Some Days Mobile Media Makes Me Feel Like Pond Scum, But Not Today!!

Technology is changing at a dizzying pace. So rapidly in fact, that some days I don't want to read about the next technological breakthrough that has been adopted by marketers as a communications tool. It is quite frankly just hard to keep up sometimes, and the rapid mobile evolution some days makes me feel like rearranged pond scum trying to get my head around it. Other days I'm pretty excited about it, like today, where I recognize the incredible potential for effective communications!

Relevant communication methods are critical. 80% of Americans have mobile phones, and 50% will have smartphones by Q3 2011, continuing the rapid evolution in communication and media consumption. Mobile is way more than text message marketing. Mobile channels include mobile websites, mobile social media, apps, mobile listening and viewing, mobile advertising, mobile giving, and more.

Many businesses and non-profits are aware of changes in technology and wondering what to use and how to use it, but concerned about costs and manpower. It is very understandable, as the processes of communication should not be the focus. Therefore, the channels must be effective, efficient, and affordable. How do you move from being overwhelmed to updated communications that work?

As a leading interactive advertising agency, we believe that it starts by understanding each different mobile channel, its individual value, and then the value of the sum of the parts working together, as well as an understanding of how they can work together in order to evaluate effectiveness of various channels, and effectively integrate mobile media into communications strategies. Edge Media's focus is to link the parts together so that as an mobile advertising agency we are able to create connected communications systems so that our clients can quickly and easily update information that flows across a variety of platforms, including mobile websites, blog sites, social media, and more. Our system also creates the interactivity between text messaging and the mobile web, so we can instantaneously send out alerts, prayer requests, action items, and more from the touch of a mobile phone. It is really exciting!

In my last Edge Media blog, I shared a social media tip. Today, the tip is about the mobile web. For example, Google reports its mobile search volume has increased FIVE FOLD over the last two years! When ESPN launched their mobile site, their overall visitors increased over 30%. The plain truth is that more people are on the web on their web-enabled phones, and it is important to have a mobile website to make your site easier to view on the much smaller screens of a phone. So, the mobile tip is to secure the .mobi (short for mobile) of your domain name - for example: www.edgemedia.mobi instead of .com. There are free tools out there to convert a standard website to a mobile site without programming help. Here is a link to a helpful site: http://www.tothepc.com/archives/5-ways-to-create-or-convert-into-mobile-phone-website/

I encourage you to mobilize your website to take advantage of the search volume of folks who are browsing using their mobile phone, but who won't stay on your site long if it it is hard to navigate. More on mobile channels in the next blog!

About Edge Media: Edge Media is a full service leading interactive agency that specializes in cutting edge technologies that deliver exceptional results for our clients. Our cutting edge technologies include SMS marketing software to allow our clients to deliver bulk SMS services in their communications, and as a mobile advertising agency, create mobile websites, mobile apps, and integrate mobile with social media - all very exciting stuff! If you want to talk about it, send us an e-mail at info@edgemedia.biz or call the offices at 602-943-2030. Also, be sure to follow us: