Not another Blah Blah Post on the Year of Mobile

This has been asked since 2008. It drives me bonkers. Like how the Ad Industry discusses the Ad Agency of the Future every year...since 1975! Instead of a dumb Infographic filled with false claims. Instead of a bunch of hokey stats that mean nothing. Just some easy thoughts to ponder.

So let's look at the state of mobile:

Large smart phone penetration over 50%.

People use their phones for many things these days including shopping.

But depending on your business will determine the value of mobile. 

Small business? Make sure your business is mobile searchable as well as your site mobile formatted.

QR Codes? Great idea but usually I get taken to sites not mobile formatted! And with Siri and Google Voice Search scanning a code could take longer than other methods of finding things.

You sell online? You should make sure you can sell on phones. Tablets btw are just like Laptops you are already set. I bought a gift on Etsy while standing at a Supermarket Deli Counter!

You sell in a store? Make sure you have a response ready when someone says 'I can get this on Amazon cheaper' or make sure your offerings are unique so you have no worries.

Location Based Services? Check-Ins are dead. But hey still be on FourSquare and Yelp! Let people who wish to check in do so and share it. There are other options but I think Auto-Checkins, Geo-Fences, and Push Ads to phones are bad for business if not set up properly.

But people use location enhancements all the time! When I drive using Google GPS I have it set up so I see places to eat along the way. Make sure your business shows up in GPS applications.

Mobile Advertising? People do not click banner ads very often on Mobile. But if you have a reason to show people you exist they aren't a bad way.

Big Brand? Depends on the Brand. What does Mobile do for Coke? Nothing really.A big retailer? Maybe incorporate mobile into a loyalty program so a customer announces they are in the store with their phone so you can customize offers?

Want to build an App? Remember people use maybe 10-30 regularly. Why should they use yours? How can they find yours out of hundreds of thousands? What is the value to the user?

Media Company? Your year of mobile was 2010 when your content via Apps was readable, viewable, watchable, and sharable. Make sure your content is even more easily sharable.

So where does this leave us? Mobile will continue to evolve. Remember the non-marketing use of Smart Phones is what we use phones for. We don't use them to see ads or search for deals as the primary function. We shop, consume media, search, entertain. and guess what the service providers and the phone handset folks don't care about mobile advertising. They just care about you paying a high price for the gear and services.

Mobile Monday - What is Mobile Good For?

On Friday I presented the Un-Mobile Edition discussing the limitations of mobile now that I have had to use it for work while I sit like a rotting egg on a hot summer pavement for Square Trade to even update me on my warranty (I don't think I am going with them next time I get a computer and will gladly pay a premium for quicker support).


Now that I got that dig in....


What do I use Mobile for?


I read a ton of news and there is some great APPs from many news sources that are free:


Huffington Post, McClatchy, NY Daily News (for my NY Sports coverage), Bloomberg (but that black background and white text can be painful), Washington Post, BBC News, ESPN Score Center (also has great sports news), and New Scientist all are great.


As a dig to all the Social media wonks Bloomberg and BBC do not have social sharing functions which is something I find interesting because these media outlets are not making money on ads for the most part. I mean they serve them but they are never relevant (will discuss next post). You would think they would want you linking stories on their website so that it will drive traffic there where ads are more premium (though still mostly unrelevent!).


I use Soundcloud and Double Twist for music and now this has replaced my IPod. Soundcloud excels for Electronica and quite a few bands allow you to stream their music. If you prefer underground music like I do there is tons of stuff including a lot you can download for free. Even the Foo Fighters jumped on board releasing their last album on the platform.


I don't really shop. When my laptop went down I decided to use Amazon to look for a replacement. Web shopping sucks. It is very time consuming because you have to shop page by agonizing page, vs say going to a store and seeing everything at once. Mobile is even more painful. So while I am totally bullish on Amazon's Price Checker App for when I am in a store, shopping is not going Mobile for me in it's current format.


Research/Resources. Movie Times/Listings. Trivia needs (ever get into a dumb argument over something with a friend?) IMDB and Wikipedia. Finding a restaurant and calling them (Yelp! is pretty good). Sports Scores.


Social Media I use Hootsuite for my @SkyPulseMedia and running a client's Twitter program. And I use the Google Plus App which is pretty slick.


I take a lot of photos and often email them to friends or upload to Twitter or G+ depending on the content. Personal stuff I share via email (and text) more general stuff I will share with my networks. I never used Facebook mobile in fear they will know my cell number and sell it to marketers.


I don't do much web surfing because the screen is too small and I hate zooming in and out. But I have been reading some blogs and even used Livefyre when it is working on them for commenting. I do not watch much video. But find myself doing more of this. Ironically the YouTube App is struggling on my Android. If anything that should never occur considering they are Google Products. But although more and more video is watched on Mobile devices, we all know we prefer big screens to small for this.


