I've travelled on buses and trains a lot during my time, and the most annoying thing is when you misplace or lose your ticket.

It's happened to me many times. You either forget what pocket you put it in, or it goes down the back of the seat. But SMS text messaging is leading the way in eliminating this annoying problem.

Many cities across the world have adopted a system for distributing tickets through SMS text messaging. By sending a text message to a designated shortcode, customers receive a text message that can be shown to the driver and used as an electronic ticket. The text message will contain the destination, the expiration time, the identification number of the ticket and the sender number. Tickets are usually valid up to one hour after purchase, and are valid on the whole network.

Anecdotal evidence has suggested that commuters find this system particularly useful if there is no time to buy a ticket beforehand, and text messaging is the quickest, simplest way to communicate on the go.

 

As the economy contracts yet prices continue to climb many small businesses are finding it tough going at the moment.  One surprisingly low cost way to make the most of your existing customer base and attract new ones is with a mobile marketing campaign.   Many small businesses can also make use of text to streamline their business functions and save themselves a bit of money in the process.  With today’s harder trading conditions in mind, here are five ways that small business can benefit from text messaging.

Important points to remember are that SMS marketing is very powerful and it will enable you to instantly target your audience, and as more than 95% of all text messages are opened and read you can also most guarantee that the receiver will view your message. If done properly, SMS and mobile marketing is a highly effective way to reach your customers.  Best of all the process is very simple and affordable –it is just as easy as sending an email, but much, much more effective.

1. Start by building an opt-in list for your mobile marketing and SMS messages, with the promise of giving your consumers real value and special discounts. You will need to explain to your customers the benefits for receiving your text messages. Make sure that you communicate the benefits of opting-in to your mobile campaign in all your communications, including emails, in ads, in person and on your website. The key to collecting contact details is to make it worth your customers’ while to opt-in to your mobile campaign by offering special discounts, reminders, alerts …even VIP events.

With the rise in popularity of smartphones and their mobile applications it was only a matter of time before the cybercriminals got in on the act and added a few unexpected additions to their mobile application offerings. Just at the moment the android market seems to be a particular target for the fraudsters, which is probably due to its rise in popularity rather than an inherent security risk.
One well-known case of mobile malware making the news is when a mobile user downloads an app that also contains a hidden SMS Trojan. This malware then set about stealing from them by sending hidden SMS messages to a premium rate number.

Although the instances of mobile malware are still relatively low, according to the McAfee, the security specialists, cases are steadily increasing. This means that to safeguard their smartphone owners need to be just as vigilance with their mobile handset as they are with their PC or laptop. To this end, here are a few security tips to help keep smartphones virus free and mobile users happy.


1. To begin with make sure that you make use of the security mechanisms that are already on your phone, such as setting a lock PIN or password. If your smartphone’s operating system supports encryption, be sure to use it.

2. Your main concern as far as cyber-viruses are concerned will come from mobile applications that contain hidden malware. To protect your mobile phone you should check out an application’s rating, as well as its publisher, before you install it.

Helping to spread a bit of Christmas cheer this winter the Gap Inc. has expanded its mobile marketing campaign (Gap Mobile4U) to include real-time location-based discount coupons at the Gap, and its other retail brands Old Navy and Banana Republic.  The initiative is a joint venture with the credit card, Visa, and the company hopes that its promotion by text message will bring an “innovative” shopping experience to it loyal customers.

The mobile marketing campaign is an opt-in program, so customers need to sign up to receive discounts and promotions via SMS by enrolling their Visa card.  As well as receiving exclusive discounts, those that sign up for the service can also receive text messages offering style tips and advice from Gap and its partner brands.

The SMS discounts coupons and promotions are sent directly to consumers’ mobile phones, so they can take advantage of them when they are out shopping.  All they need to do to redeem the offer is to show the text message at the checkout of selected Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy stores.

Keeping track of medical records is difficult in developing countries, such as Kenya. At the moment millions of births and deaths are thought to go by without being registered in this part of Africa because the country does not have the infrastructure in place to record these events in its rural communities. Yet without this information it is very difficult to establish an accurate public health policy. Thankfully, the World Health Organization has come up with a mobile solution which it hopes will overcome this data collection problem.

The World Health Organization is currently trialing a Health Metrics Network program which uses SMS technology to help collect vital information, such recording births and deaths. The program is called Monitoring of Vital Events (or MOVE-IT) and has been introduced in some part Kenya where it is hope that using text messaging to collect this vital information will dramatically improve the record keeping of these important health events.

