December 2005
Monthly Archive
Statistics - One billion internet users - what it means
MattE 22 Dec 2005 | : Marketing, Media, Web
Jakob Nielsen writes that in 2005 the internet welcomed its one billionth user. He says that statistically, this internet user is likely to be a 24 year old female in Shanghai.
Also consider these other statistics:
According to Morgan Stanley estimates, 36% of Internet users are now in Asia and 24% are in Europe. Only 23% of users are in North America,
The ugly side of SMS use
Flash mobs are groups that use SMS text messaging to come together quickly for a common cause or event. Often the txt is to alert a group of a party (or one to gatecrash), to gather for a demonstration (also used to coordinate activities in real time according to police responses as well) such as those that toppled the Spanish Government a few years ago.
Now the flash message has been used to incite racial violence as reported in Australia
Sydney police have made their first arrest over mobile phone text messages inciting violence in the wake of the Cronulla riots.
Give yourself a challenge and chase your dream
MattE 19 Dec 2005 | : Communications, Marketing, Media, SMS, Web
My wife was recently commiserating the fact that most of the recently hired staff at her company did not display the tenacity to get the requirements of the job done. They lacked spirit. Indeed in another conversation with a friend who is a university lecturer, she was at her wit’s end over that fact that she still had student’s failing, despite a requirement under the system that say students have to be given the answer as part of the question. And they still failed? Maybe one is linked to the other - perhaps people these days are having it too easy and this is reflected in poor work performance because the ’spirit’ is missing.
Ahh! Spirit to perform - brings to mind last an event I attended last weekend. This was a dinner show put on by the University of Southern Queensland drama/acting course students. While the junior years students who were the waiters were fairly hammish in their acting (they got better the more we imbibed!) it was the main show that really impressed. Great acting, some really sharp satire of local and national events - overall an excellent performance.
But again what future for these actors? There were around 50 acting students involved (including waiters)…how many of these will find a future in mainstream acting, no matter how good they are? I guess it boils down to taking responsibility for one’s own future. In any of the arts, a strong entrepenurial spirit is essential.
Success is based on engaging with your market (this from an SMS text messaging perspective)
The success of marketing, especially e- and m-marketing has been looked at in a paper recently published on Chief Marketer by Dr. Robert Passikoff*. He predicts key trends that will be difference between success and failure for marketers in 2006. Here is an edited list, (yes no. 3) is not included) from the perspective of mobile marketing SMS text messaging and comments from us as to why mobile communications via SMS text messaging and other forms of mobile positioning are still very much under-utilised:
1) An emphasis on “engagement.â€
Engagement will become the Holy Grail for marketers and advertisers. Defined as the outcome of ad and marketing activities that substantively increases a brand’s strength in the eyes of the consumers, engagement will be used more and more to allocate marketing budgets.
Our comment - Competitions and quizzes, especially using SMS as the entry mechanic (it is the preferred response method for such activities) can be used to greatly increase a Product or Brands profile. If used correctly, it can also build a greater awareness of the benefits of the Product/Brand. This can be achieved via standard or premium SMS entry methods (remembering that Premium SMS should be viewed as a cost offset, rather than a money-making aspect). Engagement can also be achieved in the mobile marketplace through making available free ring tones or cheap or free branded java games (like a soccer shoot-out game that has the Brand clearly evident).
MOTIVATION - HOW TO KEEP THE DREAM ALIVE
MattE 05 Dec 2005 | : Communications, Marketing
I thought I would post a short presentation I did a couple of years back on motivation. I think it is apt for many today who are business owners facing the many hurdles, and also for internet business start-ups, where the initial surge of enthusiasm can wane, and the isolation of working online means often there is not a workplace social structure to bounce ideas off.
The human brain is one of the strongest and most powerful tools we have available to us, as long as we know how to use it correctly.
Motivation is an energy source we have that drives us towards our goal or ‘dream’. Therefore in order to have motivation, we must have a clear goal to work towards. This does not mean we need only have one goal. We can have as many as we want.
Phone sales success one person’s experience
MattE 02 Dec 2005 | : Communications, Marketing
As part of my regular reading, I have been looking at the material supplied by Ari Galper, Founder of Unlock The Game. Ari takes a different approach to selling on the phone, one which you may recall from a past post really related to me.
Since then I revisit Ari’s philosophies on a periodic basis. I do this because it helps my depth of knowledge and provides me with some great resources to use with my clients.
This is well demonstrated with one client who is setting up a new internet business and is in the process of recruiting bricks and mortar services to make use of the service he provides. Despite spending a not-insignificant amount on a professional telemarketing campaign, success still was eluding him.
