Our tech team pulled off another cool port, they can port iPhone applications to any social network. You can play the game inside the social network and drive traffic back to your iPhone application. Check out our Attack of the Zombie Politicians inside Facebook or you can visit our Youtube page to see screen captures of our games.
Check it out at http://www.211me.com/apps/zombie/default.aspx
Brad Reed at Networld selected 211me at cool iPhone app. Although this story appeared with the service as “app,” at the time it was a web application. We will be launching several iPhone applications for download in iTunes very soon. I will keep you posted.
Thanks to Mediapost, Mobile Marketer and Mass High Tech for the coverage of our Digital Bridge Solution and our National Amusements Showcase Live Campaign. Efrain Viscarolasaga of Mass High Tech classified the campaign as “one of the more successful mobile marketing campaigns from a local outfit this summer.”
Very cool! It was fun to run the campaign which featured David Attell and his comic show. Everyone at the company did a great job pulling it together in four days.
Next up we are extending our clients and partners services to the iPhone - it is looking cool so far.
Links
Mass High Tech Article - by Efrain Viscarolasaga
Mobile Marketer Article - by Giselle Abramovich
(This is part 2 of our ongoing coverage on how to make the most of mobile marketing campaigns)
I always like to say 211(me) is as cool the person using it. Funny, but true. Any tool that allows for a creative process allows for many levels from lame to cool. Truth is ‘nerd’ is the new ‘hip’ in many ways, so uber cool may not be the way to go for your audience anyhow. Like all marketing appeals, knowing your audience, what they like and what they respond to is the make or break mark. If sarcasm and cheeky humor get their attention – stick to that. If promises of velvet ropes and red carpets are the VIP pass for your crowd, use it wherever you can.
One of the shortfalls of mobile marketing, in the past, was the hardship of the economy of words. With only 160 characters at your disposal, how do you captivate and motivate your audience – while still using texting shorthand that a general audience will actually understand? U for you and 2 for to or too is easily read by anyone, but WUCIWUG for ‘what you see I what you get’ may be a stretch for many to understand.
A great benefit of 211me is the ability to go beyond the 160 characters of SMS, while still utilizing the comfort zone (and reliability) of delivery on SMS. To make the best use of the pairing of SMS with the WAP Push to the mobile internet, make sure the ‘must have’ info is in the SMS, while feeding a ‘must see’ aspect to get them to click the link to the mobile internet and your unique content.
For any campaign you always want to be sure to include the who, what, where, when and why. For your mobile messaging campaign - save one of your W’s for the link, so they have enticement to click. For example:
In the SMS: Get passes 2 our next advance movie screening on 8/14 Email ur name 2 movie@quickwhatsup.com See the next movie to be screened: http://c2.211me.com/C46bf46
Which links to:
With the capability to make each line on the 211me mashup into an active link, you can easy expand the usability with links to details on the movie, links to sponsor websites as well as links for contact information including numbers, emails and even google maps.
For more tips on how to make your campaign, mobile and otherwise, viral - I would refer you to Mark Hughes, author of Buzz Marketing. In his book, Hughes outlines his keys for giving a campaign the wings it needs to build buzz, and spread virally:
The Six Buttons of Buzz
- The taboo (sex, lies, bathroom humor)
- The unusual
- The outrageous
- The hilarious
- The remarkable
- Secrets (both kept and revealed)
If it made you laughed, it will make others laugh, even if you do have a twisted sense of humor. If you are in the target demo, use it to your advantage. If the photo you use for your mashup makes you laugh and want to send it to your friends or colleagues – the chances are it will effect others the same way. Or, if you are out of the demo, have your sample audience on standby to gauge their reaction to your creative output. The simpler the better. The key is giving it the “You have to see this” appeal, that grabs their attention and drives them to pass it on to others.
Have you run a mobile campaign that caught on like wildfire? Do you have an idea for one that you are itching to try out? I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to comment or drop me a line at julie@211me-inc.com.
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If you are in the mobile sphere, chances are you have already gotten past the “Why would I want this on my phone?” phase, and have embraced the upsides that mobile innovations can bring. But for many, who may text only when they are late for a meeting or trying to meet up with a friend, they still get a little stuck on whether mobile marketing could really be embraced by the masses. I truly believe mobile marketing has a strong future ahead, one that will leave email marketing to a similar fate as direct mail marketing (a dwindling one). The key is getting the right message to the right people. Here is part one of a series of how to effectively make mobile work for your marketing needs.