The MOVE-IT program works by enabling community health workers to use SMS to record births and deaths. All the health workers need to do is to send a text message to the local authorities’ registration department about a birth or death in their designated area using the MOVE-IT program. Once the registrar receives the text message containing information on a key medical event, they then use another mobile solution to register the event with Kenya’s Department of Civil Registration...it is that simple.

Have you noticed that these days mobile bar codes seem to be everywhere?

From ads in magazines, to estate agent’s windows and even on product packaging itself, this type of mobile marketing has captured the imagination of many leading brands as a great way to increase customer engagement. Certainly there’s no doubt that a mobile campaign that incorporates a QR or mobile bar code is a fantastic way to draw customers towards your mobile website where they can get more information, watch a video…whatever you want to offer.

Now, I have to admit that I am quite taken by this technology as all I have to do to find out more about a particular product is to scan the barcode and I am immediately taken to the relevant page on the brand’s website. But therein lies the rub. You see, for a mobile campaign to work using a QR code linked to its website the consumer must have a phone that has a QR reader installed or the user must install an application that does this. Plus, their mobile phone must be internet enabled. This means that QR codes tend to works best with smartphones, and mobile campaigns that just rely QR codes to encourage customer engagement via their mobile website are somewhat limiting their options.

The world wide web has been with us for quite a few decades now and during that time digital marketing has swept to forefront of most marketing department’s efforts. However, technological changes –including the increasing popularity of smartphones – has seen mobile advertising catching up on its digital equivalent. The advent of the mobile application market has given brands yet anoth er way to promote themselves to consumers. So if you are wondering about whether to take the plunge and enter the world of mobile marketing, here are a few nuggets worth noting.

1. Research has shown that mobile campaigns have a greater impact on consumers than traditional online     campaigns for factors such as brand and advertising awareness, brand favourability, as well as purchasing intent. Mobile marketing is also more effective than digital, particularly in the retail, technology and entertainment sectors.

2. Mobile campaigns allow for greater interaction between the brand and the consumer when compared to other forms of digital advertising. They also enable the marketer to create personalized mobile campaigns for the consumer, based on factors such as preferences, interests, and locations.

3. SMS is ubiquitous across nearly all mobile phones. Plus, mobile phone users always tend to have their phone on them which means that this type of mobile advertising is a very efficient communication tool for brands keen to interact with their customers. Mobile campaigns are a great way to offer deals, sent event reminders and build customer relationships.

Nobody likes getting spam, be it unsolicited email, phones calls or a text messaging. In particular, it seems that in India there has been a real problem with spam of all sorts. Now you have to understand that India has the world’s fastest growing population of mobile users--700 million and counting. With such a massive market, controlling the mobile marketers was a real problem for the authorities, especially those that do not follow the county’s regulations controlling telesales and mobile marketing.

Originally the problem stemmed from unsolicited phones calls to mobile phones. In an effort to control this, three years ago the Indian Government introduced a Do-Not-Call list which mobile users could sign up to prevent spam phone calls from telemarketers. This list proved to be a big success and many mobile subscribers signed up for it. Unfortunately, this just had the effect of pushing the spammers to use SMS instead, and soon text messaging spam started to grow at an alarming rate. At first the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) tried to get tough with telemarketers that flouted the rules by imposing steeper fines, but this had little success. So the TRAI took a different approach and has imposed a daily limit of 100 SMS messages for each per person, which the network providers must enforce. Most Indians just send 29 texts a day, so this limit shouldn’t be an issue for most people.

Odd as it may sound, it seems that our poor posture while sending and receiving text messages can be hurting our necks. More and more teenagers are experiencing “text neck” with symptoms such as tightness through the shoulders, as well as headaches and neck soreness. It seems that “text neck” or Forward Head Posture is caused by spending too much time leaning down and looking at mobile phones or other devices.

The condition is caused by shifting your head forward too much. Now say that for every couple of centimeters that your neck is pulled forward, away from its normal position, the pressure on your spine and neck area increases by nearly five kilograms. So constantly curling your head forward over your phone to read your SMS messages puts a tremendous strain on your neck. Supposedly the best way to avoid getting “text neck” is to hold your mobile phone straight out in front of your face, rather than craning your head over to see the screen. However, you’ve got to admit that texting with your mobile phone straight out in front of you isn’t going to be easy. And if the sun is out you’ll probably struggle to see your SMS messages or browse the web with your smartphone.

Speaking of summer holidays, while I was taking a break last month, I received text message with a discount voucher by to one of my favourite stores. Unfortunately, the offer ended a few days before I was due to return, which I found really frustrating. I’m sure that if I had been in the country when I received the text message I would have gone to the store and probably would have bought something –I usually do.