Other APPs I use:


Google Goggles for QR Codes, Flash Light (indispensable), Evernote for Tasks and Reminders, the Calendar which is connected with my Gmail account, Gmail, GPS (Google Navigation is awesome), Google Earth/Sky, and Voice Search (Google get's it right 90% of the time), Calculator, and lastly Cardio Trainer which is an awesome program for running, hiking, biking.


Lastly yes I make phone calls and SMS Text. In fact most of my mobile communication is private vs public/social. I am sure the same is for you as well.


As you can see I use my Android Phone for a lot of tasks and uses. This does not mean it is easy for a Brand or Marketer to reach me. But they can and next post will discuss some ways  to do so.


How do you use your Mobile Device?

Mobile Friday - the Un-Mobile Edition

Sorry about the black out here. No this was not SOPA related even though we are against SOPA and PIPA.


This was computer related. The laptop died. It was warrantied through Square Trade. Which btw if you can go 2-3 weeks without your computer they are a good deal, but I have buyers remorse since using my computer for business it is critical to my livelihood. Sometimes those expensive repair shops can be worth it!


Secondly been using Mac's from my partner and family. And I am not a convert. I long for Windows everyday and I am not a Microsoft guy. I don't even use any of their software besides Windows!


So since I have a mobile marketing focus here, but not mobile technology I decided to see how much I can do on my phone for work. And guess what? Not much.


Screen is too small for web work. My Droid 2 has a nice sized screen but most web sites are not mobile formatted. And that Apple commercial showing the easy zoom in zoom out? Biggest crock of shit ever. I DON'T WANT TO ZOOM IN OR OUT! 


What about productivity APPs? I have some but I am not a tech whiz who has integrated my work with my mobile. Really don't want too. I like a big screen and happy with my Laptop for work. 


I do use a Calendar for appointments and meetings. I use Evernote for notes and my To Do list.


Skype Mobile kind of sucks. I tried adding a third party to a call and it failed.


Facebook was a big failure. I run a client's page and couldn't through the Mobile Web nor the Facebook APP.


I don't have my work email on my Droid. Already pay way too much for phone, sms, and data. Adding another $20 for that with Verizon and I am approaching a car payment per month.


Blog reading and Livefyre commenting worked pretty well. I participate in many communities and was able to keep up.


I use Opera Web Browser. Pretty happy with it overall. But some websites with lots of bells and whistles appeared messed up. Though very easy to share links.


Hootsuite for my professional and client tweeting is excellent.


Biggest failure? I wanted to blog. I like to add photos or other content. Very hard on a phone to surf the web for a media item then add it to a blog post. Never mind how unwieldy it is on the mobile web.


Verdict? Mobile will never replace a Laptop for work. Tablet's have potential though I like a keyboard. If voice recognition allows me to speak vs type then maybe I can make the switch. And that could be the solution for mobile one day as well.


Monday I will post what I think mobile is great for and the areas of shortcomings with a consumer use focus.

Mobile Monday - LBS needs the Network and a Mobile Success

Satellite needs the ground Network:

Anyone who uses Android Navigation in their car will know that unless you have the ground network the 'Route' information does not work. Vermont which has very poor Verizon coverage will allow me to have the Map with my Location but unless I am in the 3G coverage area to set the Route Info, it doesn't work. Once the Route is set I can leave the 3G coverage and it will still give directions and the mileage left etc.

Without the Ground Network you also can not check in using any of the LBS services such as Foursquare or Gowalla, or even pull up Yelp! listings. They can find your location but the Apps will not work without the network.

Mobile Success Story:

Normally I am exposing frauds and holes in things in an effort to show clients and readers not to take things on Face Value. I had a discussion this weekend with Simon Salt (aka @incslinger ) about the lack of Social Media success for Marketing for big Brands. Tomorrow's post is going to freak you out when I debunk 'Viral' with some very powerful proof (though I actually have something nice to say about Facebook for once).

Simon showed me the Airwalk Pop Up Store campaign which I found very clever. Airwalk started as a Skateboarder shoe and then stumbled in the mass market a few years back. They have survived but aren't quite the same cache as say Vans, DC or Fallen shoes have today. The problem when you are leader in a niche is to keep the core supporters when you attempt going to the mass market. Many brands in Skate and Surf and extreme sports have died because of this effort. There is a huge disconnect I will share with the video narrator, the campaign, and reality which I will share later.

LINK

Video LINK

While this campaign is unique and was very successful, it obviously is not scalable for the mass market. But the important thing this does showcase, is how we can integrate technologies in such a way that helps leverage small budgets. It also shows why going to an IDEAS Agency can have a big impact on your marketing efforts. It allows an Agency to use various technologies that best fit your Brand's needs vs trying to force fit you into whatever technology 'We Have'. And this is a powerful statement on why this is all TECHNOLOGY vs MEDIA. Y&R pulled in technology from all over to make this happen. 

I am very skeptical about the $5 Million in Earned Media they claim, since they give zero proof or support of this, just a number. But even if it was just $1million or $500,000, if they sold 600 high end shoes and got that earned media with a small budget it is a win. In fact remember this statement: 

Unless a Marketer gives you supporting data to prove a claim, don't believe it. Ever.

Now I get to be a snob. It is my blog right?

I spent 17 years living in Southern California at the beach in Hermosa, Redondo, Huntington, and Venice and have had many Skate Punks as my friends, starting at Arizona State in 1985-87, even separating my shoulder on a Quarter Pipe there, I can state this campaign was not aimed at the Airwalk hardcore Skateboarder but in reality the more affluent people. Trust me 12 to 21 year old Skaters are not reading Blogs. They aren't even on Facebook unless they are Pro and need a Fan Page. They are Skate Punks. They don't care about you and your Facebook or Blog. Though they will upload videos of themselves skating to You Tube. But in reality they are out Skating. I have spent so much time in Southern California watching the Skateboarders (I gave it up after getting hurt), they are not sitting around using IPhones and reading blogs. They are Skating.

This goes to the heart of marketing. Reaching your desired audience. I stand by my assertion that the only people who watched the Old Spice Twitter/YouTube campaign were people in Marketing, Advertising, and Media. Trust me, Old Spice wants to compete with Axe yet that demographic surely wasn't watching that campaign. Clever idea. Bad product. Poorly targeted. Over all a failure in my view.

SKATE OR DIE PUNK!

Albany Times Union Doesn't Get Mobile!

 

Every year as do so many other city newspapers around the country there is a Best of Contest where local denizens and citizens vote on the best of everything. So I was very excited to see the Albany NY Times Union go Mobile! It sounded so exciting and so 2011. In fact made me feel like maybe where I live isn't as small town rural as the area really is. Until I read the instructions! DOH!

LINK

"We're also going MoBO this year -- and giving you another chance to win fabulous prizes -- in our Let's Go MoBO Photo Contest. 

Here's what to do: Get out and explore the Capital Region. Take a photo of whatever you think is the best thing in the Capital Region. Then submit your required information, your photo in one of five categories -- People, Places, Events, Things and MoBO -- and a caption of no more than 140 characters (including spaces)"

Sounds great huh? 140 Characters sounds so Twitter-ish! This is really freaking cool! I am on it!

"Entries may be submitted in one of three ways:

-- Via email to bestof@timesunion.com. (Note: All MoBO entries must be sent via email.)

-- Via postal mail to Times Union, Let's Go MoBO Photo Contest, Box 15000, News Plaza, Albany, NY 12212.

-- Via hand-delivery to the Times Union lobby during regular business hours at 645 Albany Shaker Road in Colonie."

YOU ARE %^#&# KIDDING ME! 

So I am just curious how does the Times-Union expect to be able to tell if someone took a photo with a Mobile App, Mobile Phone Camera, or Standard Camera if we have to email or print the damn entry????? Does this not negate the Mobile Aspect 100% because it's not truly all mobile and game-able? 

Two hints here. Just call it a PHOTO CONTEST. Which it is and that is just fine instead of trying to hijack the term Mobile for Pizzazz purposes. Or let me submit via Twitter or your Facebook wall or anything that is truly mobile. Yes it could be still gamed on a desktop but at least people have a 100% full Mobile Option.

Dear Times-Union 

I am available for hire. You need an Alien like myself to help you with Mobile and Strategy and I will gladly take on the challenge. 

Sincerely Yours,

Chief Alien

Mobile Monday - Mish Mash

Sorry about the almost 2 week hiatus. The Chief Alien was sick for almost a week and a bit of writer's block. What can I say? It happens. Just because I am a significantly advanced life form does not mean I can not have writer's block!

First the MISH

In January I covered why you need to format for Mobile: LINK

The wonderful Shelly Kramer (@shellykramer) on her own did a reprise on why you need to format for mobile web: LINK

If you will not listen to me...listen to Shelly. Plus she has a higher Klout than me so she must be important.

I have a client who was involved with a festival done at Santa Anita Rack Track in Los Angeles and when at the Albany Devil's Hockey Game yesterday the Director of Sales Chris Quinn sent a Tweet about a promotion there. I truly was floored and impressed at the mobile website. Pull it up in your phone browser www.santaanitapark.com (@santaanitapark) If there was ever reinforcement on why. They prove it. 

If you have a Word Press Blog there is a simple plug in for Mobile Formatting. In fact Shonali Burke (@Shonali) just formatted Waxing Unlyrical which is a PR-Social Media Blog you should be reading.

Lastly the MASH. BTW never ever assume that because the MASH comes last that it is less important than the MISH. 