Opt-in An opt-in database has always been the name of the game in marketing. You want your list of go-to people to actually want to receive your message and updates. The problem is how do you get to those people and convince them that you have something worth reading and paying attention to.
Grab them in the heat of the moment. You are already actively engaging your consumers. Whether it is at an event, at a venue, through advertising, newsletters, billboards, online, through your blog or during straight face-to-face encounters. When you have their attention, you need to prompt them to share their information so you can keep the dialogue going. Mobile marketing is a simple way to do this, since everyone has their phone on them, and only their number is needed to make a lasting link. You can prompt them to opt in on their own (i.e. Text GET 211me to 555211 to opt-in), or ask for their number directly in order to do the opt-in for them.
But why opt-in? While prompting and asking someone to opt-in is all well and good, what is the magic formula for getting them to actually do it? Regardless of the industry, audience or messaging, certain elements of the human condition remain the same. People want to be the first to know, they want something exclusively that others may not have access to, and most people in the modern age seek instant gratification. This approach is two tiered, in that you want to dangle the carrot in front of them for future opportunities while still satisfying a current hunger. One of the great features of 211me, is the ability to opt-in a new subscriber while providing them with unique content, all within the same moment.
For example Boston nightlife marketing kings 6one7 have used 211me to grow their list of people who like to head out to the clubs in and around Boston. Their approach with their audience is very one-on-one, as they engage people waiting in line or already in the venues to ask if they would like to get notices on the hottest nights in Boston. Grabbing them in the heat of the moment, when they are out, relaxing, enjoying the party is the perfect atmosphere for this. The club goers essentially hear… do you want to have more great nights like this or do you want to stay at home with your cats watching SNL because you didn’t know what was going on? The answer is pretty clear.For those that haven’t made it inside yet, 6one7 often offers the chance to opt-in for free admission that night or the chance to skip the line. Instant gratification just by opting in and showing the text at the door. And the genius piece of it is that no one wants to walk into a club on their own, so if one person does it, it is guaranteed that at least one of their friends will do it along with them.And the hope for the future for all of these new opt-in members is the chance to hear about the latest parties first, receive offers for free admission before midnight for the biggest nights in the city and the chance to be added to the guestlist for many private invite only events.
The velvet rope approach This velvet rope approach is not for nightlife alone. The Second Glass magazine offers its reader an unpretentious guide to the best wines offered in retail and at area restaurants in Boston. Every week it features a new red, white or rose to its email database. For forgetful folks (like myself) it often left people scratching their head in the liquor store wondering what the heck was the name of that fabulous wine they read about that they wanted to try out. The Second Glass has now begun offering this information in crib note format for mobile. So opt-in members receive a photo of the bottle, details on its origins and at least one location where it can be found locally. Now, whenever a mobile member happens by a liquor store or is out at a restaurant or bar, they have that information at their finger tips and can be the in the know wine connoisseur they never thought they could be.
Knowledge is power. You and your organization know things that you may take for granted - the best spot for fishing in Lake Huron, the right way to balance diet and exercise, the best housing market in the country right now or how to make an indestructible paper airplane. Use this knowledge and disperse it in short illustrative text and photos on mobile via 211me. This will give you an opportunity to engage your audience with how to’s (or where to or what to etc) that they wish to receive, giving them a wealth of information in their phone rather than spewing out a new form of spam. Being the one that knows what is going on is empowering to individuals and will make your messages well received.
Next time, we’ll talk about giving your messages that extra oomph to foster viral growth…
Text Get Kings6one7 to 555211 to optin with 6one7
Text Get SecondGlass to 555211 to opt in for The Second Glass
Come join 211(me) at the Web Innovators Group Boston’s meeting on July 15th at the Royal Sonesta in Cambridge, MA. 211(me) will be presenting at the event and giving attendees a look at new features being launched.
The event is a great way to meet others in the industry, look for new employees or employers, and get a good insight into some of the great new companies emerging from the Boston area.
The event begins at 6:30PM and is free to attend. RSVP at http://webinno18.eventbrite.com. Hope to see you there!