True this was a combined mobile advertising campaign for my network operator and a well-known international retailer. I imagine that the aim of the exercise for the network operator was to “add value” to its customer relationship, while the retailer may have wanted to grow their customer base. Nevertheless the timing seems really odd to me. Why did the retailer send out their mobile advertising in the height of the summer when most people take a vacation? It made me wonder how many people actually used their text message sale vouchers in store...I bet it wasn’t as many as they hope for.

I’ve always thought that the best mobile marketing campaigns are those where more than one method of communicating is used to reach customers. And these day’s it’s just not enough to rely on email or social networking to get your campaign making waves. You also need to speak to your customers directly and effectively – ideally by incorporating some mobile messaging into your campaign.

And I guess the penny has finally dropped for some brands and advertisers about the benefits of cross-channel communications. One of the largest drinks brands in American, Anheuser-Busch is using cross-channel communications to promote its Budweiser beer. The new campaign uses mobile advertising to engage with consumers using mobile banners and has been placed on the Pandora iPhone app. Clicking on the mobile advertising banner will direct the user to the selected music on its “Here’s to Heros” Budweiser radio station on the Pandora music station. Here they can listen to the music , and once they are at the radio station, more mobile advertising will be shown which leads them to Budweiser’s Facebook page which will allow them to further interact with the brand and fellow users, although they will need to login first by registering with their phone number or email, and creating a password.

Well it looks like we will be using a new payment method in the years to come. Research suggests that M-payments (where mobile users pay for low cost goods and services with their phone handsets) are set to triple by 2015. There are even those within the industry that predict that up to a third of all restaurants and retail outlets (supposedly within the developed world) will allow for mobile payments within the next year, though I would have thought that it’s in the digital market that most mobile users will tend to rely on M-payments.

For those of us that always want to download a new CD or app, just being able to use your mobile phone for these transactions will make life much easier. And as more mobile users get handsets with Near Field Communications capabilities we will able to simply touch the payment pad with the handset to purchase goods. I never seem to have enough change to get my morning latté and breakfast, so a non-cash payment system for low cost items would be a great bonus for me.

Ask any ex-smoker about their battle with kicking the habit, and you’ll probably get a long story about using nicotine patches and their on-off attempts to stop smoking.  The good news is that a new SMS service has been launched in the US which should help to ease the struggle of those trying to stop smoking.  The new text2quit service has been developed by The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, and this mainly SMS-based system is specifically designed to help smokers quit.

The service uses a mix of SMS messages, emails and a website through which people will be given advice and support to help them stop smoking.  The idea is that the SMS service will provide personalized support and encouragement to people trying to quit.  These text messages are backed up with weekly email and a website where people can track their success. The text messages that the text2quit service sends are tailored to fit with the person’s chosen quit date, becoming more frequents as they approach their final goal. If needed, they can send SMS reminders about medication or offer medication advice.

Things seem to be changing in the world of marketing these days.  Consumers are now more demanding, wanting one-to-one interaction and instant answers.  This, of course, has big implications for the old world of broadcast marketing – especially online marketing.   A strange new world of marketing seems to be emerging; one which requires a personalised approach to get consumers to part with their hard earned cash.

So instead of wasting your marketing spread on attracting new customers – who more often than not will just check out your website and not make a purchase – your money will be better spent on making more of your existing customer base.  Yet even these communications needs to be tailor to meet the consumers’ expectations.

For example, the use and effectiveness of email marketing targeted at the under 45 is failing in the US.  Instead these consumers are more likely to respond to brands that have a social network presence and/or use permission-based mobile marketing, such as an SMS promotions voucher.  Plus, the conversion rates for a well-targeted permission-based mobile marketing (perhaps with an SMS promotion) are usually the most effective.  The fact is that people nearly always have their mobile phone on them and will read their SMS messages (or IMs or tweets).  And usually the younger crowd are less committed to reading their emails, especially if it isn’t relevant to them.

Here’s a story that caught my eye recently that I thought I would share with you as it shows the ubiquitous nature of texting in today’s society. Recently, performance art has been taken to a new plane by artists in Manhattan. People passing by “The Attendants”, a recent installation at the World Financial Center in Lower Manhattan, were asked to communicate with performers in a giant cube via text messages.

The installation was the latest offering by the theatrical company, The Nerve Tank. The 48 hour exhibit involved placing a cube in the middle of the World Financial Center which contained two performing artists. Passers-by were able to watch some pre-planned and rehearsed performances, but the main emphasis was to get the audience to interact with the performers by texting them. The crowd could then watch the artists reacting to the comments sent to them via SMS.

