11/21/2010 - Mobile Marketing is Hot! Why Your Business Should Be Utilizing Mobile Marketing!

Sun, 21 Nov 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Everywhere you go, people are texting or talking on their mobile phones, and big businesses have taken notice. Mobile Marketing has become one of the hottest forms of advertising and with good reason...the response rates are much greater than traditional forms of advertising.

What is Mobile Marketing?

Mobile Marketing is an SMS text messaging service that we offer to our clients. SMS stand for Short Message Service, also commonly referred to as text messaging or texting. SMS is a method in which short text messages can be sent from a cell phone or web to another cell phone.

Why Use Mobile Marketing?

A business can attract new customers for a fraction of the cost of traditional marketing efforts.

A Business can get their customers coming back twice as often as they do now.

A business can increase their response rates to their advertising messages as much as 40%.

Traditional Marketing    vs            Mobile Marketing

3 - 5% Read Rate     94% Read Rate
1 - 2% Response Rate                               Up to 40% Response Rate
Expensive                                                  Instant Delivery
Email Goes To Spam                                  Opt-in Ensures Customer Satisfaction
Direct Mail Goes In The Garbage                  Reach Consumers On The Go

Mobile Marketing Facts:

- 86% of Americans Own A Mobile Phone
- 200 Billion text messages are sent each month
- 94% of all text messages are opened and read within 15 minutes
- There are 270 million mobile subscribers in the U.S.
- 91% of them keep their mobile phone within 3 feet of themselves 24 hours a day, 365       days a year
- There are almost 5 times more mobile devices than computers
- Mobile has 5x better sales conversion rates than online & offline marketing
- Mobile has 7x better coupon redemption rates than online marketing
- Mobile has much less media competition (online & email is saturated)
- 5 Billion Mobile users expected in 2010, The World pop. Is 6.8 Billion
- Very few businesses are aware of this marketing tool. Mobile is where internet marketing was in 2000

How Mobile Marketing Works:

Since people don't redeem paper coupons like they used to, because it's a hassle to print them, cut them out and remember to keep them handy so they can use them, Mobile is the easiest way to go. All a person has to do is show the coupon right from their mobile phone. No printing, cutting or forgetting. And because people always have their cell phones with them, the redemption rates for mobile coupons are much higher compared to paper coupons.

Picture this:

A merchant with a Mobile Marketing Account chooses a word (called a "Keyword") and offers a special promotion attached to that Keyword. It could be something like "Text Pizza to 69305 and receive a free 2 liter of Soda with your next pizza purchase." In this example "Pizza" is the keyword. The merchant than promotes this special through various forms of media, such as their website, our website, their FaceBook fan page, our FaceBook fan page, in-house printed materials and on all their print advertising.

As they grow their client list, the merchant can offer specials via text to everyone who has taken advantage of this special. The merchant can then send out specials as often as they like and keep the customers coming back to their place of business over and over again.

Here's the example:

1. Customer signs up to be on "John's Pizza House" text list.
2. Customer texts "Pizza" to 69305
3. Customer immediately receives an automated text message that reads something like this: "Thanks for joining our Mobile Coupon VIP List! Show this text to receive a free 2 liter bottle of soda with your next pizza purchase."
4. Customer can now receive all future specials from John's Pizza House directly on their cell phone.

Mobile Marketing's time has come. According to a study by ABI Research, as consumers move to flat-rate data plans, mobile marketing is expected to grow to over $24 Billion worldwide in 2013, jumping from just $1.8 billion in 2007.

Just recently, ARMANI held a series of sales at its flagship Manhattan store, open only to it's text-message clientele - with every promotion resulting in lines out the door. McDonalds ran a nationwide campaign and had 1.5 million participants in 5 weeks. And a local shoe store used text promotions to boost traffic and sales 15% on a slow weekday.
Big or little, every business can benefit from Mobile Marketing.

By utilizing Mobile Marketing along with our websites and Social Media, we can provide small businesses a viable and affordable way to increase their customer base and spending at their place of business. We have very affordable Mobile Marketing Plans available for our clients to take advantage of.

*Give it a try right now. Get your phone out and text the word "TRYITNOW" then space and "Your Name" to 41513. You can see first hand how this works.

      (*This is a demo account, you won't be signed up for anything by trying it.)

              To get signed up for your Mobile Marketing Account contact:

                                              Debra LeBlanc
                                                573-552-6616

             Let us help you start driving more business though your doors today!

09/14/2010 - Tour Caves At Columbia Park

Tue, 14 Sep 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Get away from the bustle of everyday life by seeing some of Missouri’s finest karst features such as the rock bridge or by exploring the forests, streams and restored grasslands of Rock Bridge Memorial State Park.

If you have never been to the Rock Bridge Memorial State Park in Columbia, you are missing out on some of the most unique landscaping in the state.

Known for it's many caves, sinkholes and underground streams, the 2,273 acre park has miles of hiking and biking trails, streams and forests to explore.

One of the park's most interesting features is the Devil's Icebox Cave. Closed from the general public, a couple of times a year it is opened up for guided tours. You may even be lucky enough to spot and endangered gray bat.

While walking the half-mile Devil’s Icebox Boardwalk, visitors can view the rock bridge, have the opportunity to explore Connor’s Cave on their own, and see an underground stream, small spring and sinkhole. The 15 miles of trails that traverse the 2,273-acre park are always open to hikers and are conditionally open to bicyclists. Hikers and horseback riders can enjoy the serenity of the 750-acre Gans Creek Wild Area. Before riding, visitors should call the trail condition hotline.

Groups can make arrangements to receive a rock bridge/Connor’s Cave tour or other interpretive programs. Devil’s Icebox Cave, with over seven miles of passages, can be explored on park-led wild cave tours by advanced registration only. The park’s orienteering course will challenge adventurous visitors.

Sign up early for the sessions which start April 15. Fees range from $25-$40 based on level of difficulty. It is a 3.5 mile round trip tour that will require some crawling or climbing.

Picnic sites, a reservable picnic shelter, and playground equipment make the park a great place for family gatherings. Primitive camping for non-profit youth organizations is available by making advanced reservations.

For more information go to www.mostateparks.com.

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11/21/2010 - Mobile Marketing is Hot! Why Your Business Should Be Utilizing Mobile Marketing!

09/14/2010 - Tour Caves At Columbia Park