Shiv Singh (@ShivSingh) of Pepsi shared a presentation that was give by Matt Murphy and Mary Meeker of KCPB one of the big Venture Funds. Mary btw I still have issues with. She was  along with Henry Blodget accused of lying/misleading investors and pumping up Dot.Com stocks while privately in emails saying the companies were crap.  While Henry was banned from working in the stock markets for life Mary somehow escaped. While I have had discussions with many people including Fortune and the Economist on them, who say everyone deserves a second chance (YES!) but lying to me is the worst of all offenses are completely destroys my trust. So when reading this presentation which has some really good stuff remember it is from a VC. They have inherent bias to have the companies they invest in win, even if they don't have the best product, service or solution. In fact the NY Observer questions whether Mary is possibly a sign of a BOOM or a Bubble LINK

Slide Share:   LINK

To be fair I say the same thing about Facebook/Zuckerberg and the Social Media Talking Heads like the Brogan's and Solis' who need Social Media to be bigger than it really is in the scheme of things because it benefits them specifically. I also often attack the Ad Industry for over selling to Brands. Always look at a company or person's angle in business. Whether you are being pitched by a vendor or brand or trying to learn things to improve your business. That is why often this blog brings up bias and hypocrisy or blatant lies and deceit often. Because I hope to give you balanced insight as best as possible. And yes I have bias too. I want more clients!

There were 11 fights yesterday between the Albany Devils (NJ Devils farm team) and Syracuse Crunch (Anaheim Ducks) including helmets flying, two players got bloody faces and were taken into the locker room, and they had one play stoppage to clean up a pool of blood on the ice. I was very impressed!

Mobile Monday - Platforms Suck! Long Live Platforms!

The latest development with Nokia deciding to partner with Microsoft to integrate Windows 7 Mobile in their phones is something everyone needs to watch. This article pre-announcement from the Economist LINK shows market share and profits of the various hardware manufacturers. Here are two other articles on the announcement. One I find interesting is with Nokia in financial straits Microsoft is pretty much buying their way in: LINK LINK

We all know competition is good and healthy. It will ensure the best products and services come to market. But does this really mean we will always have the choice? I don't know if that is true. I have a Droid2 which I love even though it is buggy, poor battery life, freezes up, and requires plenty of reboots. Most of the Apps are universal so if I get an IPhone for my next phone I just re-load an App and it works seamlessly.

But what about the Apps I had to pay for? Do you really think Apple is going to just give them to me for free from the App Store? Definitely not. Nor would the eventual Windows App Store, Blackberry, or Android Stores when people switch.

Nokia sells a lot of phones. If they can pull this off and make yet another platform relevant this creates a quandary for Brands, Developers, Tech Companies, Cellular Networks, and Consumers. It is possible that a first time buyer might not realize that decision could be one that corners them with the chosen platform should they invest in Apps and Content that winds up unique to that Phone or Platform.

This gets even more complicated when Handset Manufacturers make customized Applications themselves. Verizon backs up my contacts on their cloud so when I get a new phone it downloads to the phone. But don't think Apple, Samsung, Motorola will make it as seamless for anything that is unique to the phone itself.

There is one group who are extremely excited about this new development: Mobile Agencies and 3rd Party APP Developers who do integration work for clients. When a Brand decides they have to have their content or APPs work on every platform they have to pay for this.

The groups that will have tough decisions are any Brands without deep pockets and independent APP developers who might have to choose which platform to develop for.

Mobile Monday - To App or Not to App that is the Question

In 2010 there was a mad rush to make branded Apps. And with the release of Android and Blackberry Markets there are a few hundred thousand Apps out there. The question is does making a Branded App make sense?

First let me discuss finding an App. Unless you advertise using Traditional Methods chances of your App being found and downloaded is slim. There are just too many! And such a small screen. And the Market is crowded! I found 20 Flashlight Apps for my Droid2!

Next question is why would I use your App? Most Apps get downloaded and then never used. I need value. I have downloaded since August about 40-50 Apps. I use only a few regularly:

MobiNews - Free Economist, NY Daily News, New Yorker, Guardian UK

New York Times - HootSuite - Twitter for Android

Gowalla/FourSquare - GPS Navigator -ESPN Score Center

BBC News -Double Twist (my music player) - Soundcloud (stream music)

Yelp - Huffington Post - Skyfire Browser - and a few games

Most others I barely use. But they are nice to have if needed. Like a currency converter, or Google Translate. And the Apps I do use as far as I know are not making money from me. Some pitch the annoying AdMob banner ads, but I haven't clicked on one or seen anything of interest since August. What if you spend money to make an App that is never used or benefits your Brand or Business long term? Why waste the money!

As you can see each screen can only hold a few Apps. So if you are a heavy App user screen space is limited. So why an App? What will I get from your App that will 1] want me to use it regularly and 2] benefit your Brand or Business in a way to make you or save you money?

I recently blogged about App integration and how not doing so hurts you. LINK 

This costs money. But it can cost you more money not doing this. But I can see the HuffPost or New York Times willing to give me some free content just so I do not seek elsewhere and maybe find someone I wind up liking better. 

The small screen is an inhibitor for shopping:

You won't get a view of 10's or 20's of products at once. You will get 3-5. (Just like the App Stores). And search can be clumsy. So this is an area that ease of use is critical. And of course you have to format your store front for mobile. If you have the resources to do this it can be a big pay off. Amazon has sold well over $1 billion in product via mobile. I know Pizza Hut and Dominoes have well regarded Apps to order Pizza.

