS  and QR codes  therefore    boosting  the industry with multiple benefits  as such they serve  more than  just mobile customer but  also provide new marketing element for brands and retailing  business  to interact  with customers  to  increase their businesses  both in exposure and profits.

Furthermore, more  location-based  services (LBS )  platform are being introduced  and  marketing campaigns  using  both  mobile coupons  and QR codes  will be easier  implemented , translating into more  venue search traffic for retails  and  shop  establishments  .

Many retailers were at  helm  to drive and utilize this  new technology   to their favour ,as it offers a new approach  for retailers to push for in-stores  sales using  the different  features offered by the Mobile technology . According to estimates, such promising drives  will translates  possible  over US$ 750 billion in forecasted in-store  sales for 2016  for Global market including the Greater China

 “Smartphone  Influence Factor  “  forRetail in-Store Sales

Indeed, a recent released report  from Microsoft, “Mobile in the Consumer Journey,” finds that 30%  of average consumers use their  smartphones to compare  prices during shopping  for  both in-store ,  a figure that rises to almost  71% among savvy smartphone users , while another  report from  Deloitte , it mentioned that  Over 60% of mobile shoppers use their smartphones  while in a store, and another 50% while on their way to a store.

 Deloitte  recently developed  a metric called the “mobile influence factor,” which measures the percentage of traditional in-store sales being influenced by mobile devices, versus by straight dollar figures. This report advise  that  Shopping mart  and  appliance stores see the highest smartphone use and frequency among 11 types of retail stores (including department stores, apparel, grocery stores, etc.), where smartphone use influences 5.1% of sales on average.

They call it “showrooming”,initially retailers do fret about consumers using smartphone in their stores ,but  it turns out consumers who use smartphones when out shopping are 14% more likely to make a purchase in the store than those without. The  best conceptual understanding is that   consumers are increasingly going to stores, getting up close and personal with whatever items they’re shopping for, then turning to their smartphones  to buy said items on the spot in-store  or instead from competitors online  or otherwise , the  smart buying factor may also include  checking product’s review  to judge on performance or  possible comparison of prices online as  it works around a   new  fond  concept called 

“In-Stores Showrooming  ,Browsing Boost Smart Buying”

The whole process in turn encourage entrepreneurial  in-store retailers  to  aggressively pursue  mobile  app development for  their product or brands  rather than  lamenting on the effects of third-party services or  apps  and  this strategy  may be proven  as the  right direction if they do not wish  to lose  out  to competitors who has started in-stores  mobile apps which target  smartphone  based promotion  campaign  .As recent studies confirms that 43% of smartphone owners surveyed do download specific retailers’ app at their stores to make product purchase ,and smartphone  owners has high tendency to browse online  for data of  products which they intend to purchase in  order get  a personal justification to the specific  product’s  right  pricing or features , giving them a  peace of mind

Connected Devices

The Big Paradigm  shift  has  happened already  ,connected devices are going to become increasingly  important  to Brands’ mobile strategy with  the biggest growth in the area of mobile  search ,as more customer uses their phone  for engagement  and  to locate  products or subject of their interest.

As smartphone ,phtablet and Pc tablet are becoming more and more popular , the industry  will  see an increased  opportunity for  rich creative  media as the industry adopts  them   and  more new developments  will be  invested   into new incremental innovation  for dedicated application that   increase  social  consumer  engagement  via mobile

Continued development  may focus on target  advertising solution  for behavioural targeting  and ensuring ads that are sent  are contextually  relevant to consumer based on customer choice

    Source : compliment  : Benjamin Wane ,TextHK  

Find Out The Impact of Using SMS marketing on the Mobile Market for Your Business

SMS, or text message marketing, is basically the same as email marketing but with one key difference – you're marketing to mobile devices instead of PCs. You send your customers text messages on their phones with offers, deals, coupons and news they can use.

Checkout SMS   article 

SMS has been around for quite a few years and even with all the advances in smartphones and mobile marketing, it's still the most effective way to reach your audience.

A Higher Response Rate

Do people like being marketed to on their phones? It's tough to say from surveys. Whenever a marketing firm asks, they get mixed responses. Some people absolutely love it and take advantage of every deal offered. Others see it as an annoying invasion of privacy and prefer to get messages to their email inbox.

The stats, though, paint a totally different picture. Response rate with mobiles is overwhelmingly higher than that of email. Conversion rates are everything from 10% to 60%, which blows email marketing away. Response is also quick, with almost all text messages being opened within the first 15 seconds of receiving them.

Why the great response? It's because people are always carrying their phones on them. They don't log in once a day and have to battle spam and junk mail to get to your message. It also feels more personal to get messages from the brands you love straight to your phone.

Location-Based Services for Even Higher Response Rate

You get an even higher response rate with location-based marketing. This means using the device's built-in GPS capabilities to make offers. When your customer enters a certain 'zone' defined by you, they get a message offering them a deal. You can tie in your mobile marketing with deals at offline stores.

This works so well because it's just what your customer's looking for at just the right time. In other words, it's a marketer's dream come true. They're looking for a place to buy shoes and the minute they step into the mall, they get a message from you offering the deal they were hoping for.

SMS Is King of the Heap

We now market to mobile phones that have Internet browsers using Facebook, applications, games, and all the other capabilities the device has to offer. But statistics show that SMS still gets the best results. According to a survey by YouGov and SocialMediadd, 77% of the smartphone users they asked said they preferred SMS even when other marketing avenues were available.

This is probably because it's so simple and people are used to it. It's also a strategy marketers have used for years, so it's a well-worn path, whereas these other methods are still largely uncharted territory.

Why Not SMS?

SMS marketing is cheap and easy compared to other methods. It's something any type of business can use to its advantage. In the same study mentioned above, SocialMediadd reported that only 1 out of 100 of its clients use SMS, where 90% only use email marketing. Why not go where the conversions are higher?