Mobile Marketing

[lsargent]

I've been hearing a lot of buzz around mobile marketing with services like AdMob for mobile devices. From my understanding, CPC costs are dirt cheap. Anyone know if there are any specialty apps to develop web pages for such platforms, or would most just build based on screen size restrictions?

[myniche]

Mobile marketing is a bit confusing as it is a term that has been used for mobile ads, ie trucks that drive with small billboards on the back of the truck.

I know you mean messaging to mobile phone or mobile devices.

I too have an interest in knowing more about this.

Recently the Cell Phone Cash product by Mack Michaels of Maverick Money Makers was released. I am not sure if this product/forum goes into specialty apps for web pages on mobile devices.

If anyone has more information on Short Message or Video Message to Mobile Device advertising, let's get this thread going!

[xerxes]

I have been looking into this as well the past couple months. I have seen Mack Michael's course and also recommend a good book called, "The Mobile Marketing Handbook" by Kim Dushinski. It goes into great detail about testing your target market FIRST before putting all your efforts into it. You will also read some very interesting things about demographics of mobile users that will probably shock you!

In regards to your question about "specialty apps" to develop web pages for such platforms... I can give you a few examples for the iPhone:

As far as the iPhone goes, Apple has a program called "Xcode" that allows one to program iPhone apps. I have a MAC and downloaded it (free download at http://developer.apple.com/technology/Xcode.html ) and have created a couple interfaces. So, you basically can go a few routes with iPhone development:

1) You can use Xcode to program iPhone apps (or hire someone to do it) that you can either submit to the App Store on iTunes or make for iPhones that are "jailbroken". Jailbreaking is a term used when one actually cracks their phone so that they can install pretty much ANYTHING that they want to install on it without Apple or Cellular Provider restrictions. This basically means that you can develop apps that either won't be allowed on the app store for some reason OR you don't want to even bother with the app store. Note: A lot of programmers bypass the app store because Apple is very critical of standards (afterall, AT&T is the provider and they have to be careful what they allow and don't allow their phones to do!), take forever to approve apps, and simply won't approve apps that either exploit something or utilize the true power of the iPhone, etc...etc...

2) You can build a browser based app (based on screen size restrictions as you noted in your post) and advertise that route by inserting your ads on pages. Which, in browser based apps, you could obviously include any type of html/javascript ad if I'm not mistaken? For example, a lot of javascript / web programmers take this route as they don't want to mess with learning a new language. Bear in mind though, this route does not actually create an app that you can submit to the app store. These kind of apps will run within the Safari browser on the phone.


The way the actual advertising works from my experience is that Admob gets its advertising onto iPhones by working with the owner's of iPhone apps. Basically, an app owner can apply to include Admob ads into their iPhone app. Then, you can become an affiliate at Admob and when you log into Admob you can create your ads and earn commissions on those ads if people click or do whatever you are asking them to within these apps. This is the foundation for a lot of free apps that people make out there. They obviously don't profit by selling their app initially, so the way to monetize it is by inserting ads into their app and hope people will click on them. I believe the same concept would work for those Safari browser based apps I spoke of earlier.

I realize that the iPhone is not the ONLY mobile device out there. However, it's one of the most popular. Regardless, I'm sure the fundamental idea works the same with the exception of the operating system running on the mobile device. Such as Windows Mobile and Android. Maybe others here can talk about that.

Hope this helps

[myniche]

xerxes.... thanks for such a robust answer.

Keep us updated on anything new or your success with any mobile app marketing!

[livonian]

Has anyone bought Cell Phone Cash?

[handsomeman]

It's a pretty new field. I hear Gauher Chaudhry has been playing around with it.

[Vita_Vee]

(09-26-2009 03:58 PM)xerxes Wrote:  I have been looking into this as well the past couple months. I have seen Mack Michael's course and also recommend a good book called, "The Mobile Marketing Handbook" by Kim Dushinski. It goes into great detail about testing your target market FIRST before putting all your efforts into it. You will also read some very interesting things about demographics of mobile users that will probably shock you!