The question is are you capturing sales you would never have gotten? Are sales just migrating like the Pizza Apps seem to be doing? Is this lowering costs? All these things have to be taken into account to make the proper decision.

In summary:

1] Do you have the money to create an App?

 

2] Are you ready to promote it off Mobile (in your store, online, traditional)

3] Are you willing to ensure it is a seamless experience including how it integrates with other Apps or Software? 

3] What is the benefit for the consumer to want to use it?

4] What is the benefit to your Brand or Business?

The worst decision is to create an App just because you want to have an App or feel it's important to be seen as a company that has an App with no Strategic, Financial, or Customer Service benefit for you or your customers! 

And if it is your Agency pushing this ask them why? Besides giving them a reason to make more in Billings!

Mobile Monday - You Must Integrate Your Content Properly

One thing that really sucks about mobile Monday is I can't take screen shots from my Droid2 to show you visually the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. It is also true that things that frustrate me with mobile could possibly be because I have not been taught or discovered a feature. Consider me the Bridge. I am not a techie. But I am not afraid of tech. I am pretty darn good at figuring things out. I do not know HTML. It's why I use Blogger. Wordpress is too complicated for me. 

The reason I say this is because consider me a hybrid between a techie and the average Joe and Jane on the street. I want things easy. I don't want to have to think. If it isn't easy for me, and if I can't figure it out, the average person won't and they would just give up. Remember that when you decide how you wish to use Mobile Technologies for your business.

I will write in greater detail about various subjects that entail ease of use or limitations for various reasons over time. But I want to discuss Social and Mobile here in relation to my post last week about formatting. LINK

I use Huffington Post and BBC APPs. They are free and they work really great. They are formatted tightly and are very easy to use. But now I wish to share a news story. It is very advantageous for the BBC and Huffington Post to want me to share a link. Especially if the people clicking my tweet are on a full sized computer screen using a traditional browser.

They get: 
1] Page Views.
2] Digital Ad Revenue if opened in a full browser from my Tweet (assuming they don't block ads).
3] Potential for ReTweets so the article is shared with others.

All great reasons to make this easy. But it doesn't work so easy when it comes to integration with Twitter for Android and Hootsuite Apps.

First of all, they do make it pretty easy to start sharing with one button popping up a list of choices from SMS Text to Twitter. BBC will shrink the link on Twitter. But not Hootsuite. Neither Twitter APP makes it easy to shrink a link once it is loaded. Huffington Post's links do not get shortened in either APP. This deters me from sharing on Twitter. The real irony is they get ZERO revenue from me using their APP. Even the APP was free! So now they block potential revenue from their content they are giving me for free? Which basically says they developed the APPs but did not then follow the path to what happens after the link moves elsewhere.

Next on Friday I started my morning at the Social Media Club Tech Valley Breakfast, and I knew my guest post on Shonali Burke's Waxing Unlyrical was coming out. I was quite excited. I am ok with the blog not being formatted for Mobile. Shonali is not some big company oozing money. And her web page has buttons at the bottom of each post to share.

So I loaded the webpage. Sized it with zoom. I clicked on the Twitter button and instead of loading into the Hootsuite or Twitter APP which were both running, it asked me to log into Twitter's Web Homepage. Which I did. Several times to no effect. Then finally it worked! I jumped out of my seat in the Auditorium and screamed Touchdown Giants! Clicked send and was stoked I just shared my guest post........until

I got home clicked the link and it went to an empty webpage. This is technically a Skyfire Browser issue. In fact none of the browsers seem simple to share links on Twitter. Talk about a big fail. Maybe it is different on the IPhone or Windows 7 or Blackberry Phones.

So I just explained much good intentions. A lot of fumbling around with a small screen. Lot's of opportunity for sharing content socially, but because Android, the Content APP/Web, and the Social Communication APP's are not seamlessly integrated it winds up a big Social-Mobile Fail.

Granted if you are a Content provider you are challenged with Mobile Technology Platforms, APPs of all sorts, possibly even your own. But it would be wise to pick the most popular platforms and ensure at least most of your readers can share the content with their networks should your content be worthy. Trust me, they aren't going to remember when they get home and you then lose a grand opportunity.

Mobile Monday - You Must Format for Mobile!

Seriously I can not make this any clearer. Wait yes I can.

 YOU MUST FORMAT FOR MOBILE!

If I knew HTML I would make that statement blink on and off and shoot lasers into the air. How you do this will depend on what type of Business you are. It could mean developing an App, formatting your website, or creating a mobile micro site. I am specifically talking only phones with this post.

My Droid2 has a slightly bigger screen than the IPhone. And that screen is way too small for sites that are not mobile formatted. Yes with my fingers I can zoom in to see content but seriously it is a pain in the ass. Normally when I get bumped to the browser from a link if it is not formatted I close it. Sometimes I remember to then go to the page when I get home. Often by then I had forgotten. 

