I recently had the opportunity to attend the Conversational Marketing Summit that was hosted by Federated Media (FM) in San Francisco. It was an extremely interesting two day event with fantastic speakers you can check out videos of the panels and speakers here. [Read more →]
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Mobile phones are referred to as the third screen, TV being the first, your computer the second, followed by the mobile. It’s the screen you constantly either have physically on you, i.e. in your pocket or purse or within arms reach; you never leave the house with out.
The mobile platform is growing at a rapid pace and as its dominance increases more dollars from the marketing budget will be funneled in this direction.
Now is the time to familiarize you with the emerging trends in an effort to position yourself to be able to capitalize on this intimate platform when it truly takes off over the next two to three years.
The Numbers: Nielsen Mobile reports that there are 254 million mobile subscribers in the US as of the 1st Quarter 08.
Of that figure, 95 million devices were capable of accessing the web, meaning they paid for a service that allowed them access; but only 40 million subscribers were active users of mobile internet service, using those services at least once on a monthly basis.
The activating and engaging of the 55 million dormant consumers is an enormous opportunity.
How will you capture them? By serving them a relevant experience.
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New York Police Department (NYPD) announced that they are accepting video and pictures from citizens when they report crimes and file quality of life complaints. As reported by Mobile Marketer
Callers to New York City’s 911 emergency hotline are now able to assist in crime fighting using their mobile phones.
Callers to 911 will be able to send photos or video from a mobile phone or computer to the NYPD’s Real Time Crime Center, where relevant images may be used to assist in crime fighting or in responding to other emergencies. The public will also be able to send pictures and videos from Web-enabled mobile handsets to accompany 311 quality of life complaints.
“The long-term goal of enabling 311 and NYC.gov, along with 911, to receive pictures and videos is not only to better adapt these channels to the preferences of our customers by keeping them fresh and technologically innovative, it’s to help the City better deliver services,” said Paul J. Cosgrave, chief information officer of New York City.
“Whether it’s a criminal case, garbage on the sidewalk, graffiti or a pothole, customers will be able to send valuable data to the city – and authorities will have visual information to more efficiently address harmful conditions and improve quality of life citywide,” he said.
The new 911 capacity comes a month after the NYPD added text messaging to it Crime Stoppers program.
The decision to utilize mobile technology, is in step with the sociology and anthropology of our modern times, if a person owns a mobile phone the phone will be with them. The citizen is empowered, to take action in the same familiar style that they communicate with their peers i.e. picture taking and sharing.
Crowd sourcing residents of New York City is an efficient and timely method of gathering evidence and information. I look forward to the day my local police department Hollywood station, adopts this innovative method of receiving and processing information.
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Twitter is micro-blogging. Enter 140 characters and push send. That is your tweet. It’s like texting but everything you write is public. The shortened communication style creates immediacy and intimacy, for marketers twitter can be used as a tool for branding, building community, and providing customer service.
Branding- Don’t just tweet about promotions your company is pushing, it can be negatively perceived as spam. Give people a reason to follow you for example provide links to interesting websites or industry news. For example a jeans company with a connection to the 70’s could link to the rumor about a Led Zeppelin reunion concert tour.
Community -Intimacy, sharing details on a granular level makes people feel a closeness that they wouldn’t otherwise have, it paints a vivid portrait of people. By tweeting “I’m taking my dog hiking in Runyon Canyon.” It illustrates that I’m a dog lover, fitness enthusiast and I live close to the Hollywood Hills.
Saul Colt from Freshbooks an online invoicing and time tracking service says that twitter is his strongest marketingtool, he uses the Internet to connect with people, than will meet up with his customers in the real world. “Get people involved, keep them engaged, get them excited”.
Than there are companies who are on twitter but don’t understand how to use it to build community the result is they are just broadcasting i.e. Virgin: http://twitter.com/thisishowtofly
Customer service – Comcast http://twitter.com/comcastcares has quickly built a reputation as being on the ball as far as helping people resolve their customer service issues. Main stream news outlets have carried news stories with the takeaway being that comcast listens and responds to what people are talking about. Even if the conversation taking place on Twitter doesn’t fix peoples problems immediately it provides a sense of being listened too.
The web is making customer service valuable again, and good customer service differentiates your company in a crowded market place.
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An artist’s status and profile have been elevated through the power of social media and word of mouth. Joshua Allen Harris was a virtual unknown, making art in the streets of New York City. By chance a passerby posted a clip of his work on the Internet, which got a good response and lead to another posting and another, until images and video of his street art went around the world appearing on multiple social media sites. The main stream media (Associated Press and New York Magazine) caught wind of this story and covered it.
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Word of mouth is when one person talks to another person about you, your product or service. The statements are perceived to be more authentic, trustworthy and reliable than from any other source.
If you conduct a search online you will probably find that people are already talking about you, so jump in and join the conversation. By following these seven tips, you will have people talking favorably about your brand, improve your ROI….and turn your campaign around.
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