The Mobile Marketing Blog - TellMyCell

Should Google Be Forced to Disclose their Algorithms?

 

France made headlines recently with amendments to a draft economy bill aimed at search engines, particularly Google. The amendments are led by Senate member Catherine Morin-Desailly, and aim to create transparency and to deliver non-discriminatory results. With about 90% market share, Google is at the top of the French parliament’s list of offenders. Should Google be forced to disclose sensitive information like search algorithms to encourage transparency? Is the French parliament asking too much of Google? 

The amendments specifically request access to search engine algorithms, as well as require all search engine services to display alternatives at the top of their homepage. Morin-Desailly, who is also Chair of the Committee of Culture and Communication, believe a heavy bias exists within Google’s current algorithms, which supports products and services for its own benefit.  

The hope is to create more balance among the search results, so users have more choices, including local products and services that are poorly indexed. To facilitate this, another amendment stipulates that at least one alternate service should be a French provider. 

This is not the first time Google has found itself at the center of debate in Europe. In 2014, the European Court of Justice ruled that Google had to grant individuals the “right to be forgotten”, which allows French citizens to request removal of false or outdated information from publishers and Google indexes permanently. The court ruling was in alignment with European data protection law, which does not however, set restrictions or guard against how those same algorithms push other data up to the top of search engines and others down. This is the objective of the new amendments.  

France’s economy minister, Emmanuel Macron, is against the bill alterations, saying the actions should be left up to the European Union. However, Morin-Desailly and other senate members are making the case that the issue is one of domestic fiscal importance, and would take too much time if left up to the EU. 

If the bill passes with these amendments intact, fines of up to 10% of the total global revenue for a search engine business could be imposed on non-compliers.

What’s more, the result of these amendments may create a slippery slope for search engines the world over. The ramifications of data censorship could bust wide open in France and result in similar legislation throughout the EU and beyond.

   

 

Six Marketing Tactics and the Apps to Action Them

 

Regulating the flow of traffic can be challenging of online businesses, especially when resources are slim. Here are six simple marketing tactics to improve the health and vitality of your online traffic. Additionally, the app tools used to achieve these results have been included.  

Say cheese! 

Instagram has a very successful order average at about $65. Leveraging this social media platform can be of great value if you learn to engage with your customers. There are different ways to go about this. Showcasing pictures of customers using the product is a great place to start, and lets your customers know you care about their business. User generated photos are great, so are behind the scenes photos that would otherwise not be seen by customers. 

Be consistent with which hash tags you assign to different products or services. The result will build a larger Instagram following which in time can lead to more sales as users become more familiarized with your products. 

Integrate Insatgram with your online store with the Instagration app. This tool easily connects with your online store and allows you to quickly moderate photos.

 

Reunite the cart 

Studies show that almost 70% of all shopping carts are ditched before finishing checkout. That’s a lot of online dollars! One way to see to it that your carts don’t get permanently abandoned is by installing an email recovery system. 

There are several ways to finalize the purchase using careful incentives. Try offering a special discount or free shipping. This may also be a relevant opportunity to offer alternative sale items.  

A great app to help sort out this mess is Abandon Aid, which allows you to send automated emails to a customers who have abandoned their shopping cart.

 

Upsell magic 

One of the easiest ways to increase your sales is by offering current customers an upgrade to a previously purchased product, or a better version of a product they are considering to purchase. It’s possible you may educate your buyer about alternatives they didn’t know where available. 

Be sure that the upgrade is relevant to the product being considered. Clearly outline the difference between the two so your customer can plainly see why the cost is worth the upgraded product. Also, be sensitive to the amount of money a customer is willing to spend on a product. The upgrade should first be useful to the customer and as a result cost more money. Do not try to sell extraneous cost to a customer looking for a bargain. 

Check out the Product Upsell app, which gives you the ability to offer different products at checkout depending on the contents of a shopping cart. It also allows you to follow up with that customer later, and run special discounted promotions. 

 

Wishlist wonders 

A healthy way to keep your traffic up is to send out reminder emails with wishlist items and short stock notifications. This tactic is closely related to the abandoned a purchase. 

This is a great opportunity to let customers know when an item they have added to their wishlist is running low in quantity, or if the item has come back into stock. It may be the final push a customer needs to make the online purchase.

Wishlist + Reminder is an easy to use app that allows you to automate these wishlist emails and updates with a totally customizable interface. 