Screen size is why Mobile Video-TV will never be the primary choice (at least not on phones). It will be the last choice. The "well I really want to watch this and have no other larger screen around" choice. When your site is not formatted either vertically or horizontally so everything fits when I view it and I can scroll you get put into this group with the video.

To make this very simple:

If you are a content provider your choice is formatting for the screen size or creating an App specifically for your content. NY Times, Huffington Post, ESPN all have Apps. But I have seen plenty of mobile web formatted content sites that look nice on the phone. And if I turn the phone sideways when the page is sized for that width I have no problem reading the words. Sites like the Daily Show enable you to view the videos to your screen size. Both Skyfire and Firefox Mobile Browsers lets these pop out. It is the print that usually is not Mobile compatible.

Music is very App-Centric. I have Pandora, Soundcloud, and Slacker Radio on my Droid for streaming music. Sites like www.wunderground.com are perfectly formatted for my Droid so I can pull up my browser and check the weather instantly. 

One caveat with formatting for content is the Vertical/Horizontal. I like to read before I fall asleep. Normally with my head on the pillow and me on my side. When I use NubiNews Droid App to read the Economist or the New Yorker it is a fixed vertical screen. So when I turn the Droid on its side it stays fixed so I can read it just like if I was sitting up. For the BBC News App, if I lay on my side it switches to Horizontal and then the words are in the wrong position. So no BBC in bed. Economist and New Yorker yes.

If you sell via Mobile you have major challenges. Apps can help give a very unique experience. But you can also format you web page. The biggest challenges here are do people have to Type, Press Buttons, or ever Cut and Paste? This is a big challenge for phones. You need to make it so people are not trying to use a finger nail. I have been to some sites that drive me bonkers because I have to press on some very teeny lettering. There is also screen size limitations. People can really only see a few items at a time. This makes browsing products very tedious. Especially if clicking on an item brings up an un-formatted browser page!

Amazon has a very simple and sleek App. It is a search bar. Type in the search it pops back a list. The problem with Apps vs a Mobile Formatted Site is you need an App for each platform. I know Pizza Hut and Dominos have IPhone Apps. They do not have Droid Apps. There is a Pizza Ordering App for the Droid. But when using that App I can order from many different companies. An App would ensure I don't choose another Pizza Place from within the App.

As I mentioned in determining a Mobile Strategy LINK the biggest factor in determining what technologies to pursue. Which means figuring out in what ways will make it easiest for someone to engage, connect, consume, purchase via their mobile devices with your company.

To App or Not to App that is the Question? That will be my next mobile topic.

*that bitchin high performance shopping cart is available at Target in case anyone needs one. LINK

Addendum: Yesterday Mr. Ben Kunz tweeted a LINK that had Mr. Edward Boches and Mullen interviewed in an Ad Age Article. I clicked the link on my Droid. The article came up. With the whole page fit into my Droid2 screen. The writing so teeny I could decipher the letters. I tried enlarging but then couldn't get the paragraphs to fit my phone so to read I had to slide it right and left! Ad Age Fail!  BTW Ben and Edward have great blogs to read see links in my list to the left!

Mobile Monday - What is Your Mobile Marketing Strategy?

You might be confused about Mobile Marketing. It's in the Trade News a lot. The amount of options and technologies is a bit overwhelming. So I am here to help you get a better grip on Mobile Marketing and how to develop a Strategy.

The very first question you have to ask is why Mobile?

• What can mobile do for your business? 
• What can you or your customers gain? 
• What are the challenges? 
• What are the costs and processes you need to take to implement the strategy you come up with? 
• What is the realistic return on these efforts?

Your customer needs to benefit in some way for them to even think of participating in your Mobile Strategy. You need to benefit for you to even pursue a Mobile Strategy.

To simplify things I separate Mobile into 2 distinct areas.  

1] Doing Business 
2] Marketing

Doing Business:

This is easy stuff. If you can not take a step back and view yourself as a customer ask someone you know! Ask why would anyone want to use mobile (Phone or Tablet) to engage with your business. For many businesses that have physical customers, the simple ability for someone to use the Voice Search to pull up your business on a map w/GPS like the Droid2 does is plenty. 

• Will people be needing to access your website via mobile for information or possibly buy something? 
• Would this be different or similar to what they do on traditional web? 
• Are you a web based business or do you have physical locations people come to?
• Are you using Social Communication Technologies for Customer Service and Support?
• Are you a Media or Entertainment Content Provider?

Marketing:

There are many new technologies that enable companies to market via Mobile. 

• The simplest of which is a directory listing or being on Yelp! 
• Push advertising via banner ads, pre-roll commercials before video, in App/Games ads of all sorts.
• Location Based Services like FourSquare or ShopKick. 
• You might hear terms such as Geo Fences or Satellite Based Services.
• Branded Apps.
• SMS/MMS Text, QR/BarCode Readers which are 'Call to Actions' and often need Traditional Advertising formats to help initiate the action.
• Social Communication Platforms can also be used to reach people on their mobile devices.  

