blog

blog http://hivesms.com.au/blog/ Countries With The Highest Smartphone Penetration http://hivesms.com.au/blog/countries-with-the-highest-smartphone-penetration/ It's no surprise that smartphones are taking over the world, but some countries are slower to catch on that others.
Mashable recently put out a graphic displaying the top 15 countires with the highest smartphone penetration.
The United Arab Emeritaes topped the list with 73.8%, followed by South Korea and Saudi Arabia. 
There were however a few surprises in the mix, with Australia ranking number six and American down at number thirteen.
Chart Sourced from <a title="Statista Charts" href="http://www.statista.com/topics/840/smartphones/chart/1405/the-united-states-ranks-13th-in-smartphone-penetration/" target="_blank">Statista</a>
<img class="leftAlone" src="http://hivesms.com.au/assets/_resampled/resizedimage600563-Smartphone-penetration.jpg" width="600" height="563" alt="" title=""/>
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Wed, 28 Aug 2013 15:23:14 +1000 http://hivesms.com.au/blog/countries-with-the-highest-smartphone-penetration/ How To Use SMS Marketing Without Being Annoying http://hivesms.com.au/blog/how-to-use-sms-marketing-without-being-annoying/ With a 98% open rate, SMS marketing is an extremely effective but intrusive form of marketing. You want to make sure that your communication is considered helpful or insightful, and your not just sending messages because you've received a new shipment of black socks.
By providing the user with useful information, not only will you strengthen your relationships with them, but help to create positive brand associations and stay top of their mind.
Our top tips are:
 
<ul><li>Keep it short</li>
<li>Send at a relevant time</li>
<li>Don't use text lingo or capitals</li>
<li>Remember to always include your call to action.</li>
</ul> Fri, 16 Aug 2013 16:33:30 +1000 http://hivesms.com.au/blog/how-to-use-sms-marketing-without-being-annoying/ How To Keep Your Customers Engaged with SMS Marketing http://hivesms.com.au/blog/how-to-keep-your-customers-engaged-with-sms-marketing/ Launching an SMS marketing campaign may be easy, but keeping your audience engaged is a different story. Here are 4 quick ways to keep your audience engaged and on your SMS marketing list.
<h5>1) Monitor Text Message Frequency</h5>
Although SMS marketing is exciting, it can very easily be overused. Consider the appropriate timing of your SMS marketing for your audience. Daily, hourly or repetitive specials will not only taint your brands reputation, but becoming annoying in the eyes of your consumer.
 
<h5>2) Be Aware of Your Tone of Voice &amp; Content</h5>
We’ve all heard the saying that it’s not just what you say, but how you say it, and it’s even more relevant through SMS. With expression in our tone of voice, it is very easy for a message to be miscommunicated. To avoid coming across rude, abrupt or offensive, be sure to read your messages out load and have another person read over it before sending.
Equally as important is the quality of your content. Does it have meaning for the customer? Is it valuable? Be sure to consider your customer at all times and offer something useful to them.
 
<h5>3) Offer Incentives</h5>
Promotions and incentives play a major role in SMS marketing campaigns as you are giving the customer a reason to come into your store. However, like any other promotion, if the incentive is not of value to the customer, it will not be effective. What can you offer that your customers will actually find valuable? Be sure to track each offer so you know what appeals to your audience.
 
