Blog | Mobile and Local Internet Marketing Specialist, Speaker, Mentor and Coach

Jan

Apple Revamps The Textbook – iBook 2 Is Now Available

By Cheryl Lynn · Comments (0)

Apple showed off digital textbooks at its education event in New York this morning.

In watching the lastest news release unfold, our students must be happy. It’s happening…to go to school soon you will have to purchase an iPad and down load your Grade Level Apps. WOW! Did you know there are over 20,000 educational Apps. No more of the painful back slinging weighted down back packs. On the evening news tonight, within my home town here in Canada, already there are school in beta testing mode with the iPad.

This will have a huge affect on bookstores on our planet as Apple goes worldwide in their launches. This is a worldly trend happening to local businesses that will take bookstores down and more rental properties vacant. Yuks another hit on local businesses!

But on the other hand there are so many positives, savings on educational costs, saving our trees (paper), etc. Just think, a teacher stands at the front of the class as says, “Tonight download App 1234 as we will be working on that material in tomorrow’s class.” And the list goes on and on. Steve Jobs did say that he was going to enter in the book market place. And here it is! To bad he will not able to see the unfolding for his once again brilliant idea.

This is why I have preached over and over again to local business that Mobile is here to stay and they better get prepared! With this new press release, Apps now just took on a whole new positioning power. For EVERY entrepreneur out there weather you are a local business, speaker, author, coach, etc. you must strongly begin the process of getting your business website mobilized, creating kindle book formats and creating Apps. I wasn’t really pushing Apps for my clients but it is so important now with this news to really begin getting your all businesses mobilized. Read More→

Categories : Apple, Branding, Local Business, MAC Computers, Mobile App, Mobile Marketing, Success Stories

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Jan

How Are Smartphones Being Used?

By Cheryl Lynn · Comments (0)

Why is this study really important to local business? It validates where your customers are hanging out and if you tap into this Mobile Marketing strategy for your business it could possibly increase sales and client database for your business. When I speak with local entrepreneurs I always mention how important SMS texting and QR Codes are for their business these days and in the diagram below, from Pew Research Centers, it clearly shows that. Every business should be thinking of some form of Mobile marketing for their business in 2012. Have you ever wondered though how those smartphone users are using their mobile phones? To help you get a better understanding of how smartphones are being used to support your Mobile and Local Internet Marketing initiative, here is an infographic below.

By the end of 2011 there was approximately a 44% penetration rate of smartphones with an extremely fast growth rate. There are about 5.5 billion mobile devices of which 2.2 billion of them are smartphones. Every mobile device these days being sold can handle texting, that is of course if the end user has it turned on, that is no wonder why it is #1 on the diagram below. However, not all mobile devices can take a picture and have it render to a URL (QR Code Marketing) and that’s why it is #2. The #3 category on the diagram below is Internet Browsing which is used for Local Browsing, your clients browsing for your keyword such as “plumber austin texas”. Then #4 Email Marketing is where you capture their name, email address and cellphone numbers because your clients want to be reached by email on-the-go.

Now it doesn’t surprise me that Apps are #5. Apps have that sexy ring to them but Apps are the most likely to get deleted and not used, faster than anything else on a mobile phone not unless your App is compelling and your clients love it. I always suggest to my clients, put all the other marketing strategies in place first before spending the thousands of dollars to create an App. Apps are the first thing to get deleted also if a phone is reaching it’s storage limits. Apps take a wee bit of time to put together so to help you increase sales from Mobile and Local Internet Marketing faster, it is best to focus on the top 3.

Remember, print media marketing is going down and mobile media is growing leaps and bounds with a continued growth rate from here on in to help businesses increase sales.

Does the data below match up to how you use your own smartphone? Let us know in the comments section below.