Once you have answered the first simple questions you can then start looking at your options for Doing Business or Marketing. Some businesses will do both. The biggest thing to know about Mobile is it is changing rapidly. The devices, networks, and technology services are coming to market rapid fire. I warn you that being first doesn't mean you win. There could be a wonderful technology you like but people never use. 

It is really important to connect how people like using their mobile devices and then figure out your strategy to fit what people are using. For example, for every Facebook Status Update, 183 SMS Text Messages are sent. Everyone can send a Text Message. But only about 25% of the US have web enabled smart phones. This doesn't mean you shouldn't create an App or pursue Mobile Web. It means we have to look at your goals and work backwards picking the right technologies that will enable you to reach your goals.

In future Mobile Marketing Monday posts we will cover in detail the various options and technologies to help you choose what is right for you. I will also link articles, news, and blog posts that are relevant and of interest. One thing to remember is Mobile is here today. It is growing fast. And you do need a strategy to integrate with your overall Marketing and Business Plan.

New 2011 Blog Structure Announced

In an effort to make this blog more focused and to help bring more value to our readers, the content of this blog will be changing somewhat. After a big meeting on the Mother Ship and a really long and sometimes buggy Skype Video Conference with our Supreme Council in the Andromeda Galaxy, it has been decided by threat of Gamma Ray Particle Agitation Disintegration, I mean Consensus, that there should be more structure and the themes should reflect the skills that our crew of Aliens brings to our clients.

So going forward there will be an effort to put put 3 Blog Posts per week that discuss strategy, developments, or news for the following subject areas: 

1] Mobile Marketing -

• Mobile Technology and Platforms
• Location Based Services
• Strategy that works, Strategy that is powerful, and Strategy to not use

2] Social Media -

• We will continue causing a ruckus about Hype and News
• More Data Crunching to help you with reality
• Strategies and Observances
• Technologies and Platforms

3] Marketing Strategies -

• Everything Marketing all if fair game including:
• TV/Cable, Out of Home, Direct, Mobile, Social, Print, Guerrilla
• Agencies and Clients
• Costs vs Benefits
• How To's
•  News and Developments
• Case Studies for Success and Failure

Lastly in an effort to reward those that have given so freely to me in various ways,  we plan to write a blog on Friday highlighting someone or a website that gives value and insight or is just plain all around deserving similar to what Gini Dietrich does on Spin Sucks with Follow Friday. There also will be occassional opinion piece explaining why we don't like a specific news outlet etc. But we have a few cutesy titles we are kicking around for you to cringe at when you see it.

Apple Sued for Allowing Apps to Collect Information They Shouldn't Be

LINK To Article

We all know our Government spies on us now thanks to 9/11 and the last Administration. We also are not surprised considered how slimy, shameful and deceitful the US has acted over the last 200 years. This is not a Politics blog so no need to go into the massive list. Plus if you are here most likely you completed high school. We also now are dealing with the TSA taking XRays of us to see us kind of naked now when we go take Airline Rides. Cities like New York and others have mounted cameras outside everywhere to watch our every move.

We all know Facebook exploits us buy selling every penny of data on us they can to Marketers and Brands whether we know it or not. Or tries to expose us or force us to share everything including where we are! We know that Twitter sold half the Feed to a company so they can mine it for data.

None of this surprises us. Every single entity I just named are pretty much doing these things for exploitation, profit, control, fear, nefarious reasons. And we have agreed so far or dealt with it.

But Apple? Apple has this aura of honesty about them. They don't play dirty. Even with their desire to control their platforms and devices in terms of how they are used or the programs that go on them, they have never before been accused of invading our privacy, selling our data, or doing anything offensive (to my knowledge). This is the company that allowed 45 Apps just for Fart Noises on it's phone. The company that has allowed an App that allows you to mimic snorting cocaine on it's phone. The company that has been looked at as a Rebel. Supporting subversives and those creative/artist types no one should trust!

I have two questions. Would these lawsuits damage their reputation and honor? And if they succeed what is the long term repercussions for the Mobile Device and App Industry. I am clueless if Android has the same issue. How many of these App's we get for free make their money by selling supposedly private data? Do we know?

Social Media is a Communications Technology Platform

Remember the nice Wi-Fi Adapters we used to buy so we could connect our laptops? They came in various forms like a Card Slot type or a USB Adpater. They came from various brands like Netgear and Linksys and the Electronics Stores included them in the Sunday Circulars. They were a stand alone device that we bought and added to our computing Ecosystem. Then one day when electronics got small enough and adaption wide enough, you started seeing them included inside the hi end Laptops and eventually all Laptops and now even my Motorola Droid2 has Wi-Fi included in my little phone.

Think of the Laptop as the Media/Communication ecosystem. 

Right now we have Facebook, Twitter, etc. They are Add Ons right now. None of them are integrated into our Laptop or Phone. We have to go to a website, download an App. Just like with early Wi-Fi some of the first movers didn't pan out. They had clumsy solutions, but smart people eventually caught on and took the early work and ran with it. Think today of Motorola Blur, Google Wave as stabs at this.