<h5>4) Offer a Great Overarching Brand Experience</h5>
Even if your SMS marketing is near perfect, if your audience are not having a consistently positive brand experience across all channels, they are likely to opt-out. If you know where the weak link in your brand experience is, fix the problem as soon as possible. When customers see you actively responding to issues, you will strengthen your relationship.
 Mon, 05 Aug 2013 14:51:41 +1000 http://hivesms.com.au/blog/how-to-keep-your-customers-engaged-with-sms-marketing/ What is Flash SMS? http://hivesms.com.au/blog/what-is-flash-sms/ Ever wanted to send a text message that you KNOW will be read by the recipient? Well now you can. Introducing Flash SMS.
It's been around for a while, but not many people are aware of its capabilities. A flash SMS is a text message that appears directly on the main screen of recipients mobile phone, without the need for them to open the message. The message only disappears when the recipient hits the dismiss button, and will not appear in their inbox.
Best used to deliver messages you don't want your customer to miss, a Flash SMS is a great new way of being able to deliver a message without leaving a trace. Wed, 27 Feb 2013 16:03:32 +1100 http://hivesms.com.au/blog/what-is-flash-sms/ When To Send Your SMS Campaign http://hivesms.com.au/blog/when-to-send-your-sms-campaign/ Knowing when to send your SMS marketing campaign can be tricky, as you want to try and catch people during their most active phone usage hours. But not to worry, a recent study by <a title="Zokem Analytics" href="http://www.zokem.com/" target="_blank">Zokem</a>, shows us that most active phone usage occurs in the evening between 4 and 6pm.
It is important however, that before sending a campaign, you ask yourself who your customers are, what are they likely to be doing at that time and what type of message are you sending. If you're targeting mothers for example, between 4 and 6pm may be there busiest time. None the less, this graphic is definitely worth considering before sending out your next SMS campaign.
<img class="leftAlone" src="http://hivesms.com.au/assets/_resampled/resizedimage600300-Smartphone-use.png" width="600" height="300" alt="" title=""/> Thu, 24 Jan 2013 14:37:18 +1100 http://hivesms.com.au/blog/when-to-send-your-sms-campaign/ SMS Turns 20! http://hivesms.com.au/blog/sms-turns-20/ The first SMS was sent in 1992 by Neil Papworth. He sent the message “Merry Christmas” from his personal computer to his friend Richard Jarvis' Orbitel 901 handset over the Vodafone GSM network.
The text message was first commercially deployed a year later, in 1993. Although it seemed like a slow start at first, SMS is now one of the most popular forms of communication.
<h4>Happy Birthday SMS!</h4> Mon, 03 Dec 2012 16:44:27 +1100 http://hivesms.com.au/blog/sms-turns-20/ SMS Isn't Going Anywhere http://hivesms.com.au/blog/sms-isnt-going-anywhere/ With the rapid rate of technology evolving further and further we are seeing a mass of new marketing channels appearing. Changes in technology make it hard for businesses to keep up with the latest marketing trend.
Take social media for example, is it worth investing your time and money into? Well, who really knows how long it will be around for and how it will evolve. We have already seen Facebook impose changes to <a title="Facebook brand pages go to timeline" href="http://www.one1onemarketing.com.au/blog/facebook-brand-pages-go-to-timeline/" target="_blank">brand pages</a> and 'strongly encourage' paid advertising.
One thing we can be sure of is that mobile phones are here to stay for at least another 5-10 years. With all the new technologies emerging, we are still not seeing anything that will replace the mobile phone. Yes, mobile phones have been <a title="iPhone 5 Release" href="http://hivesms.com.au/[sitetree_link id=79]" target="_blank">constantly updated</a> with enhanced smart phone functionality, but they can still do the basics of SMS and making phone calls.
SMS is a safe investment as a key marketing channel for your business. Wed, 31 Oct 2012 17:31:08 +1100 http://hivesms.com.au/blog/sms-isnt-going-anywhere/ Web SMS as a Branding Tool http://hivesms.com.au/blog/web-sms-as-a-branding-tool/ You may not have thought of SMS as a branding tool before, but its probably something you should consider. Brand awareness is about keeping your brand in your customers and potential customers minds.
Sending an SMS with an update or promotion is not only an effective way of promoting your product or service offering, it's also another way to increase your brand awareness. They may not purchase straight away, but your brand will have come up as the sender of the message. Wed, 24 Oct 2012 18:29:44 +1100 http://hivesms.com.au/blog/web-sms-as-a-branding-tool/ Web SMS and Mobile Websites http://hivesms.com.au/blog/web-sms-and-mobile-websites/ <h3>Web SMS + Mobile Website = A match made in heaven?</h3>
There is exponential growth in smart phone usage, specifically accessing the web and it’s showing no signs of slowing down any time soon. Businesses should be taking full advantage of this trend and taking their business to where the consumers are.
There is now a great chance to run marketing campaigns with the combination of <a title="What is web SMS?" href="http://hivesms.com.au/[sitetree_link id=69]">web SMS</a> and a great <a title="Mobile Website Design" href="http://www.hivewebstudio.com.au/services/website-development/mobile-websites/" target="_blank">mobile website</a>.
Let me explain with a quick example:
You send a message out to your audience telling them that its '50% off all products' in your online store until the end of the month. At the end of the message you have a URL (shortened and tracking software applied of course) directing them to where they can purchase.
So, of course to get the maximum effectiveness out of this campaign – make it easy for them to purchase! How do you do this? Well, with a mobile version of your website of course! Consumers will most likely leave if they click the link on their mobile device and are presented with a ‘mini-website’, which they have to pinch and squint to see.