Categories : Email Marketing, Local Business, Mobile App, Mobile Marketing, SEO, SMS Marketing

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Jan

SMS Marketing Case Study – Retail

By Cheryl Lynn · Comments (0)

There are so many local businesses on our planet and with over 5.5 billion phones and over 2.2 billion smartphones available to market to, it is an awesome way to stay connected with your clients who want to shop at your place of business.

In this case study it is a retail store in the gaming industry. They have an awesome desktop website selling everything from online games to games for Playstation 3, Wii, Xbox 360 and many, many other platforms. In 2004 they saw a report stating that the gaming industry as a whole was worth 10.3 billion. A couple of years later, they opened up their first store. They now have 2 stores and looking at expanding and adding more locations.

It was obvious to them that the demographic coming of people into their stores where very text messaging savvies. Just about everyone had or used a cell phone and constantly where texting. They where not sure if everyone had a smartphone, as they where thinking of possibly putting an APP together, but rather what they knew for sure was that just about everyone was texting one way or the other with their hand held device. It was crazy! It was at this point that they started thinking Mobile Marketing and began implementing campaigns to their clients through their mobile phone.

This is a true example of which I speak about every day to local entrepreneurs……Mobile and Local Internet Marketing!

Their text messaging campaign took only minutes to set up once they found the right company to help them with it! That was it and they where ready to go. Even when it came time to send out their first text message, it took less than a minute as everything was so quick and easy to do.

HOW THEY SET UP THEIR SMS TEXT CAMPAIGN

They selected a keyword representing their business. They then where given a 5 digit short code number. They then put that keyword and short code on everything and everywhere! They had it on their website, receipts, mailers, posters, facebook, e-mails and displayed it around the store in various places. They figured that if a customer was looking at something in their store, they most likely had a their mobile phone with them and they should opt-in to their message campaign.

WHAT THEIR FIRST TEXT MESSAGE SAID

They sent the following text message out to their SMS subscribers midday on Sunday saying “Our Street Fighter IV tournament is this Sunday at 7:00 pm! Sign up online at resetgames.com and pre-order Super Street Fighter IV for next Tuesday!”

RESULTS

With the last minute reminder via text message, they had a record attendance at this specific in-store event. It was awesome!

ADVICE FOR OTHER RETAIL STORES LOOKING TO LAUNCH AN SMS TEXT MESSAGING CAMPAIGN?

Promote your SMS keyword on everything! An SMS keyword is the biggest asset for any retail store. With the small additional cost to add an SMS keyword to a poster or mailer, you can generate hundreds of captive customers. Mobile and Local Internet Marketing is a NO-BRAINER!

If you are interested in learning more about this type of Mobile and Local Internet Marketing campaign for your business, please feel free to fill out your information at http://www.cheryllynninternational.com/contact or email us at support@cheryllynninternational.com.

Categories : Case Study - Retail, Local Business, Mobile Marketing, SMS Marketing

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Dec

Safeway Helping Customers Cook Their Turkeys With A Mobile App!

By Cheryl Lynn · Comments (3)

How Cool is this a Mobile App to inspire holiday cooking…..The Safeway Chef Assistant iPhone app.

Safeway Chef Assistant App

When I saw this come through yesterday, of course as a Mobile and Local Internet Marketing specialist I had to download the App. This is really cool! When I loaded it up from my ipod, I was greeted by the sound of a Turkey. It was so funny, Casey (our dog) started to park, thinking an animal was in the house. It was so funny! However, Safeway claims you can cook a turkey in a 2-hour window. Mmmmm, I am not fully sold on that yet. Since I haven’t cooked my turkey yet, I cannot honestly say that this works. I am really curious though.

Safeway is helping consumers prepare for the holidays with a recipe and a Mobile iPhone App. What a concept! Talking about giving customers what they want. Safeway did a survey to their customers and the results showed that there was an opportunity to build a broader awareness of all that Safeway has to offer to alleviate seasonal stress. According to the survey, 58 percent of women said their biggest holiday regret is being so busy that they don’t get to enjoy the food or company. To win back some of the lost time, the Safeway’s new Chef Assistant free mobile application shows how easy it is to prepare a flawless, moist and delicious turkey with an exclusive 2-Hour Turkey Recipe. In addition to step-by-step instructions on how to prepare, cook and carve a turkey, the application features four custom timers and reminders to ensure steps aren’t missed.