Any excuse to bbq, spend time with friends and family and ohh and ahh at pretty lights in the sky is good by me. And the fact that the calendar puts it all on a Friday making for a clean long weekend is all the better. As many people revolt against spending time in front of their computer during this small mid-summer respite, it’s hard to get in touch with anyone when an impromptu bbq gets thrown together, you find yourself with a case of beer you need help polishing off or someone makes such a funny blunder you must share proof of it to everyone you know - and now.
For me, trying to lure my family from Long Island to the Boston area for the weekend, I have been sending a series of mashups to various family members. First, a sad faced photo of my son with a note wondering if they are coming to see them. Then photos of the new grill we just dragged home with the promise of goo eatin’. And, of course, a full cooler just waiting to be cracked open. And, all included a link to google maps with directions on how to get from their house to mine.
Check out our new In Season set of backgrounds at 211me.com. They work great for setting the tone for your holiday weekend - whether it is to show patriotic pride for those you can’t be with, or to recap some classic moments of a memorable trip. Make ‘em, share ‘em, send ‘em & post ‘em with 211(me).
And, if you can’t make it out to a fireworks display, or are smart enough not to shoot them off in your own backyard… get our own personalized display here.
I thought I was alone in feeling like a stranger at a party full of friends whenever I ventured into Twitter-land. But apparently, unless you get a guided tour, this fairly simple, fun and effective platform can feel overwhelming and daunting for others as well. In walks the Tweet Sheet - a handy guide to getting all of your thoughts out to your vast (or growing) list of follwers on Twitter.
When Jason Theodor crafted the sheet, his idea was for those indebted to him for this gift, to print it out and tape it to the back of their cell phones. Well, we here at 211(me) figured we had an even better way - a 211(me) Tweet Sheet mashup.
Grab the sheet. Save it or bookmark it on your phone. Share it with your Twitter-bitter pals you have been trying to convert to followers. Keep it on the your PC, post it to Facebook, get it on your blog, and on and on… How fabulous.
Apparently we weren’t the only ones who thought it was fabulous… Here is some of the word on and off Twitter…
This weekend I saw a great sign posted outside a local suburban family-owned restaurant. “Run Matt Run” was posted where you would usually see the daily specials. They must know someone running in the Boston Marathon. I thought it was great for them to dedicate their weekend signage to support a local runner trying to see if he can make it from Hopkinton to Boston on the heartbreakingly long run.
For those who do not know, today is Patriot’s Day here in Massachusetts. It is also marathon day. With the first participants starting off at 925AM this morning, the 112th annual Boston Marathon brings out more than 25,000 runners from across the world. The number of lazy, cheering (and often drinking) souls dotting the sidelines of 25 miles course is significantly more.
With that in mind, I thought quite a number of people must know someone running, cheering, celebrating, or just using today as an excuse to skip work (present company excluded, I’m sure). Why not share a little of your time to support the dreams or once a year foolish revelry of your friends or family with a 211me card.
Above you see what I would send out if I had run. And I truly would run, if I hadn’t once heard that your toenails could fall off from the friction of running the course. Really, that’s why I stay home. Honest.
Declare yourself victorious for having crossed the finish line, or for having found your way home after partying at the finish line waiting for people to run by. Those silver capes they hand out at the finish line are quite fashionable - capture the rapture of the moment with a 211me card. Or, just share the fact that you were at the Red Sox game today while your buddy was still stuck in his cubicle at work. For support, admiration or just to taunt - take a minute to share your spirit with a 211me card today.
First off - since this is my first time posting - let me introduce myself. My name is Julie and I am the Director, Marketing & Media Programming at 211me. So, if there is something you secretly desire to have available on the site, or you simply see a big gapping void that just screams to be filled, I’m the lady to contact.
That aside - I am excited to tell you about our DJ Vice card (shown so beautifully above). If you don’t know who DJ Vice is - it would be in your best interest to read on. In the world of mash-up DJs - DJ Vice is one of the best, arguably perhaps even the best. The man goes to work. Robert had a chance to meet up with him in the DJ booth at LAX nightclub in Las Vegas during CTIA and he can attest to the fact that Vice is not kicking back up there in the DJ booth - he is working up a sweat and turning out a crazy set for the dance floor.
To keep tabs on what Vice has going on , get the card up above for yourself. Click on it to open it up, then share or save it. Or send GET VICE to 555211 to have it sent to your mobile phone. Much love to Sujit and Bo from SKAM Artist for getting things together for our Vice card. Look for more artists from the SKAM Artist roster in the very near future.