The idea behind the installation was to encouraged the audience to participate in the performance by sending text messages to the performers in the cube, and so become part of the installation itself. Once a message was received it would be displayed on a screen so that both the artists and the audience could read it. The organizers said that around two new SMS messages were being displayed every minute. Of course there was some vetting of the text messages to make sure that they were suitable to be seen by people of all ages and sensibilities.

Just in case you were in doubt about the effectiveness of mobile campaign with coupons sent via SMS, I thought I‘d share this success story from the US with you.

K& G Fashion Superstore, the men fashion wear retailer based out of Atlanta Georgia, recently launched an SMS-coupon mobile campaign across all of its 100 or so stores. The main aim of the mobile campaign was to promote in-store sales and to create a database of customer information. It also wanted to add value to its customer’s experience by offering mobile coupons that could be redeemed at the check-out. K&G’s SMS alerts also provided information about in-store events and news. Rather than inundate customers with too many text messages, K&G’s strategy relied on sending just four text messages a month to participating opted-in customers.

To attract participants the retailer initially used in-store signage to encourage customers to send a text message to a short code to receive a $5 coupon. The coupon was valid for one day only and had to be used in-store. The coupon would give the recipient a unique code which they had to key in at the check-out in order to get the discount. As each code was unique to each customer, the system eliminated the possibility of a customer texting in to get several coupons. The program also required a double opt-in, so customers also had to send in a text to verify that they want to participate in the campaign.

Evidence if ever it was needed that any communication channel is only as good as the network that carries it can be seen by the crash of Vodaphone in Australia network during the busy Easter period.  It seem that on Easter Sunday, throughout the afternoon and early evening, customers of the network operator Vodaphone in Australia  were unable to send or receive text messages due to a network fault at the exchange.  Some people found that they were also unable to make phone call, as well as not being able to send text messages.  This comes in the wake of months of complaints by customers about poor reception for both data and voice, and follows another outage last month which affected a few of the network operator’s customers support call centers.

The seven hour outage of SMS service created an angry backlash amongst customers, who turned to social networks to vent their frustration and annoyance. During the time that the SMS system was offline up to 20,000 people joining the “vodafail” Facebook group where they expressed their annoyance with the company.  By way of compensation the network operator has offered to give customers 12 hours of free SMS service on the 1^st of May, though not everyone is pleased with this offer.   What they really want is better reception and a more reliable service for data, SMS and voice.

Although the mobile industry is hyping up the arrival of Near Field Communications at some point in the future, a joint venture of British companies has launched a mobile solution which is similar in sprite, if a bit less innovative technically.  The new mobile solution makes use of the tried and tested SMS and iPhone app technology to enable consumers to buy items with their mobile phone.

Dubbed Simply Tap, the system requires users to pre-register with a method of payment (such as a credit card) and an address for the delivery, after which they can use their mobile phone to order items in store, online or by mail order at retailer that have signed up to the scheme.  All they need to do to buy something is to either send a text with the special 4-8 digit product ID code or enter the details onto an iPhone app to make a purchase, as well as entering a PIN for added security.  Soon the goods should be winging their way to the delivery address.   

I am sometimes surprised by the innovative ways that forward-thinking companies utilise SMS in their products and services.  A great example of this is a mobile campaign by the British pay as you go energy supplier Utilita which allows its customers to make top-up payments for their gas and electricity via a text message.

With the new mobile campaign customers that already have a pre-pay meter installed in their home can use an SMS top-up payment system for their gas and electricity, instead of having to go online or to a Paypoint.  To get started using SMS for their payments customers first need to register their mobile phone number through the company’s website.  When the time comes for a top up payment, they just send a text message to a dedicated shortcode number which contains their gas or electric card number and states how much they want to pay.  The payment and card details are authorised through the payment system, and the customer is sent a text with a code which they can use to activate their top-up payment for their gas or electricity. The system has been developed by Eckoh and is fully compliant with PCI DSS (the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) so users can rest assured that their gas or electric card details are secure.

I see that delegates from the retail sector at last month's International CTIA (Wireless Association) conference in Orland, Florida were advised to make greater use of mobile marketing to improve their customer loyalty campaigns and the keep consumers engaged with the brand.

Whether it's through SMS or an application (or both) the more mobile channels you offer your customers the more likely they are to shop with you. Here cleverly applied mobile marketing can really make a real difference as it can pave the way for a purchase with a mobile application or entice them to purchase via SMS vouchers. Mobile marketing is a powerful tool, enabling brands and retailers to embed loyalty to their mobile campaign by connecting with consumers in a personalised manner through their phone.

