| SMS text messaging is immediate, it demands a response and it can be accessed from any mobile phone on the planet that has mobile coverage. Besides all of that it is the most effective and affordable marketing medium available today. People respond to text messages because they have chosen to receive them and they have chosen to receive them on their most personal communication device, their mobile phone. Mobile messaging will change the way you think about the revenue model of your social network. |
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1. Increase the revenue generated from your social application or site
"Our users use premium rated SMSs to get credits into their accounts, which are then used to purchase music, skinz, wallpapers and other services on our platforms. We have been using Clickatell from day one and they are our largest SMS provider."
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Use premium-rated SMS numbers to generate sales directly from a mobile platform. Mobile originated (MO) SMS is used for selling products like wallpapers, music, ringtones, icons etc. The social network user sends a text request to a specified premium-rated number and receives credits into their account; these credits are then used for direct purchases. Revenue is shared between the social network and the mobile network operator at a pre-arranged split. MO text messages can also be used for competitions, surveys and mobile voting.
Mobile terminated (MT) SMS is used for once-off payments or subscription and membership fees. End-users are charged at a higher or premium rate for the messages that they receive instead of the messages that they send. Examples of subscription services include news alerts, financial information, traffic alerts and weather services. Again, the revenue is split along agreed lines between the social network and the mobile network operator. Once users have subscribed to a service, content can be delivered on a regular basis to their mobile phones.
Use Standard-rated text messages to drive traffic to online or real-world stores, promote products and generate additional sales through these outlets. Text messaging is one of the most effective means of ensuring off-line conversions.
Mobile advertising is set to become a mainstay of UK marketing plans over the next two years. The IAB's Mobile Council surveyed 115 agencies, media planners, creatives and advertisers and found that 62 per cent of respondents foresee mobile spend will grow over the next two years, with the medium becoming a standard feature of budgets by 2010. Respondents predicted that mobile will 'tip' over the next two years largely as a result of the medium's robust and reliable audience metrics such as measurement and campaign evaluation.
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2. Increase the value of your social networking application to your existing users and attract new ones
Retain your existing social network users:
Allow your social network users access 'on the go'; freeing them from deskbound Internet access. Mobile messaging overcomes location limitations and encourages user activity even when they are not in front of their computers. With Clickatell, there is no need for users to download any application in order to access their network. There are a variety of ways to enhance the experience of your social network users:
- Allow users to post and receive content on the mobile phones. They will be able to upload and download video, photo's and audio files.
Mobile social network users can 'check-in' via SMS to the site and choose to display their physical location or ask for alerts of other users in the vicinity.
- Mobile messaging allows users flexible communication options that enable them to interact with you and with other users through two-way text messaging options.
- Prompt users to access the site through 'text tickles'. Mobile messaging enables mobile social networks to utilize out-of-network messaging to reach users not logged in.
Attract new users to your social network with mobile text messaging:
- Send text message invitations to potential users to join your online community. The personal touch can mean the difference between downloading and deleting. Bulk SMS messages can be personalized to include names, dates and other trigger information.
- Most people are comfortable with SMS text messaging technology and it is easy to use for new members.
- Text messaging is simply the most cost-effective acquisition method for new users.
- Mobile messaging also overcomes handset limitations allowing users who do not have access to WAP-enabled phones or installed Java applications to access social networks. This is important for social networks targeting emerging markets where there is limited data connection.
The number of voice calls being made in the US has remained steady over the past two years, but text messages sent and received have increased by a staggering 450 percent. At the end of 2007, text messaging had just overtaken voice calls 218 to 213. But by the end of the second quarter of this year, an average mobile phone subscriber placed or received 204 calls, compared with sending or receiving 357 text messages.
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3. Increase the security of your mobile social network and improve your overall value
Additional security features also add value to the user. SMS text messages can be used to diagnose connectivity problems through test text messages. Using mobile messaging for fraud alerts or as an additional authentication process when users are logging in to the network offers assurance against online identity theft. Text messaging is also a valuable way to notify users of changes and developments within the social network.
Why is Clickatell simply the best mobile messaging partner you could ask for?
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Mobile Marketing
Social Networking
Mobile Social Networks