Within 10 years there will not be a Twitter or Facebook Network as we know them today. The technology will exist. But not as stand alone businesses. We will be integrating Social in every device, and it will be technology to be bought and sold. The winners will be able to craft strategies that cross all platforms and technologies.

Creative's will not just be people who craft messages and make Advertising. Creative's will also include people who dream up new Strategies and Campaigns for their clients to reach their target demographics in ways that reduce wastage/over spend, but make the activity of that engagement much more rewarding and enjoyable for Consumers.

At our finger tips we will have choices. 

And all these choices will have privacy levels that we decide with a voice command or a simple touch stroke who we want to share what with. We can group together in anyway with anyone at any time. And only those we choose will see what we wish to share or participate with. We can include anyone in any communication, to any level of involvement we desire. I know I just scared the shit out of you Marketers but your job will get easier. Trust me. (I have Space Daiquiris if you need to calm your nerves).

Imagine conditioning people with this technology to enhance their buying and sharing experience. 

That they know they can go into a store and opt in with a simple action to see if they have special offers? Maybe a deal that with a simple electronic tag if I share a purchase with my network I get rewarded. And we will all have filters for everything so we only receive relevant communications. These filters get built over time by us blocking similar communications when we receive something we don't care for. So technically a Store or Brand could customize all offers based on an Individual's filters.

Maybe I will ask my friends for help deciding on whether to buy something by sending a digital 3-D image/avatar of me wearing a new shirt and ask if they like it? And the ones I send it too possibly get a rider offer from the Store or Brand?

There will be a two way bargaining of information between Brands and Consumers.

All of this across all Networks and all Providers. It will be woven seamlessly into our Mobile Devices and Networks. And the real players not being Facebook or Twitter, but they will be the Communication Device Manufacturers (CDM's) and Communication Network Providers (CNP's) who make these tasks easy for People, for Marketers, and for Brands. 360 Deg Communications in every way we can imagine. 

This will be the convergence of Social, Digital and Mobile. And it is coming. If you don't think so...what if Motorola Blur was so slick it handled every one of our Social Networks without us every being on a specific network? It would of succeeded right? They were first movers. But don't think they won't be the last. Get ready.

Why Social Media is a threat to Digital Cameras

Not sure if you saw this article in the Wall Street Journal. Kodak and I am sure the rest of the Camera makers are freaking out.

LINK

The article doesn't state this. But I started pondering since I just ended my phone shame a month ago with my first real smart phone a Droid2 from Motorola. Social is destroying the low end of the camera market. Low end cameras have gotten so inexpensive your basic camera in your phone takes great photos, and with a smart phone you can upload directly to Twitter or Facebook among other options like Picasa and even to send to a retail printer!

The camera industry has gone through more convulsions than even the Newspaper Industry in my opinion. First came disposable cameras, then for Kodak cheaper imports via Fuji for Film, then digital and mobile via phones, and now social.

Yesterday I went to the Hudson Valley Garlic Festival in Saugerties, NY www.hvgf.org

Granted there is a lack of organizing them, but for simply sharing my phone rocks, and I can transfer from my phone to my laptop hard drive very easily via media sharing using WiFi or USB connection.

All of these photos I took via my Droid2 and uploaded to Twitter, enjoy:

http://twitpic.com/photos/skypulsemedia

Can Mobile Save Digital Advertising?

A little history. I like underdogs. I have no problem using Windows or Google. But whenever someone starts dominating I try to feed my business elsewhere. I use Open Office vs Microsoft Office. I use Fire Fox vs Chrome, IE, or Safari. I even use Bing now, but possibly moving back to Google. 

For many years prior to coming to the Ad Industry I used FireFox with Ad Blocker Plus. I also use No Scripts to protect from viruses from unknown web pages. When fully running all digital ad networks (and analytics) are blocked from my browser. Almost all digital advertising is also blocked. This includes Facebook Ads, Digital Ads, and even the Paid/Sponsored Search results on Google and Bing. So I would not see Ad Words results.

Safari and Chrome do not allow blocking of Ads. This is why Google invented Chrome. It was not to improve your user experience. It was to ensure they don't lose money.

Now I unlock many sites I get free content from out of my own feeling of ethics. But still have not enabled one Ad Network and most Web is still shut down. If I visit often and trust your site I unblock you.

I have a client who shares their web traffic with me. Slowly the share of FireFox has climbed over 30%. And as you can see almost 1mil people are downloading Ad Blocker each week.

So my question is will Mobile that has no such Ad Blocking yet be able to make up for potential lost Digital Ad Revenue. I now have a Droid2. I must say the little scrolling banner ads suck completely. So I have not clicked on a Mobile Ad yet. And while I know IPad doesn't allow FireFox, Netbooks do. It is unknown by me if the new Tablets all coming out will allow the open source web browser but don't be surprised if it happens. Would this mean a pure pay for content business model one day on the internet? And would that be a bad thing?