It also make sound sense for retailers' mobile campaigns to make the movement towards purchasing as easy as possible, such as automatically including a link to the website in their SMS messages or to have an application that lets the consumer scan a barcode to add an item to their shopping basket. The easier the shopping is, the more their customers will come to rely on the retailer, creating a positive circle of purchasing and customer loyalty.

It also seems that QR codes are making a big impression on retailers and brands. These clever barcodes can be scanned by mobile phones with a camera to get data -- be it product information, a URL for a video or to receive a coupon. As they pull the consumers into whatever the brand or retailers is offering, QR codes look set to make a big impact on mobile marketing in the future, as they can reduce the number of steps that consumers need to take to find out more about a product or an offer. And best of all, they encourage interaction with the products and brands, and once again feed into customer loyalty.

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I have no doubt that in years to come we will wonder how we ever shopped without QR codes or mobile browsing to compare products. Mobile technology is changing the face of shopping as we know it.

I see that delegates from the retail sector at last month’s International CTIA (Wireless Association) conference in Orland, Florida were advised to make greater use of mobile marketing to improve their customer loyalty campaigns and the keep consumers engaged with the brand.

Whether it’s through SMS or an application (or both) the more mobile channels you offer your customers the more likely they are to shop with you.  Here cleverly applied mobile marketing can really make a real difference as it can pave the way for a purchase with a mobile application or entice them to purchase via SMS vouchers.   Mobile marketing is a powerful tool, enabling brands and retailers to embed loyalty to their mobile campaign by connecting with consumers in a personalised manner through their phone.

No one likes getting spam, least of all as a text message on their mobile phone.  Although such a practise is outlawed through most of the developed world, the odd bit of spam still gets through (…I had one just the other last week).  However it is in the developing world where SMS spam can be a real headache.  In India alone it is thought that up to 100 million spam text messages are sent every day.

Of course, spam filters have been developed for SMS in the past, but they aren’t fool-proof.  It can be very difficult for an application to identify spam because the text messages are so short, with slang and abbreviations just making things worse.  

As we have seen in past days, there has been wide spread demonstrations by anti-government protesters in Egypt who want to bring an end to President Mubarak’s 30 year rule.  While the rest of the world waits and watches the unfolding events in Egypt, it was interesting that one of the Egyptian Government’s first reactions to the protestors was to close down the internet and mobile services, including SMS and Blackberry’s mobile messaging service. 

No doubt this was an attempt to avoid the problems experienced by Iran when people protested about the lack of democracy following the 2010 elections.  Then protesters used social networking websites such as Twitter and Facebook, as well as text messages to spread the word about the demonstrations.  The result was that Iranian authorities had to scramble to shut down these communication methods quickly.  More recently, the fall of President Ben Ali in Tunisia was a result of mass protests following a rallying cry for action via social networking sites and mobile messaging.  And just like Iran and Tunisia demonstrators protesters in Egypt have been using social networking sites and text messaging services to send out information about planned demonstration.

The figures for the usage of mobile marketing barcodes in 2010 have been released and point to a marked increase in the uptake of this feature by consumers. Throughout 2010 there seems to have been a month on month rise in the number of mobile phone users scanning mobile barcodes -- helping to establish them as an integral part of many business' mobile campaigns. 

Just in case you don't know about mobile barcodes work, let me explain them to you. A mobile barcode (or QR code as they are sometimes called) works with any mobile phone that has a camera. They are similar to the pricing barcodes that you see on the sides of your food shopping, and just like them a QR code can be used to get information. Mobile barcodes should be able to work with any cell phone that has a camera scanning, as the information can be sent via SMS.

Now that the New Year celebrations have drawn to a close pundits in the mobile industry have been making their predictions for the year ahead. Once again it is anticipated that there will be a strong demand for mobile marketing solutions that make the most of smartphone technology – especially from the retail sector. 

It is thought that one area where there will be strong mobile marketing demand will be m-commerce. As the uptake of smartphone increases in the US and Europe, more and more consumers are going to want to be able to shop, compare, browse and buy through their mobile phone. So it is likely that applications to enhance and facilitate m-commerce will become increasingly commonplace.

Once again the European Commission is looking at the service provided by mobile network operators in the European Union. Back in July it introduced a wholesale cap on the price that can be charges to mobile network subscribers per megabyte for downloads /uploads. At the same time it established an automatic limit of €50 per month (plus tax) for travellers' data-roaming charges; though they can ask for more roaming is they want it.