In regards to your question about "specialty apps" to develop web pages for such platforms... I can give you a few examples for the iPhone:

As far as the iPhone goes, Apple has a program called "Xcode" that allows one to program iPhone apps. I have a MAC and downloaded it (free download at http://developer.apple.com/technology/Xcode.html ) and have created a couple interfaces. So, you basically can go a few routes with iPhone development:

1) You can use Xcode to program iPhone apps (or hire someone to do it) that you can either submit to the App Store on iTunes or make for iPhones that are "jailbroken". Jailbreaking is a term used when one actually cracks their phone so that they can install pretty much ANYTHING that they want to install on it without Apple or Cellular Provider restrictions. This basically means that you can develop apps that either won't be allowed on the app store for some reason OR you don't want to even bother with the app store. Note: A lot of programmers bypass the app store because Apple is very critical of standards (afterall, AT&T is the provider and they have to be careful what they allow and don't allow their phones to do!), take forever to approve apps, and simply won't approve apps that either exploit something or utilize the true power of the iPhone, etc...etc...

2) You can build a browser based app (based on screen size restrictions as you noted in your post) and advertise that route by inserting your ads on pages. Which, in browser based apps, you could obviously include any type of html/javascript ad if I'm not mistaken? For example, a lot of javascript / web programmers take this route as they don't want to mess with learning a new language. Bear in mind though, this route does not actually create an app that you can submit to the app store. These kind of apps will run within the Safari browser on the phone.


The way the actual advertising works from my experience is that Admob gets its advertising onto iPhones by working with the owner's of iPhone apps. Basically, an app owner can apply to include Admob ads into their iPhone app. Then, you can become an affiliate at Admob and when you log into Admob you can create your ads and earn commissions on those ads if people click or do whatever you are asking them to within these apps. This is the foundation for a lot of free apps that people make out there. They obviously don't profit by selling their app initially, so the way to monetize it is by inserting ads into their app and hope people will click on them. I believe the same concept would work for those Safari browser based apps I spoke of earlier.

I realize that the iPhone is not the ONLY mobile device out there. However, it's one of the most popular. Regardless, I'm sure the fundamental idea works the same with the exception of the operating system running on the mobile device. Such as Windows Mobile and Android. Maybe others here can talk about that.

Hope this helps

Xerxes are you a software developer?

Guys, if you have a budget of $15,000 or more you can use this
http://www.mobilesyndicationsolutions.com/



I'm sure this kind of iphone app is very easy to develop, especially with the xcode api xerxes mentioned above.

VV

[kirk]

I messed around with Cell phone cash a bit. It sounds great, except Admob requires a minimum $100. a day adspend, which at the moment is too rich for me

Kirk

[xerxes]

Hey Vita...glad to see you back

I am "dabbling" with Xcode right now. I wish I was a full-blown Xcode programmer though!

I do agree that the above app you posted a video of probably would not be very difficult to create. Based on what I see, it really just ties into the safari browser functionality by wrapping the browser within the app itself instead of opening up the default browser on the iPhone...which is what usually happens when you want to access web based content from anywhere on the phone. Also, being a syndicated service, I would think that the app would access a webserver for a lot of the content within the personalized app that it made for you via rss, etc. In regards to the price tag...all I have to say is "YIKES"! How about trying to duplicate this entire service for $15,000?! I bet it can be done for that or even less!

I have to hand it to Joel...I met him at an internet marketing seminar awhile back before his company started making iPhone apps. Since then, he's made that i-Fart app which sold really well, from what I heard, and now this service.

Reminds me of how I have had a ton of good ideas with the iPhone and still haven't done nothing with them! I'm sure a lot of others have as well, but Joel is definitely taking action right away on either new or existing ideas (Note: He was actually sued by another farting type app developer who had an app out there way before his). Goes to show that you don't need to "reinvent" the wheel to have a hit. Just improve on an idea that is already out there.