 

Social proof

Adding product reviews can improve ecommerce conversion by 14%-76%. These small snippets from other customers allow a greater conversation to take place about the product. This conversation is critical in establishing a stronger trust between you and your clients, and also builds a more robust SEO network for your website. 

Check out Product Review, a free app that allows customers to easily review products in your store. It’s customizable and includes theme-adaptive design. 

 

You’ve got mail!

Email is still the reigning champion of niche online marketing. If done correctly, email has an ROI of around 4,300%. People love getting special ads, coupons and discounts through email and redeeming them for online purchases. 

Make your email subscriber button more visible on your website. Make sure there are buttons that lead back to it from every social media channel. Ensure the process is easy for users to achieve in a few minutes. The smoother the process, the more likely they will subscribe.  

For great results try Email Pirate, a fully customizable opt-in window that pops up asking customers to subscribe to your emails. Just down load the list and upload it to your email client.

Try incorporating all of these marketing tactics to your online store and monitor the results. After a few weeks, note which tactics are working the best, and try making adjustments to the others. It’s worth the effort today to build more profitable traffic for the future. 

 

Global Ad Platform Rolled Out by Chinese Mobile Firm

 

Chinese mobile ad network Youmi launched its first global platform last month. First announced at the 2015 Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Adxmi is leading the explosion in mobile internet services currently underway in China - and garnering international attention along the way. 

The MWC attracts the best and brightest from the international mobile web industry. With more than 200 countries represented by nearly 100,000 attendees, it is easily one of the biggest, most influential mobile events. 

Chinese companies are always well-represented, but 2015 marked the first appearance of Adxmi in Europe. They immediately made a mark, negotiating partnerships with developers and mobile service providers from around the world. 

Though Chinese hardware and games have long been a dominant force on the world tech stage, the past twelve months has seen rapid mobile development in China. Concurrently, the country continues to look increasingly outward, with a growing number of firms expanding their operations overseas. Adxmi plans to provide their countrymen with first-rate international services in mobile marketing and traffic monetization. 

Their prospects look good. Adxmi has already road-tested their expansion plans across Asia, opening up new markets in Hong Kong and Taiwan; they also have a presence in both North and South America.

PC Password Security via Mobile

 

In an effort to help individuals secure their digital identities, Yahoo took a leap forward introducing “on-demand” passwords, perhaps the first step towards eliminating passwords altogether. SMS messaging is playing a central role in this development.

Several industry leading tech companies swear by two-factor authentication as the best alternative to regular password protection. Yahoo’s new approach is similar in that user will be sent unique, time sensitive codes through an app or text message when they wish to access their private account.

However, Yahoo users who sign up for this service will become some of the first to do away with primary password protection. When a user wants to log into their account, they’ll simply be sent a password directly to their mobile device—no primary password required.

For some people, this is a great step forward. Having to remember multiple unique passwords can be daunting, especially without the assistance of a password manager. Yahoo’s new feature eliminates the burden of both. 

But don’t get too excited just yet. Users will still be responsible for a few things, including: keeping a charge on their mobile device, ensuring signal access, and protecting the mobile device from other compromises. If those things are manageable, the service is easy to set up and simple to use.

Creating better account security is a hot topic for many tech companies aside from Yahoo. The FIDO Alliance in cooperation with Google and Microsoft are pushing for even further measures to get rid of passwords, experimenting with biometricks like fingerprint and eye scans—the final frontier of protecting our digital identities. Yahoo brings their one-step authentication to the table while these other technologies require further development. 

Yahoo deserves credit for attempting to solve one of the greatest threats on the Internet. Yahoo also updated its end-to-end GPG email encryption plugin back in August. A video posted to YouTube shows users easy comparisons on how to get the plugin working with GPGTools, an exclusive suite fro Mac OS X desktops. 

Unfortunately, this feature will not be available for everyone until the end of 2015. What’s more, the system won’t be enabled on every email. Instead, Yahoo intends the use of this particular security feature will be reserved for sensitive content. 

Whether or not Yahoo’s new on-demand service will take off is yet to be seen. Few would argue that more security isn’t needed when it comes to protecting personal information on the Internet. But until users activate this feature, it does little else than nothing.