Now, the Commission has turned its attentions to the tariffs charge by mobile network operators for mobile data roaming, voice and SMS. It has started a consultation amongst all 27 members of the EU. Its goal, ultimately, is to put an end to the excessively high prices charged by some networks for related services. What is more, by 2015 it wants to reduce the difference for mobile voice and roaming to zero... a tall order by my reckoning. This amounts to establishing a standard tariff right across the EU by network operators for all mobile voice, SMS and data services.

As a bloke, I have to admit that I am not the keenest shopper around. I tend to buy just what I need when I need it. So as you can imagine Christmas tends to fill me with dread. As I dislike shopping for the most part, I usually end up running around a large department store trying to find something for the various members of my family, having left it too late to shop online. 

What I've never understood why it is that an item can be out of stock online, but in stock when you go to the actual store. Well finally I've found a store that will let me reserve an item online, for collection in store. But the really great thing about this system is that the retailer sends me a text message with the reservation number, so all I need to do when I get to the store is go to the till, read out the SMS on my phone and pay. The shop assistants do the rest. There are no numbers to write down or email to print out ...it's all there on your mobile phone.

I can't believe that nearly a year ago I was predicting that 2010 - the year of SMS messaging would see many more businesses start to use mobile advertising as part of their marketing campaigns. Well, it would seem that I wasn't far wrong. The latest survey by ComScore for the 3rd quarter of this year found that more than 100 million mobile phone users in Europe's top five countries (that's Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the UK) have received mobile advertising. Within these five European countries nearly half (43%) of the 230 million mobile phone users have received SMS advertising this September. The type of SMS advertising that most consumers recall receiving related to a product, service or some other type of brand information. As you'd expect, the SMS advertising with the highest response rate (10%) was for coupons and discounts. This was closely followed by contests which had a 7% response rate. The report found that charities and non-profit organisations are getting involved with mobile marketing, and more than 9 million mobile phone users reported receiving this type of SMS ad. Around 11% of these actually responded to the ad at least once between July and the end of September.

There is no doubt that for some people social networking is addictive. But, of course, this means that they constantly need to check-in to their favoured social network to keep up with what is happening. This isn't always easy if you're out and about, which is why fans of Twitter will be overjoyed to learn that it has improved it notifications system for tweets via SMS. The update to its mobile service will send a text message notification to members every time an account that they follow mentions them (aka @mentions) and it will tell the receiver who is doing the tweeting regarding them. This addition of @mentions SMS notifications is similar to the current set up for direct messages. Signing up to receive notifications via SMS if someone replies to one of your tweet is simple. Just logon and go to the "devices" page. Simply click on the "mentions and replies" option to start getting text message notifications for @reply and @mentions. A smart move on the part of the Twitter designers was to let the user decide whether they want to see @mentions from just their followers or from everyone. Those mobile users that are not bothered by receiving a notification of a reply or mention by text message can turn the feature off by un-ticking the "mentions and replies" option.

There is a lot going for SMS marketing - it can be a great for lead generation, relationship building, customer management … not forgetting sales. And with a response rates of up to a whopping 70% certainly a SMS campaign can achieve where other media are less successful. Just think...when was the last time you didn't read a text message? Whereas, I regularly put both direct mail and email in the trash without opening them. So, what is the best way for you to tap into SMS marketing? With more than ten years in the business, we thought we would share some of our insights into what makes for a successful SMS campaign. 1. Get the offer right Before you start the SMS campaign decide what you want to achieve – is it increased sales, website visits, better service, brand recognition, customer loyalty or more. You also need to decide who your target market is. Are they potential or existing customers, their age, demographic and so on? By offering an incentive more consumers are likely to sign up for and respond to your campaign. They may also be interested in getting other SMS marketing promotions in the future. 2 Get the text message right Be specific about what you are offering and how to claim it. Make sure you message is simple and to the point. If you want to attract existing customers a simple text message mentioning who you are, the offer and when the offer is for, should do the job - such as "Come to ABC Pizzeria (the business) for our 2 for 1 pizza (the offer), tonight only 6-8pm (when)".