Combined with their Holiday Inspirations website and the “Chef Assistant” Mobile App, Safeway provides inspiring solutions to help with holiday menus, events but more importantly their Mobile App. What a way to be connected with their customers even when the stores are closed over the holidays. How many times do you think people will be mentioning the word “Safeway”. What a brilliant way of name branding.

The Chef Assistant app is available for free in Apple‚ App Store.

Mobile cooker

The app is aimed at moms and families who are looking for tips on cooking holiday meals.
Using the app, users can view step-by-step directions on how to cook a turkey in two hours.
Consumers can view tools inside the app to find the perfect cooking time for their turkey based on its weight.
The app also includes a three-minute video demonstration that walks users through the process of preparing a turkey meal.
Food lovers can also watch a video on how to carve a turkey.
To cater to Safeway‚ target demographic of savvy moms, the app aims to make meal preparation simple with four ingredients.
In order to move forward through each step, users must indicate that they have completed a step by tapping.
Consumers can also set a virtual timer to cook their turkey with voice reminders.
The app also features a section with commonly-asked questions about cooking a turkey.
For example, one of the questions is, should I not stuff the turkey before cooking?‚
In addition to cooking content, the app is branded with Safeway and its other owned grocery chains.
Safeway has also rolled out a mobile Web site that is holiday-themed with tips for entertaining and cooking during the holiday season.
Users can access the mobile site at mobile.safeway.com for recipes and receive tips from Safeway chefs Jeff Anderson and Debi Lilly.

Mobile Grocery Store

With the holidays quickly approaching, many grocery stores are rolling out mobile initiatives similar to Safeway. For Safeway, the special-edition app is a unique decision because it focuses on Safeway, consumers but does not offer any in-store features, such as a location finder or store deals. However, their mobile site features a location finder, deals and links to follow the grocer’s social media links, which are all important features for a mobile site to have. They created the Safeway Chef Assistant mobile app to help there customers spend less time cooking and more time with their family and friends jsut like their survey showed.

Cheryl’s Final Take

I think this is an amazing App for a grocery store. In September 2011, Safeway surveyed 525 women who have hosted or are planning to host a holiday party via online provider, Zoomerang. Given that 40 percent of the women surveyed said their biggest holiday stress is accomplishing everything that needs to be completed within budget, Safeway delivered affordable solution….FREE App. It is all about the customer and not about them, but yet, their name (Safeway) will be in front of millions of people all around the world even when their door closes for the holidays. What a great branding idea! Many grocery stores may want to model this type of Mobile Marketing strategy for their business.

Safeway Inc. is a Fortune 100 company and one of the largest food and drug retailers in North America, based on sales. The company operates 1,694 stores in the United States and western Canada and had annual sales of $41.1 billion in 2010. The company’s common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol SWY.

If you are thinking in developing an App for your business or you are considering implementing Mobile and Local Marketing strategies and tactics for your business, please visit our website at http://www.cheryllynninternational.com. We look forward to working with you and your business! 905.981.8761

Categories : Branding, Mobile App, Mobile Marketing

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Nov

Gap Stores Are Using Google Wallet Payments

By Cheryl Lynn · Comments (2)

Google Nexus S 4G

If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, Google Wallet platform has arrived at the Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic stores just in time for holiday shopping. It is predicted by 2015 that many will refer to our current wallets as the “Old” wallet payment method of buying items in stores. Though the technology is years away from becoming mainstream, Google has enlisted a number of major retailers, including Toys “R” Us, Macy’s, OfficeMax and Bloomingdale’s as partners also.