 

This is How to Combine Social & Text Message Marketing

 

The old saying, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket” is true for a reason, and certainly extends to mobile marketing. It’s possible to reach consumers with one type of marketing effort, but an integrated marketing strategy is the best way to reach the greatest number of consumers. If already utilizing mobile and social media as part of marketing, you’ll definitely reach your target audience. If looking to maximize the impact of your marketing campaign, it’s best use the two channels together. Check out a few tips on how to accomplish this: 

 

Popular Social Media Networks and Your Audience 

To ensure you make the very most of your marketing campaign, you’ll want to learn which social media channels are most popular among your target demographic. This is achieved through informal conversations with those patronizing your business, as well as through formal customer service surveys regarding social networking behavior. You don’t want to waste time sharing content on channels infrequently used by your audience, so the more you know about what networks they enjoy, the better. 

 

Social Media’s Networking Power 

Once you know what channels are most popular with your audience, you’ll want to create accounts for your business and share on-point content that consumers find engaging. Don’t use social media exclusively for promotional purposes, as this turns leads and customers off. Instead, create a fun dialog between you and your audience. Add personality to your social media feeds and make them entertaining; and since most social media awareness is through word of mouth, you’ll do well to have one or more intriguing channels. 

 

Texting and Sharing

Using social media and text message marketing correctly means one complements the other. Many businesses frequently use social media to obtain information about their customers, such as age, location, sex, and interests. Using such information to personalize marketing campaigns definitely helps your business stand out to customers, especially when sending promotional text messages containing exclusive coupons to a specific sample within your target demographic. 

An integrated approach to your marketing campaign is one of the best ways to reach a larger audience, so determine which social media channels are most useful to your business needs and start creating engaging content consumers will love. Share information about special promotions and events via text message, and subsequently improve social media marketing efforts. While excellent advertising sources on their own, the impacts of social media and text marketing are compounded when used together. 

 

Four Floor-Filling Mobile Marketing Tactics for your Nightclub

 

We’re two months into the New Year, and if you haven’t stepped up your game attracting new patrons, there’s no better time than right now. Whether your establishment is new in town or you’re simply looking to implement a few marketing changes, there’s a number of innovative promotional strategies that might just help fill your club’s dance floor in 2015. Check out four approaches for making your club the hottest ticket in town: 

 

Learn What Customers Want 

Find out what customers want from your business this year as a way of making your club more patron-friendly. Conduct a formal or informal survey and collect feedback; consider asking about food and drink menus, dance floor music choices, specials and promotions customers enjoyed in the previous year, general ambiance, restroom facilities, DJs, and anything else that could help narrow in on what event goers want. Use the information to make improvements to your establishment, and track how patrons respond. 

 

Utilize Social Media

Start a social media campaign if you haven’t already, as various social networks are an ideal way to connect with the younger section of your target audience. Celebrated as the new word-of-mouth marketing option, spend a little time finding out which channels are most popular with your audience and create accounts. Add links in your profiles to print marketing materials and menus to help yourself establish a following, and use channels to promote events, create posts on special deals, and engage in personalized conversations with customers. 

 

Take Advantage of Text Messaging

Use text messaging as another effective method of connecting with younger customers. Young people communicate via text message much more frequently than they do traditional mail or phone calls. As people use their mobile devices more than ever, they’re more likely to connect with businesses on the go. Choose a creative SMS platform to create a text message marketing campaign that invites customers to opt-in and receive special discounts and information about upcoming events and promotions. 

 

Try Theme Nights

Introduce theme nights, such as a designated weekly ladies night where female club goers get in for free or can enjoy special drink discounts. A singles night is another option, or those that involve costumes, such as cat parties. Theme nights show the fun, playful side of your establishment, which will help keep customers coming back. And make sure to integrate your touch points, promoting all promotional ideas throughout your social media and mobile marketing channels. 

 

5 Ways Mobile Has Affected the Fitness Industry

It’s the same old story every January in gyms and fitness centers around the country: a high sign-up rate starts the year off, then membership declines steadily as the months progress. For four out of five Americans with a gym membership, those lofty New Year’s resolutions are just that—good intentions that never come to pass. 

A solid membership standing is challenging for any fitness center. However, mobile marketing  for gyms is playing a substantial role in transforming what the fitness world calls the “New Year’s Bump” into actual brand loyalty and fitness accountability. 