Can you believe that there are just 52 shopping days left till Christmas? While that may be a scary thought for those of us that leave our Christmas shopping to the last minute, for many recession-hit retailers Christmas this year can be a make or break period. So, how can retailers take advantage of a last minute mobile campaign to help boost sales this holiday season? Given that most consumers will still feeling the pinch financially, they will be on the look out for discounts and bargains with their holiday shopping. Most would welcome with open arms the chance to get an SMS messages with a special discount, providing the incentive is worthwhile and relevant to them. Consumers are increasing receptive to opt-in SMS campaigns, especially if they offer some sort of discount or promotion. As a retailer, ideally you'll already have a database of customer willing to receive details of special deals, events and discounts. If not, start getting customers to opt-in for your mobile campaigns as soon as possible. Post call to action signs and notices for shoppers who are in your store to get them to sign up for your mobile campaigns – be sure to include your incentive. Also get your shop assistances to encourage shoppers to opt-in to your holiday season mobile marketing campaign. A timely and well-targeted mobile campaign, such as a limited-time-offer SMS coupon, should help to attract more customers to the stores. As it is the holiday season, you could have a special event, offering a 10% discount and free mince pies or mulled wine (or other season favourites from your neck of the woods) to entice a visit from shoppers.

It's always nice to hear about SMS being used to provide a versatile messaging solution. Certainly, the UN's World Food Programme (WFP) in Syria and its use of SMS to send food vouchers to Iraqi refuges is just such a case in point. Through the WFP Syria's SMS campaign, Iraqi refugees are sent a text message containing a food voucher. They can then use the SMS food vouchers in participating shops in and around Damascus to purchase some food items for themselves and their family. Following a successful pilot a year ago, the WFP Syria now plans to roll out the SMS campaign to all of the Iraqi refugees in the country that are regularly receiving aid from the UN's WFP. In the coming months around 130,000 Iraqi refugees in Syria will be receiving food vouchers via a text message. Through the SMS food voucher scheme, those Iraqi families that are eligible for food assistance from the UN's WFP are given a SIM card and receive a coded text message. This happens in line with its two-monthly cycle of food distribution and it is equal in value to the traditional food parcel. The receiver of the text message can then use the food vouchers in selected government-run shops to buy items such as rice, lentils and some fresh produce. Each time the holder purchases some food they are sent an updated balance via SMS - so they can keep track of their spending.

Retail businesses in the US are pushing ahead of the rest of the world with their innovative approach to opt-in location-based mobile marketing. Now large well-known retail brands can extend their mobile campaigns to 60% of all US consumers following the development of a strategic partnership between Placecast and Location Labs. Both firms have been chipping away at the difficulties presented by location-based mobile marketing in recent years. In one corner there is Placecast, which offers a geofenced mobile marketing system called ShopAlerts. This is designed to let retailers send promotional mobile campaign messages (such as an SMS alert) to customers when they enter digitally zoned areas. Location Labs, in the other corner, has extensive carrier relationships and its Universal Location API. Through the tie-up between the two firms, ShopAlerts will now be able to reach both ordinary mobile phone users and smartphones, with messages sent via SMS, email or a social network website. This location-based mobile service has the potential to reach a massive 180 million US consumers! But what's really special about the system is how it can work to offer not just discount vouchers when a customer is near a store, but it can reach opt-in users in other geofenced areas to send them a personalised SMS messaged based on their interests. Plus, to avoid information overload no more that three messages per week will be sent and consumers can opt-out at anytime. The North Face has been one of the first retailers to take advantage this extension of ShopAlerts capabilities, helping it to extend the reach of its mobile campaign dramatically. As well as creating digitally zoned areas near its stores, The North Face has geofenced hiking trails, State and National parks and other areas popular with its customer-base.

Last week I received one of the most surprising SMS messages of my life... it was from my grandmother! At the rip old age of 80 she has decided to join in the mobile revolution and has bought a mobile phone. What's more, she has taken to using it like a fish takes to water - including sending SMS messages. While it makes prefect sense for my Gran to have a mobile phone so she is connected to the rest of the family while she is out and about, I was surprised to see how quickly she accepted this new technology. Of course she's had some heavy duty tuition from my sister who has shown her all the ins and outs of her new phone, as well as teaching her how to send and read SMS messages. She even knows about popular SMS emoticons such as :-). I guess I shouldn't really be surprised by my Grandmother's use of a mobile phone for voice and SMS messages. According to research earlier this year, mobile phone use amongst the over 65s is on the increase both

It's always enjoyable to hear about good causes and good fun working together. Certainly this was the case with the successful breaking of the world record for the most SMS donation in one room last month. The attempt to break the world record for the most SMS donations in a single room was championed by the Universal Record Database(URDB) and the American Red Cross – with the help of the attendants of the Mashable Media Summit. As part of the summit, Dan Rollman (the founder and president of the URDB) and Wendy Harman from the American Red Cross spoke to the attendants and encouraged them to donate $10 through the Red Cross' SMS donation programme. The assembled crowd of 221 people texted "REDCROSS" to 90999, and raised a quick $2,210 for the American Red Cross. At the same time the assembled group broke the URDB's previous record for most SMS donations in a single room by a substantial margin. Unsurprisingly, the previous record for the most SMS donation in a single room had been set by the Red Cross and URDB, which raised just under $400 for the victims of the Haiti earthquake.