To sweeten the deal, the clothier has partnered with Google and will offer 15% off purchases through February 2012 for using the technology. Shoppers can also find and redeem promotions while in-store. Customers who don’t have Google Wallet can use MasterCard’s PayPass. Google Wallet payment methods can be used on only Sprint Nexus S 4G phones and Google’s new flagship device.

Customers love the convenience of smartphones from finding stores to browsing products, to actually transacting. Google is making it easier for consumers to shop using their devices they love.

Click here to read more…..

Categories : Google, Google Wallet, Mobile Marketing

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Nov

Black Friday Shoppers – Receive Rewards For “Checking In” Locally!

By Cheryl Lynn · Comments (0)

Shopkick Mobile App

2012 Will be the year of mobile-local retail. However, during the upcoming 2011 holiday season consumers should be aware of a NEW and fun Mobile App that rewards consumers for “checking in” locally. The company is called Shopkick. They have partnered with major retailers across the US and consumers are rewarded for “checking in” locally. Yes, I said the US. I tried to download the Mobile App here in Canada and thanks to “GeoTargetting” the App would not even load. Matter of fact I got a message saying, “This App is not available in your area.” Chucks! So I share this exciting Mobile App with my US friends.

For the US local business this is a great idea for you to increase business during this upcoming holiday season 2011. At the same time it is really fun and rewarding for the consumer. We are headed to a world of what I call “Experience Shopping”. It is all about the experience you are giving to your potential and existing clients. Mobile is fun and sexy! Give a consumer an option to have fun and scan an item with their Mobile phone to receive points on a product purchased? You will have a greater chance of winning their business and at the same time a continued loyal customer. I believe this type of experience will certainly reduce shoppers researching other competition while shopping in a store. Mobile phones are the craze these days. I see people tripping over thresholds while entering a store because they have their heads down texting on their Mobile phones.

Jeff Schumacher, Chief Marketing Officer of Sports Authority said, “We had 50% to 70% more shoppers walk into the store when we increased the rewards for walking in with Shopkick.”

“Shopkick is like store bricks on steroids.” says Martine Reardon, EVP Marketing and Advertising, Macy’s

I am not a fan of local business owners investing in Groupons. Groupons attract one time buyers and I like to see consumers coming back over and over again. Groupons depend so much on up-selling that the local business owner better have their staff taking a salesmanship course. And, at the same time Groupons are SO expensive for a local business. Shopkick has created a fabulous concept to bring the consumer back while offering them great savings on their Mobile phone. This is a great strategy for a local business in driving more foot traffic to their front door as I explain in my new ebook “Mobile Mastery 2 Millions”. This is how I always think when working with my clients.

Yes for my friends in the US this is an awesome Mobile App! Hopefully Shopkick will increase their market to Canada because in 2012 it is going to be imparative that all local business bring Mobile and Local Internet Marketing strategies into their business to increase sales and drive foot traffic. Mobile is not going away, it is here to stay.

Aaron Emigh of Shopkick tells us how consumers are using their devices in stores.

Categories : Local Business, Mobile App, Mobile Marketing

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Aug

Facebook Launches Mobile Messaging App – Go Chat!

By Cheryl Lynn · Comments (0)

Tuesday afternoon Facebook introduced their app for mobile phones that acts as a standalone group chat client for mobile operating systems. The app, now live for download, expands the chat features in Facebook’s existing mobile appto include features like location-sharing, mobile photo-sharing, and — most importantly — instant messaging to friends or groups on Facebook. The app is already available for Android and Blackberry phones along with the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad (although the app is not yet optimized for the iPad’s larger screen.. I downloaded this app on my Android mobile phone. I did all the log in stuff and it works pretty cool. Although I don’t chat a whole lot I probably won’t use it that much so I can see deleting it to save some space on my mobile phone. But it is a good app it you like to chat. Price is free but there is a paid version for $4.21 (CDN)

This new Facebook “Go Chat”shows you a clear overview of your friends in the chat, making it easy to chat with multiple friends without getting confused. Go! Chat Facebook is a very feature rich application that is actively developed further, which is always good news for the user. It’s already very popular and widely used among many android phone users.