Don’t wait for you customers to come to you, go to where they are and make it easy for them. Wed, 10 Oct 2012 17:12:35 +1100 http://hivesms.com.au/blog/web-sms-and-mobile-websites/ Apple sold more than five million iPhone 5's in the first three days http://hivesms.com.au/blog/apple-sold-more-than-five-million-iphone-5-s-in-the-first-three-days/ We live in an amazing time when we see this kind of demand for the latest smart phone. This truly shows how attached consumers have become to their smart phone devices and the massive brand power of Apple. These new figures have smashed the iPhone 4S figures from last year by well over a million units and thats not even counting the others now on back order.
An <a title="Read the full article" href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/wall-street-journal/apple-sells-five-million-iphone-5s-sold-in-three-days/story-fnay3ubk-1226480731507" target="_blank">article</a> in The Australian reported "Apple plans to roll out the newest iPhone on its most aggressive launch schedule ever. The nine countries selling the device will grow by 22 on Friday, and the company plans to offer the handset in more than 100 countries by the end of the year."
 Wed, 26 Sep 2012 16:37:40 +1000 http://hivesms.com.au/blog/apple-sold-more-than-five-million-iphone-5-s-in-the-first-three-days/ The saturation of Smart Phones http://hivesms.com.au/blog/the-saturation-of-smart-phones/ Check out this awesome info-graphic, outlining that huge saturation of smart phones in the market. We are excited to see this market evolve even more than it currently has and open more possibilities for communication with your audience.
<img class="left" src="http://hivesms.com.au/assets/_resampled/resizedimage8503017-100MillionClub2011.jpg" width="850" height="3017" alt="" title=""/> Wed, 21 Mar 2012 23:42:02 +1100 http://hivesms.com.au/blog/the-saturation-of-smart-phones/ The Importance of Building Relationships http://hivesms.com.au/blog/the-importance-of-building-relationships/ <h3>How can SMS help your business?</h3>
<ul><li>Build relationships and your reputation</li>
<li>Build trust with your clients</li>
<li>Be reliable and efficient</li>
<li>Be an industry leader</li>
</ul>Clients will appreciate your forward thinking in how you can save their time. if you can send a simple text instead of making a 5 minute call, you could gain a lot of respect from your clients. In the current market, consumers greatly appreciate the personal touch of a reminder or thank you message.
Increase your Brand Awareness
One of the most important factors of branding is keeping in the front of peoples minds at all times. This can be achieved with SMS by broadcasting important updates such as an upcoming special on your product or opening hours over the holiday period. Wed, 23 Feb 2011 08:39:40 +1100 http://hivesms.com.au/blog/the-importance-of-building-relationships/ Multi-channel marketing for the retail sector http://hivesms.com.au/blog/multi-channel-marketing-for-the-retail-sector/ Just thought we would share an interesting article about some new research that has come out on consumer interaction with retailers through multi-channel marketing such as SMS.
“According to the study social media, SMS and iPhone applications are among the most popular ways retailers communicate with consumers – 68% of Australians have registered to receive emails from retailers and 19% opt into communications via SMS.” – Marketing Magazine
As consumers begin to adapt to new technologies and rich content marketers will need to adapt to as well to provide new and interesting ways for the consumer to interact with business...just having a website is no longer enough, multi-channel marketing is becoming the new norm to capture consumer’s attention and initiate action.
Read the full article at <a title="Link you Marketing Magazine website to view article" href="http://www.marketingmag.com.au/news/view/consumers-go-multi-channel-for-retail-2238" target="_blank">Marketing Magazine</a> Thu, 16 Dec 2010 10:43:37 +1100 http://hivesms.com.au/blog/multi-channel-marketing-for-the-retail-sector/ A look into the future of SMS marketing http://hivesms.com.au/blog/a-look-into-the-future-of-sms-marketing/ After reading an interesting article by Michaela Cristallo, Marketing Manager at <a href="http://blog.involvemobile.com/">InvolveMobile</a> a few ideas began to spring to mind about the future of SMS marketing.
In current society it has become hard to find someone who does not have a mobile phone and most of these phones are SMS capable. So what does this tell us? There is a huge potential reach not being utilised compared to current marketing mediums. In addition to the advantage in reach and near instant delivery of SMS marketing, it is also extremely cost effective. This created an advantage for small business with a minimal budget or big business with a large customer base.
As society moves forward with the adoption of SMS marketing now being implemented by banks, transportation and government services customers will become far more responsive to interacting with businesses via SMS. It seems we may only be in the early stages of SMS marketing becoming a widely used marketing communications channel.
For more read the Michaela’s full post at <a href="http://technokitten.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-future-for-sms.html#links">Technokitten</a> Tue, 14 Dec 2010 15:37:53 +1100 http://hivesms.com.au/blog/a-look-into-the-future-of-sms-marketing/ Follow the Spam Act or pay the price http://hivesms.com.au/blog/follow-the-spam-act-or-pay-the-price/ Here is a case study showing the consequences of sending out spam SMS. Make sure anyone you are sending an SMS to has giving you consent to do so or you could find yourself in a lot of trouble.
"Take a hint from your PC and reboot. You'll work faster. Reclaim your lunch hour with a friend. Escape with a Coca-Cola lunch break."
This little message turned out costing a lot more than they initially thought it would…
Vodafone Hutchinson Australia (VHA) paid $110,000 to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) for sending 100,000 unsolicited SMS messages on two occasions.
Read the full article at <a title="Link you Marketing Magazine website to view article" href="http://www.marketingmag.com.au/news/view/coke-s-spampaign-costs-suppliers-110-000-1725" target="_blank">Marketing Magazine</a> Sat, 11 Dec 2010 12:16:33 +1100 http://hivesms.com.au/blog/follow-the-spam-act-or-pay-the-price/