There are some well known uses for SMS messaging services. These include marketing and promotions, customer service and appointment reminders ...to name but a few. However, every now and then a new use for SMS technology comes along that really catches your eye. This was the case when I found out about the educational efforts of the Bunyad Foundation in Pakistan. They are a non-governmental organisation dedicated to improving rural life for Pakistanis, especially children and women. Its novel use of SMS messaging technology is now taking advantage of low-cost mobile phones and using text messages to help teach Pakistani women to read. The Bunyad Foundation’s Mobile Based Post-Literacy Programme is designed for semi-literate rural Pakistani women aged between 15 and 25 and has been funded by UNESCO. One of the key aims of the text message-based programme is to take action on the problem of literacy retention amongst young rural women in Pakistan. The programme encourages these women to improve their literacy (by reading text messages) and so improve their self-esteem. This in turn should make them less marginalised.

It is an idea that been around awhile, linking online and mobile technology to home appliances. One ambition for the manufacturers and techies has been to get the washing machine to send you a SMS alert to tell you it's finished. Well... at last some has actually done it. Following several instances of wet mouldy clothes after forgetting about the laundry for several days, a hack in California has rigid up his 25 year old washing machine to tweet him when the cycle is finished. Twitter then sends a SMS alerts to his cellphone. How great is that! The innovative use of the internet and SMS has even attracted the attention of Whirlpool (a leading manufacturer of washing machines in the States).

It doesn't happen often, but every now and then I go for a bit of pampering and get my hair done. The last time I did this was a disaster. No the cut was OK, but I spent longer waiting for my appointment than getting my hair done - more than 45 minutes! The question is: 'why didn't they send me a text message to say they were late?' They had my mobile number. Sure they were probably short staffed and in a rush, but the poor level of service they provided was disappointing. All I needed was a simple text message after all. Service providers, such as hair dressers and dentist, regularly use SMS to remind customers of an appointment. But they can also use SMS messaging to send more up-to-the-minute information.

For some time now the mobile marketing industry has been talking about location-based mobile marketing as the next big thing. Certainly, there's been a lot of hype about location or "geo-fencing" mobile marketing. But in reality there haven’t been that many examples of it in action. So, when I read about a new location-based mobile marketing campaign from the American sporting apparel manufacturer -North Face- I was intrigued. Thought to be the first use of "geo-fencing" mobile marketing for a clothing manufacturer, the campaign will send a SMS to customers when they are near one of North Face's stores in San Francisco, New York, Boston or Seattle. The SMS alerts will contain information about promotions (such as a free give away with purchases) or the latest seasonal arrival in store. As is usual for mobile marketing campaigns, North Face's is only for customers that have opted in to receive SMS messages. Although the clothing firm has dabbled in mobile marketing before with its snow report application for iPhone users this is the first time that it has used a receiver's location to trigger an SMS marketing message.

My, how times have changed since I was a student. I found it a real hassle to find a place to live near campus, search online and asking around – I even checked out the campus notice boards. But now a new SMS marketing initiative will make landlords and university accommodation services re-think how they connect with their student clientele. The new SMS messaging system is the brain child of Asset Campus Housing, a property management firm which specialises in the student accommodation market in the US. The new SMS service has been a triumph, generating up to 100 new leads a day with the knock on affect of both viewings and rentals up. The system is made up of two components. The first gets prospects to opt in to receive alerts about properties. The second creates a database of prospects and a separate one of residents for the property managers. The company and property managers can then use these for SMS messages tailored to either residents or prospects.

As a new year rolls around again industry commentators have made their marketing predictions for the coming twelve months. And while social media looks like it will still be a dominant force in marketing campaigns, a quick trawl through the predictions for 2010 highlights SMS messaging as the next important trend in marketing. One advantage of push-technology, such as SMS alters, is that it enables businesses to connect the customer directly. Mobile marketing via SMS and MMS communication gives businesses the enviable ability to deliver an advertising or brand message to receptive consumers in an instant. Whether it’s a SMS message offering a coupon, an alert about upcoming events or an appointment reminder – a text is a great way to keep in touch your customer base.