Some of its features include leaving voice messages, automated away messages, the use of smileys, sharing photos etc. Great app if you’re a facebook user.

FEATURES: chat via facebook, share photos, leave voice messages, easy and secure login, use favorites and much more

Official page for Go! Chat Facebook app

Scan barcode to download

(how can I use my android phone to scan barcode and download?)

Facebook purchased messaging firm Beluga back in March which Beluga team members have had a hand in the app’s creation. The timing of the release along with its features seems like a fairly direct response to Google+ and its huddles feature that also lets you instantly chat with friends.

Facebook has repeatedly denied that the flurry of recent announcements from the social networking giant and the company’s chat releases, like video calling in partnership with Skype were a response to Google‘s new social network, but the parallels are hard to ignore. With Google+ growing to more than 25 million users in just a little over a month, it’s hard to imagine that Facebook isn’t at least a little threatened.

Google+ released an update to its own app earlier this week that brought increased functionality for the nascent social network’s own chat services along with iPad compatibility.

Categories : Google, Mobile Marketing, Social Media

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Aug

QR Codes Used to Find Missing Persons

By Cheryl Lynn · Comments (1)

This is one of the reason I love what I do. Mobile and Local Internet Marketing is my passion. I love to help entrepreneurs with their QR code strategies. But this is even better…QR codes used for finding missing children? WOW! While QR codes have been used in countless marketing and social media campaigns, did you know that they are also being used to find missing persons?

Stephen Watkins, a Canadian father searching for his two missing sons, suggested the idea to add QR codes to missing children posters in order to assist police and passersby in finding them.

Another father, Henry Da Massa is still hopefully that he will find his daughter, Pearl, and has also been using QR codes. “It just bridges that gap between someone seeing something and having to make a mental note to look it up later,” said Da Massa.

In addition to parents of missing children, the Toronto Police have also been using QR codes on missing persons posters. “These new smartphones, that’s the basis of a lot of the newer generation communication and we need to reach everybody” said Const. Wendy Drummond, Toronto Police Services.

Using QR code technology to get the word out reaches a much wider audience than in the former days of the milk carton, and also allows for the inclusion of more photos of the missing person.

Do you think QR codes will help in finding missing persons? Let us know by commenting below, or on our Facebook or Twitter pages.

Categories : Mobile Marketing, QR Code, SEO, Social Media

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Aug

Small Businesses Using QR Codes to Engage Customers

By Cheryl Lynn · Comments (0)

Mobi Highlights With Case Study: Taranta

What’s black and white and read all over? Five years ago the answer was a newspaper, but times have changed. Now the answer is…a QR code.

In its simplest definition, a QR code is a two-dimensional barcode. QR stands for “quick response” and while it might look like a black and white kaleidoscope from the 1980s, the codes hold practical business purposes and are popping up all over the place.

With the help of a smartphone or iPad, consumers can download a free app that enables them to scan the barcode, which directs them to a website or webpage of the business, product or service.

Rather than bombarding the viewer with too much info, a QR serves as a quick link to viewers/customers interested in learning more about a business, product or service.

Already immensely popular in Japan, South Korea and other parts of Asia, QR codes are starting to gain momentum in the US and Canada.

Indeed, they are popping up everywhere from e-mail signatures and business cardsto “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” and even gravestones.

When a QR code is placed in a storefront’s window, shoppers can simply scan the code and instantly learn more about the designers featured in the window display or available inventory. In this sense, QR codes help bring offline customers online. QR codes can help improve your sales. Have a printed QR code on offline advertising material and offer your customers a compelling offer of your product or service.