So how does text messaging marketing benefit gyms? Check out a few of our favorite ideas: 

 

Personalized Workout Plans 

Any quality fitness regimen requires adjusting as time goes on, since the person is losing weight and gaining strength. Additionally, many respond well to morning workout reminders, including what it entails, and duration of regimens. As a trainer, you’ll want to determine a long-term strategy with a member and schedule daily texts that go out right before their workout begins. Motivational texts sent halfway through the workout also help. 

Alerts

New gym members are often concerned about working out during the fitness center’s busiest times, whether self-conscious about weight or simply wanting more personal attention. Regulars also like to know how busy the gym is, so sending mass alerts during “quiet hours” is a great way to ensure members are clinking those dumbbells.  

Diet Plans

Creating a nutritious, varied diet plan for yourself isn’t difficult, but staying on said plan often is. It’s even challenging for some to remember when and when not to eat. Scheduled SMS messages are therefore very helpful, as messages can feature recipes, nutritional information, shopping lists...all of which go out at particular times. 

Class Schedules

Using SMS to issue class schedules is another highly-effective marketing practice for gyms. Texting about different instructors and cancelled classes helps reduce client irritation, and sending information about what classes are happening when significantly increases participation.  

Promotions

Text messaging is an excellent way to let clients know about promotions, discounts, and incentive programs. For example, create a referral incentive and reward clients for bringing in friends. 

These are just some of the text message marketing ideas that lend themselves to gym owners and personal trainers. Try out a few and see if you don’t notice a positive difference in attendance. 

 

What’s Next for Samsung?

 

Samsung’s chief of mobile marketing, Kim Seok-pil, recently resigned due to health reasons at what many consider a critical time for the company. Mobile division struggles have resulted in the technology juggernaut announcing its plan to cut smartphone production by up to a third in 2015, leaving critics and fans alike asking, “What will become of Samsung?”  

While still a powerful force in the mobile industry, Samsung isn’t doing very well in China, one of its key markets. The South Korean company is being eclipsed by main competitor Xiaomi, a company that has made a point of offering higher-end devices for budget-conscious prices. Additionally, Apple is offering smartphones with larger screens, namely the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, something Samsung had previously cornered the market on. Fellow competitors Lenovo and Huawei are experiencing rises in product popularity as well. This rise in competition is merely one reason Samsung is cutting smartphone production. 

At the end of October of 2014, Samsung reported its operating profits were the lowest they’ve been since 2011. They captured 28% of the mobile market share last year, compared to 32.5% in 2013. That number is expected to be around 26.6% this year.  

Strained margins in marketing costs are harming the company as well. In the third quarter, Samsung generated 7% margins on smartphones, which is down 15% from previous years.  

Despite these setbacks, Samsung is hoping to focus on a “core set” of devices in 2015, and is preparing to launch new products on March 1 at their Unpacked event in Barcelona, Spain, the site of the Mobile World Congress trade show. The company is expected to unveil its Galaxy S6 smartphone at this event, which is rumored to be a “curved” device. Samsung representatives note the tech giant is looking to “fundamentally reform” their product line.  

Samsung also appointed Lee Sang-chul as their new mobile marketing chief. Sang-chul is the former head of the company’s Russian operations, and also reportedly served as the head of Samsung’s Latin American division. 

With this appointment and the streamlining of company “offerings,” Samsung can reduce overall costs and improve production efficiency. The company is looking to use the same components in numerous products as another method of cutting costs.

It will be up to Sang-chul to promote the new Galaxy S among other Samsung devices, and save the company’s “troubled” mobile division. The new year will tell whether the mobile giant will bounce back to previous numbers or continue a gradual decline.

 

Text Messaging Can Improve Clinical Trial Participation

 

In the business of clinical trials, it can be difficult to raise interest and acquire volunteers for participation, due to the challenges associated with patient engagement. The analysis of a recent study of clinical trial patient recruitment has determined that SMS text messaging can produce dramatic results. While there are many ways to garner patient participation – via letters or through email – firms that conduct clinical trials are finding that the most effective way to reach new volunteers can be achieved through the simplicity of text messaging technology. 

The study examined the evidence from the Johnson County Clin-Trials (JCCT), a research facility that conducts between ten and fifteen vaccine clinical trials every year. Primarily using email to reach their volunteers, they have come up against some resistance when trying to reach prospective recruits. Studies regarding the effectiveness of electronic correspondence have revealed that emails have an open rate of about 22% – a far cry from the response rate necessary to conduct these clinical trials.

