Before I started writing about messaging technology, I wasn’t sure what the phrase “short code” meant–even though I’d used them all the time as a consumer. So how can someone new to the space, even if (s)he is a seasoned vet of marketing, be expected to?

That’s why I’m excited about The Ultimate Guide To Common Short Codes, mobileStorm’s newest white paper, written by CEO Jared Reitzin himself. (You can find it, along with our other valuable white papers, here.)

“The popularity and recognition of short codes in the USA accelerated dramatically with shows like American Idol (i.e., Text VOTE to 4701 for your favorite idol) and recently when President Obama used a short code-based method to announce Joe Biden as his vice president. Supporters were encouraged to text OBAMA to 62262 to be the first to know… The Obama VP announcement was considered the largest single mobile marketing event in history, texting 2.5 million people,” Jared points out.

After offering these clear examples of short code use–and success–Jared gives readers a primer on how to start using a short code.

He gives a heads-up on the CSCA, the entity in charge of short codes (to find out what “CSCA” means, read the paper); explains each step in the process of obtaining and using a code; and addresses some of the headaches, such as wait-time for approval and certification.

Also, Jared spells out the difference between “common” and “dedicated” codes (the latter being exclusive to one company or brand, often spelling out an easily-recognized name or word), making it easier for a company to decide which type of code to use.

To get the 411 on everything you need to know about short codes, download The Ultimate Guide To Common Short Codes today!

Eydie Cubarrubia

“I’d rather you text me”

June is the start of Hurricane Season, and that means public safety officials have already begun preparing for the intense ocean-incubated storms. As the first tropical storm in the Americas for 2009 brewed last week, I got to thinking about how public safety departments can, and should, use SMS marketing technologies whenever a hurricane–or other disaster–strikes.

Text messaging is especially important whenever a large area is affected, along with utilities. When land lines and Internet connections go down, most people turn to their cell phones. Trouble is, voice service takes up a lot of bandwidth–so that it’s nearly impossible for someone to call for help, or for worried loved ones to contact someone in a disaster area. 

SMS, however, is not affected by busy traffic and other problems. As Cellular South said in a recent hurricane-preparedness press release, “Text messages require less network capacity and are more likely than voice calls to reach their destination during periods of network congestion.”

Numerous government agencies, as well as institutions like universities, already have some kind of message alert system in place. These are for large-scale disasters as well as individual emergencies. For example, the Marietta, Georgia school board has an SMS program in which students can send crime tips to police–using mobileStorm’s technology to make it possible.

It’s pretty satisfying that what was originally a marketing solution can also be used for the public good.

Eydie Cubarrubia

“I’d rather you text me”

It’s taken a singing competition to underscore the importance of measurable ROI.

Last month I pointed out how mobile marketing really boosted the success of American Idol (whose parent company, FremantleMedia, is a mobileStorm client), much more so than traditional marketing. Specifically, I pointed to the record numbers of voters–the majority of whom had texted-in–who participated in this season’s finale between wholesome, broadly-appealing winner Kris Allen and runner-up Adam Lambert, whose artistic risks such as a Middle Eastern take on “Ring Of Fire” thrilled music aficionados while likely scaring Middle America. These figures were in seeming opposition to Nielsen ratings numbers, which indicated that viewership was the lowest since the show’s second season.

At first, this seemed to prove that digital messaging engages consumers so much, their participation becomes much more significant than that of a larger number of less-engaged consumers. But The Business Insider notes that the problem may have to do with Nielsen’s technology that gathers viewer data.

“A recent Nielsen study of how people use the meter showed that enough viewers punch the meter incorrectly, particularly when watching TV in large groups, that national ratings could be off by 8 percent,” the report says. Fox, of course, is furious. Such a flub affects how much the network can charge for advertisements that run during the show. Other TV networks are also wary, since their own ratings and ad rates may also be affected.

The only silver lining here is for digital message marketers. Unlike TV ads that are run based on (now-suspect) viewer numbers, SMS and email campaigns offer absolutely-measurable ROI:

• You can count how many unique users (cell phone numbers or email addresses) are participating in a campaign–whether they’ve opted-in to receive email messages or texted into a premium SMS campaign.
• You can see how many people who received your message further acted upon it–such as the number of people who redeemed a mobile coupon, or who clicked on an email sales flier and ultimately made a purchase.
• You can see which of your campaigns did better than others.
• You can use demographic and psychographic information to see which groups of people responded the most to your campaign.

You just can’t get information this specific–or this accurate–with traditional marketing methods. The Nielsen controversy proves that.

Eydie Cubarrubia

“I’d rather you text me”

Last week, I explained that videos and email marketing messages go together like chocolate and peanut butter. Click-through rates for marketing emails increase two or three times with the inclusion of video! This is in part because increasingly larger numbers of consumers (we’re talking trillions!) want to spend time watching online video, and also because it’s becoming easier for them to watch videos sent via email.

Today, I’ll offer some tips on how marketers can create videos that consumers will want to receive via email and watch online. I’ll aso explain explain how marketers can analyze the results of their video email marketing campaigns with mobileStorm’s technology.

Because some companies might not have tried their hand at creating videos, here are some things we at mobileStorm learned while making our online commercials and comedy shows.

• Online video is not the same as a feature-length movie or network TV show. Its purpose is to quickly pique interest in a brand. Thus, it should start off with a “bang” and not be much longer than a few minutes.
• Links should either lead to a video posted on a site like YouTube or MySpace, or else should lead to specially-designed landing pages. Never use embedded video in email!
• Providing your video in the smallest file size possible, but still retaining a satisfactory image quality, is part of best practices for all Internet video. Flash compression is often the best comproise of file size and quality, making it ideal for online media.

Once you’ve deployed a video email marketing campaign, you need to determine how well it did. (more…)