Case Study: Taranta

In 2000, Taranta opened as a southern Italian restaurant. Four years later Chef and Owner Jose Duarte discovered he wasn’t alone: there were more than 250 Italian restaurants within his two-mile radius. Knowing he needed to make his restaurant stand out in a saturated market, he decided to marry Peruvian cuisine with Italian technique.

Duarte found his inspiration for QR codes six years ago at a conference in Madrid when he saw Japanese chef Seiji Yamamoto using a generic edible code linking to a recipe. Duarte wanted to replicate it, but he had to wait until January 2011 for the device to be ready for the U.S. A customized QR code was designed for Taranta with the shape of a fish on it (as seen above).

Taranta also has rubber stamp QR codes and silk screen QR codes on fish orders so customers can scan the code on the plate to find out where and when the fish was caught, by whom and when it was delivered to the restaurant. Duarte didn’t stop there in his self-proclaimed “code madness” – he even created a branding iron to stamp a corn tortilla with a QR.

QR codes aren’t the only new media Taranta uses; six years ago Duarte started a blog and he’s also on Facebook and Twitter.

Duarte said Mobile technology is an important way of connecting with foodies. “Mobile technology is growing very fast. We want to be ahead.”

But while Duarte offers his patrons shiny new toys, he’s a proponent of old-fashioned table manners. “I’m not intending to have my customers scan codes during dinner. I consider the use of Mobile devices during dinner very distracting and impolite.”

Primarily, Duarte intends the codes to be used in demos, classes or with customers interested in food sourcing. Plus, tracking the fish also serves an internal sourcing purpose for Taranta.

Duarte plans to also start posting the QR code outside of the restaurant to create coupons or promotions to increase business. “We are at the experimental stages but through our QR codes and website, our customers can seamlessly navigate our menu, make reservations, find out specials, coupons…they can even pay ahead for a glass of wine at dinner.”

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My recommendation is you have a name for your small business. You set up a Web site and Hosting on your own so you own this internet real estate. You set up an autoresponder to capture online clients which is a great source of increasing client base. You start an email campaign. You start blogging and referring customers to your website for purchasing so you are seeing profits from it. What’s next? You could set up a profile page on a social networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn. These social sites allow you to virtually shout your company’s message from a technological rooftop.

If you require assistance in helping your business getting this setup please visit our list of services. You may also fill out the Contact form, write us an email. Wishing your business much success!

Categories : Branding, Mobile Marketing, QR Code, Social Media

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Aug

Add QR Codes to Headstones

By Cheryl Lynn · Comments (0)

In a blog post April 2011 I wrote how people where tattooing QR codes on their bodies. QR codes are so versatile which can be used even in the saddest time of our lives…the loss of a loved one. This past weekend I read an article about a company in Seattle, Washington designing and carving quality custom headstones, memorials and monuments with QR codes on them. Headstones will always be placed at the memorial place of resting for our loved ones. But thanks to the ever changing world of Mobile who would have ever thought of a QR-tagged gravestone. Now amidst the zeitgeist of smartphones, iPads and the Internet (and social media specifically) QR codes are a very real part of memorialization. This is a great idea to remember your love one’s story in stone to help families express their love, preserve their family heritage and work through the grieving process.

With this modern age of Mobile Marketing today, a person can take a picture of a QR code embedded on one’s headstone and sent it to a love one in another part of the world or leave their condolences right on their own website. Below I share with you a youtube video of just how amazing this QR process is. To learn more about our services please CLICK here or you can simply fill out a CONTACT sheet or reach us by cell phone at 905.981.8761. We would love to help you save your client or love one’s story in stone.

Categories : Mobile Marketing, QR Code

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Apple Revamps The Textbook – iBook 2 Is Now Available

How Are Smartphones Being Used?

SMS Marketing Case Study – Retail

Safeway Helping Customers Cook Their Turkeys With A Mobile App!

Gap Stores Are Using Google Wallet Payments

Black Friday Shoppers – Receive Rewards For “Checking In” Locally!

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