As a result, the Johnson County Clin-Trials decided to employ SMS text messages as a means for electronic communications, based on the effectiveness of text messages in reaching individuals. As opposed to email, 98% of SMS users read their messages, and 90% of these users open their text messages within three minutes of receiving them. Here are the key findings from JCCT’s method:

 

1) A marked increase in response to messages

The use of text messages to reach potential volunteers produced a response five times greater than that of their previous method, via email. The study achieved a 1% increase in enrollment for every 1.5% increase in text messages sent. This was much greater than the response increase expected in the hypothesis for the study.

 

2) Positive responses to the SMS method

JCCT patients responded positively to the SMS method. The method practiced compliance with HIPAA and 21 CFR Part 11, making sure that the process was validated. Also, all users were required to opt-in to receiving SMS (per FCC regulations). Overall, the individuals who were contacted welcomed the correspondence, and preferred text message to other forms of communication.

3) Effective two-way communication via SMS

Many patients used the SMS platform to respond directly to the outgoing SMS message. Patients expressed their concerns, questions, and queries for more information. The platform, created by Mosio, provided a framework to have both interactive and automated conversations with future patients, and consequently allowing them to enroll directly. This also reduced the burden of JCCT personnel, freeing them up for other tasks necessary for the clinical trial. 

4) A balance of resources for the clinical trial firm

The SMS text messaging method employed by JCCT allowed the firm to free up resources due to the effectiveness of the technology. Not only did the method boost trial recruitment, but there was evidence of cost savings for the firm. Finally, the study benefited from effective scheduling with the technology, as well as a subsequent improvement in the quality of the clinical trial’s results.

Upcoming studies of clinical trials like that of the Johnson County Clin-Trials will compare the SMS method to other common recruiting approaches in order to quantify the effectiveness of each approach. With a focus on trial retention, future researchers hope to reduce attrition rates and increase adherence with existing clinical trial participants using the SMS method. Clearly, the simple technology of SMS text messaging has been a breakthrough for patient recruitment and engagement, and we can expect to see a great deal more communication taking place through SMS and text messages in the future.

 

AT&T’s Text Message Alerts are Too Easy to Mimic

 

AT&T Text Messages are a simple way for AT&T to communicate with its customers. The texts, however, are much too simple and easily duplicated, which presents a big problem for AT&T customers.  

Due to the simple technology of text messages, there is no way to authenticate the identity of the sender. Also, the body of these text messages contains only a brief message that can be mimicked by hackers and scammers. Consumers could be receiving bogus text messages that have links leading to dummy websites, which then steal the customers’ information. 

Essentially, it’s a classic phishing scheme akin to the ones we’ve seen in our email inboxes.

Computer programmer Dani Grant discovered the breach of security when she received a text message from AT&T. “If the official texts look like phishing, it’s impossible for the customer to distinguish between what’s phishing and what’s not,” she said in a recent interview with CNN Money.

Because AT&T’s text messages originate from a “short code” rather than a verifiable phone number, customers have no way of knowing exactly who is trying to alert them. Short codes are four or five digit numbers that can send and receive texts, and can be acquired by anyone – not just cell phone companies.

Furthermore, the links within these text messages are not always obvious links to AT&T’s official site. While AT&T will sometimes use the link “att.com” – clearly a link to their official website – sometimes they will use the URL “dl.mymobilelocate.com.” This creates confusion for the consumer: how is a customer to know if a strange URL will lead back to AT&T’s website, or some dummy site that a hacker created?

Dani Grant went ahead and created her own false website, as well as a fake text message to see if these official AT&T texts could be duplicated. As it turns out, her text message is identical to AT&T’s official alert. Grant then reported this error to AT&T as a security flaw, though they have declined to comment on the matter.

There is no easy solution to this problem. Cell phone companies prefer to use SMS for their alerts because it is inexpensive and has a broad scope in terms of reaching their customers. Clearly, this method of texting is open to security threats, though, so consumers should insist on greater security measures to be taken by their mobile carriers.

Remember, don’t be fooled by all “official” text messages from your service provider, because these messages could be coming from a clandestine source. Carefully monitor messages, and delete when it seems “phishy.” By practicing prudence when interacting over SMS, you can protect yourself from scammers.