Going back to my own desires to be a developer making apps all day: I would love to do this! It is one of the best devices I have ever owned (next to my Macbook Pro of course!). In fact, I was going to do this, spend all my time for the next year learning iPhone app development, but I switched gears and would rather focus on affiliate marketing.

Another reason for this gear switching is that there are a lot of "starving" app developers out there. I am not saying this to discourage anyone because all it takes is ONE good idea to hit the top of the app store charts. Just make sure to stay grounded and don't put all your eggs in one basket. Regardless, that doesn't mean I won't hire someone to make one for me in near future. We shall see...

I have a lot of useful info in regards to learning how to program these apps and/or outsourcing these apps for anyone interested. Let me know and I will try to post them later as this post is already a mile long!

[Vita_Vee]

(10-01-2009 07:52 AM)kirk Wrote:  I messed around with Cell phone cash a bit. It sounds great, except Admob requires a minimum $100. a day adspend, which at the moment is too rich for me

Kirk

Yes, it's clearly not for everyone!

@xerxes I'm also a developer and I also shifted my focus to internet marketing. I have found that having that developer's eye was actually very helpful for this IM activity, it makes a lot of things much easier.

[xerxes]

(10-05-2009 12:16 PM)Vita_Vee Wrote:  

(10-01-2009 07:52 AM)kirk Wrote:  I messed around with Cell phone cash a bit. It sounds great, except Admob requires a minimum $100. a day adspend, which at the moment is too rich for me

Kirk

Yes, it's clearly not for everyone!

@xerxes I'm also a developer and I also shifted my focus to internet marketing. I have found that having that developer's eye was actually very helpful for this IM activity, it makes a lot of things much easier.

There is no doubt that having a technical eye helps out in IM. It speeds up the learning curve so quickly doesn't it?

I am amazed by how much people don't know out there! Not to knock a "newbie" because we all were there once, but it's just amazing when I see it with my own eyes. I ask my self the question, "Wow, have I really come this far?". In terms of my technical and artistical skills. The proceeding question is the one that gets me everytime...."Then, why am I not pumping out products left and right for these people and making money?".

[Vita_Vee]

(10-07-2009 07:12 AM)xerxes Wrote:  There is no doubt that having a technical eye helps out in IM. It speeds up the learning curve so quickly doesn't it?

I am amazed by how much people don't know out there! Not to knock a "newbie" because we all were there once, but it's just amazing when I see it with my own eyes. I ask my self the question, "Wow, have I really come this far?". In terms of my technical and artistical skills. The proceeding question is the one that gets me everytime...."Then, why am I not pumping out products left and right for these people and making money?".

Right, why???
Maybe a lack of focus? We're all affected

[thriftgirl62]

(09-27-2009 05:47 PM)myniche Wrote:  xerxes.... thanks for such a robust answer.

Keep us updated on anything new or your success with any mobile app marketing!

I put together a simple, but complete mobile marketing business model that some people love, others don't get and the rest are pissed off because access to the hottest, latest technology for making mobile apps is bundled together with the online business platform.

I did that to help the 97% who don't make money because I figured making mobile apps would be enticing enough to make people jump through their own money-hoop and finally get a real business started instead of falling for this $697 and now $997 wonderful webinar special.

NEXT UP: Proximity Marketing aka BlueTooth Marketing . . . and people wonder why I threw out cell phone in 2005 and still don't miss it one little bit.

[alvinso]

Mobile marketing is one type of marketing strategy. Today it is widely uses in business. In mobile marketing messages are send to the mobile devices. Message is consists of a text that is information about product and some Internet links also sends to mobiles. I think it have effective result because it also technique for personally inform of personally marketing.

[StangMan23]

If anyone has general questions about mobile marketing (more specifically text message marketing, but I'm familiar with other methods as well) let me know, I'm pretty familiar with that stuff and would be more than happy to help you out!