Think “social media marketing” is just about posting on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn? Ha! Think again! Monitoring, analyzing, and participating in the discussions your target audience, existing customers, brand fans, and worthy competitors are having everywhere on the Interwebs can be daunting.
But, it has become a critical requirement for all marketers. Complicating matters further, research from social marketing software company Awareness Inc. predicts the continued rise of once “niche” social networks. Get ready for the rise of Slideshare, Quora, Tumblr, Path, Pinterest, Gentlemint,
February 8, 2012
Posted in #DearKen, Featured, Mobile Social Media | No Comments »
In this new series we bring you the best and brightest of the executives and contributors making the new International Journal of Mobile Marketing (IJMM) a must-read resource, beginning with Mihai Vlad, Head of Audience Management & Insight at Optism, who provides insights into the very human approaches proven to boost engagement between brands and the people who have opted in to receive their messages.
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People are mobile, and mobile is part of who they are. But mobile is not just a device. It's our 'default' state. In a networked, wired-up world where 5.6 billion people are connected to each other by a mobile device, mobile also allows us
While reading the collections of mobile 2012 predictions is a great way to gain perspective, I miss deep analysis of these trends that allows us to plan and prepare for the developments likely to impact models and strategies far beyond 2012.
Understanding this gap — and the need to collaborate with many mobile authorities, rather than leave such a work to a single writer — GigaOM PRO has published a new report that provides us a valuable roadmap to navigate mobile for the months (and years!) ahead. I contributed the section on the future of mobile search, which I will explore later down in this post.
January 30, 2012
Posted in Featured, Mobile Research, Mobile Search | No Comments »
This was a week for transparency in mobile with something for everyone. For consumers, there was movement on the privacy front with the Mobile Marketing Association releasing its Mobile Application Privacy Policy. The document is hailed as a first, providing precise guidelines that addresses the core privacy issues and data processes of many mobile applications.
For industry watchers, news from RIM and Apple gave us a deeper look at company performance and clues to the capabilities that likely play a lead role in deciding the leaders from the laggards.
January 27, 2012
Posted in Featured, Guest columns, Mobile Apps | No Comments »
Did Amazon's Kindle Fire cost Apple some holiday iPad sales? Only Amazon knows. However, reports coming in over the last days indicate that Kindle Fire sales outpaced most analysts' forecasts. What's more, the new tablets device is seeing ad impressions grow at an average double-digit daily rate since its launch in the U.S. market in November, a data point that could mean the imminent release of the Kindle Fire in Europe could do more than burn up iPad sales. It may mark a seismic shift in how brands and sellers approach marketing in the mobile channel.
A raft of recent developments supports the observation that this device is indeed a game-changer, starting with buoyant sales numbers that have exceeded everyone's expectations. Barclays analyst Anthony DiClemente (via All Things Digital) has upped his original estimate of 4.5 million units sold last quarter to 5.5 million. Piper Jaffray is convinced Amazon is on track to sell 10-12 million Kindle devices (Kindle and Kindle Fire), up from the initial estimate of 9 million units. Meanwhile, analyst Tavis McCourt at Morgan Keegan has downgraded his iPad sales forecasts for the quarter from 16 million units to 13 million. (Again, sales lost to Kindle Fire.)
Starbucks has quietly and cleverly executed a mobile strategy that has allowed it to become the largest mobile payment program in the U.S. (with plans to launch in the U.K. in January 2012). But enabling payments is just part of the picture. Lisa Ciangiulli recounts her own journey across Starbucks' customer touch points to reveal the real secret of the company's success: a respect for us (the customer) and a deep understanding of what we need on the move.
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My personal and professional lifestyles — mobile, multi-tasking mom and member of the Mobile Marketing Association Board, North
