SEO Werkt!

The next time you’re out in public, take a moment to notice how many people are using their mobile phones. Grocery store, train station, walking in the park. Two people sitting across from each other at a restaurant — both using their phones. On the freeway (yikes!)  And don’t forget those people who appear to be talking to themselves. They’re using an earbud, so they’re probably never off the phone.

Of course, all these people aren’t on a call. They’re texting and playing Words with Friends, and they’re looking for a place to have lunch, or a new pair of shoes.

A new report from the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) shows that 69% of mobile phone users never leave home without their trusty mobile companion. For many, it’s become an extension of their arm and there are days when even I wonder how I managed without one.

Check this out:

Tablets don’t get out much, but they have a good time at home. 68% of tablet owners say they use it for entertainment. This is a breakthrough area with streaming movies from sites like Netflix, new episodes of current TV shows on network hubs, and billions of YouTube videos just a swish and a poke away. Then there are the games, the books, the music, just browsing the web is more entertaining on a tablet.

But it’s not all fun and merriment. Almost half of those surveyed said that mobile devices make them more efficient. That’s a point I think many marketers are missing. Mobile is supposed to help you get things done faster and easier and folks don’t care if your brand name is at the top of the app, as long as it makes their life simpler.

Drop down two lines on the chart and marvel at this, more people said mobile helped them be more successful in their personal life than in their work life. I can’t begin to imagine what that’s all about. Thoughts?

The IAB report is loaded with interesting information, but let’s end with this; time of day.

Time of day also has a direct impact on how consumers use their mobile devices. For smartphone users, the three most impactful media moments of the day are:

Early Morning – When they first wake up, nearly 20 percent access social media

Midday – Almost a third (28%) cite “free time” windows during this time period that allow them to access media

Primetime Evening – Both general media and social media consumption spike during primetime TV viewing hours

Take a look at your social media posting. Knowing that the window is short, are you sending out your posts at the right time? You’re probably sending them during the day, but after 8:00 pm might be better, especially if you’re working with entertainment products. Marketing something that will help folks get through the day (lunch deals, office supplies, news) hit those early morning hours and start their day off right.

How do you feel about your mobile devices? Extension of your arm or a handy unit that you can take or leave?

Personal finance weblog The Simple Dollar has a post on social savings techniques. The big example he gave was shopping carefully for a new pair of shoes for his young daughter at an outlet store, finding a great pair for $12, then shopping at another store where another parent was planning on buying the same pair for $50. He told the parent about the shoes being at an 80% discount at the outlet store. Was this ethical? More »

First there was e-commerce, then Facebook or FB-commerce and now AdAge is predicting Tweet Commerce in the near future.

It truly is a wondrous world we live in.

As of this past December, Twitter’s biggest advertisers were able to customize their Twitter profile page, turning it into a brand page, thusly.

Pretty, but other than the ability to pin posts to the top and change the decor, it’s not that far away from everyone else’s profile page.

AdAge says that Twitter has big plans in the works, to expand brand pages into a full-featured content page. That means adding apps for contests, coupons and even. . . yes. . . e-commerce. You will be able to buy your next pair of Nike’s and then Tweet about the sweet deal without ever leaving the page.

I think that the concept of expanding Twitter brand pages is huge but there are a few issues. One, it doesn’t look like they’ll be available to anyone but big Twitter spenders. I suppose it could help push a fence sitter to go ahead and buy that Promoted Tweet package, but I think it would benefit Twitter across the board if they made it open to all businesses.

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The other side of this is that a large portion of people never go to Twitter to Tweet. They use HootSuite or TweetDeck, or apps on their phone. Would brand pages be seen? Would they encourage more people to visit Twitter? I’m not so sure.

In the end, Tweet Commerce is likely to end up like Facebook Commerce, with stores opening, then closing due to lack of interest. The whole point of Twitter is that it’s fast. It’s consumable in small chunks when you have two minutes to spare. How does that translate into shopping for a new pair of shoes?

I’m a big Twitter fan and I applaud their attempts to expand into something more than just a micro-blogging service. But Tweet Commerce is reaching.

What do you think?

Small shifts in income can have a big impact on American families, many of whom are living paycheck to paycheck. Unemployment, extended sick leave, declining sales in your own business are all reasons to stop and think about where the money is going.

But what if you earned a little more next year? Say, 10% more? What would you do with it? Nielsen asked this question in a survey and got some interesting answers. Though a quarter of respondents said they’d sock away some of it in a savings account, 29% wanted to spend it on travel or a vacation. Right behind that with 20% was recreation and entertainment.

When you reverse the process, oddly, the answers aren’t the same. Facing a 10% decrease in income, apparel was the top choice for cuts, followed by dining out and electronics. Guess baby’s not getting a new pair of shoes this month!

Take a look at the full chart below. If your business involves any of the items on the red side, be prepared to make bigger concessions this holiday season including price and shipping breaks. Also think about adding value with bonus items, or discounts on additional items purchased at the same time.

Yesterday, I was shopping at Hallmark and they almost got me to spend $50 over my original purchase plan thanks to their current Peanuts Holiday Band promotion. The toys sell for $30.00 but you can get them for only $15.00 with any purchase. Nice. But there are four characters in the band, one comes out each week. Each week requires a purchase to get the discount. The next thing you know you’ve spent $60 on the band and an additional $60 on items you wouldn’t have bought without the deal.

A small change in income makes a big difference and so does a small change in shopping cart totals. Find a way to give your customers 10% more and maybe you’ll have some extra cash for a vacation when the holiday rush is done.

Here’s the full charge from Nielsen.

If that fancy new pair of shoes is giving your feet a hard time, you can break them in quicker than usual with a bit of rubbing alcohol. More »