Daniel LaRusso

I was sent an email from someone (I'm still on their list somehow) about "the death of mobile marketing".

I'm not going to include the link, but if you're on this person's list, you may have gotten this email today. I'm also not bashing the person who sent the email, and I won't even give my own opinion about all of this right now, I just want to bring this to your attention, and hear your thoughts..

This guy claims that text marketing is dead, teenagers do not text anymore, mobile ads suck, blah blah blah.

He further claims that apps cost a minimum of $2,000 to develop, and further says that apps ACTUALLY cost $20,000+ to make (which is just not true).

Finally, he claims that only 6% of all mobile users have bought an item by physically clicking on their phone, and that 81% of people who have mobile phones actually have "dumb phones" (I assume he means the old flip phone type thing, no browser or apps, etc).

So, he claims, mobile marketing is dying.

Then, he claims he made $124,000 in a single month by putting affiliate links up, and getting people to CALL a number that is actually an affiliate phone number.

The end goal, of course, is to get on this guy's mailing list, where I'm sure he'll ultimately pitch a product.

OK, I can't resist. To me, the fatal flaw of this sales pitch is the person ASSUMES that mobile marketing is limited to affiliate links. Mobile is MUCH bigger than that. This guy is trying to contradict the research of Google, Morgan Stanley, and other respected names with his claims? Mobile marketing the way that he's spinning it, of course, does not make sense, BUT, there is a world of opportunity out there for people to build mobile websites for businesses, help businesses set up SMS marketing (which has proven positive results), and so many other things. And there is a host of other things to do - mobile marketing is very far from dead, as this guy claims.

It is unwise to trust all you read on the internet.
- Benjamin Franklin

GerryMedia

"____ is dead" is a common marketing line to sell some other method.

Like somebody selling a social media infoproduct would say SEO is dead.

Gerard Mohamed

Sounds like total hogwash to me, as mobile marketing is as alive as ever, at least on my side of the world. Earning $124K in 1 month is a bit far fetched.

Gerard.

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Quentin

I guess the only thing to do is unsubscribe.

Q

WillR

I would have thought getting people to call a number is still classified as mobile marketing. What a tool. He just made it quite obvious he doesn't know what he is talking about.

Unsubscribe!!!

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Always-A-Warrior

Yes indeed. That Death tactic is old. I believe it started with Mike Filsaime back some years ago but I'm not sure. I love you Mike.

Anybody can say whatever they want but just watch the Mobile Trends. It speaks for itself.

WillR

WOW. Who was doing Mike's graphics back in 2006. No wonder he thought his Internet Marketing business was going down the toilet!

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Mobileico

As they also say that Swing and Rock N' Roll is dead.

"My aim in design and UX is elegance, intelligence, functionality, and fun." - Wallace Morrison.
Desktop - Mobileico.com / Mobile - m.mobileico.com
Featured in Google's video about mobilizing, Mobile 1:35
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=Rzs5Iud20bk

Always-A-Warrior

Yup, I could do that with a black and red marker. lol

midasman09

A Pizzeria owner challenged me that he thought Cell Phone use was "dying" when I tried to sell him on one of my "Mobile Marketing" programs.

So...I challenged him by telling him...."I will pay for an Ad in the local Community College Newspaper saying; "FREE Slice of Pizza at Joe's Pizza Place! Just Text "Free Slice" to "555-1234" and show Coupon when ordering!"

Well....the Ad ran before Xmas break and....the guy was SWAMPED! In fact...I forgot to put an Expiration Date and kids got back from the break and he's STILL getting orders. They were lined up outside his shop on Tuesday when they returned to school....so...we had to change the Coupon to a "Cancellation Notice" when any texts came in.

Joe is a TRUE BELIEVER now!

Don Alm

johninmn

Sounds like he might be trying to do pay per call marketing, which will most likely be done on MOBILE phones.

mobile mobile mobile mobile etc....

HypeText

They say Elvis is dead...

Thank God Disco ACTUALLY is Dead...

Mobile isnt going anywhere...

moneymarker

well i didn't unsubscribe. I wanted to see the whole marketing process +techiniques he uses to get close to 2K FB fans... thought maybe i could pick a thing or 2 that i can use myself... and i did

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DGFletcher

That is brilliant BTW, can I use that as an example for my neighborhood? It's a campus town with 2 full blown Universities six miles from each other.

As far as 'dumb phones' go: I have a super-sturdy flip phone (my friend had the same model and ran over it with his car and it still works. My only gripe with it is a crappy camera) and it still gets used with 'mobile marketing'...

Just because it's a 'dumb phone' doesn't mean it's not going to have people using it. Cha Cha for example? Doesn't take much. ^ ^

dsouravs

Its not yet started yet and he talking about death.....lol

I can convert your Non-Responsive website to Responsive website ... How sweet is that? :)

HypeText

The whole point of Marketing is grabbing peoples attention...Seems he accomplished that...

Doesnt mean I condone his tactics...

xlfutur1

I got that same email and actually watched the whole video.

I thought it was pretty ridiculous to say that mobile is dead, texting, etc. What a stretch. the topic he talked about was click to call and yes, there is alot of opportunity there.

I just joined CJ's click to call program and I can see tons of potential. Especially if you take the same concept and turn it local. If you can generate calls for local businesses you could simply charge whatever you wanted to send those calls their way. No middle man.

I can see how local "click to call" campaigns could work like gangbusters for local businesses using a virtual local phone number from Twilio, along with a little app that greets the caller, captures the number, then send it on to the business owner. So much opportunity right now its ridiculous.

syncjam

Do you mean their Pay-Per-Call program?

YellowGreenMedia

LOL everything has been dead already, Adsense? dead... Internet marketing? dead, Autoblogging? dead, site flipping? dead, Ebay? dead, affiliate marketing? dead, offline marketing dead, mobile marketing taatdaaaaa DEAD!

You see a patron here?

None of these methods to make money mentioned above are dead but a so called "guru" will like you to belief it is so they can sell you their method which is still alive...

Like Quentin sad... get the **** of his/her list.

Royce Space

Mobile is not dead and never will be.

yveper

:confused:Thanks guys for all the info here, I also went through his videos but because I've been keeping away from mobile marketing I nearly believed him lol. Glad to hear its another marketing bow to add to my offline business .

Mary Wilhite

That's a great way to prove mobile marketing is alive.

Legacy3

Don

I've seen your posts in other threads and you always come up with ingenious ideas but you gotta give us more. How'd the guy keep from loosing his shirt? Was the offer contingent on another purchase? Or did he just use it as a lost leader to get new business? If so, did he recoup a profit?

How did you profit from the situation? What solution did you sell besides proving your point? And how much did you charge?

BTW, I completely agree that Mobile Marketing is far from dead! Thus the questions.

brandon_holcomb

just like the guys and gals that tell yah that facebook marketing is dead. Well facebook is still alive and very well traveled. I think the way that we are all used to marketing to our potential and even current customers has to or did change more for the traffic. I have noticed a big increase in regular joe smoe's looking for free stuff that respond 9 times out of 10 to free but yet when you ask them to make a legit purchase of a product forget it. I think that based on what I have experienced in the last 4 years or so is that if you do not start off your relationship with out building trust "giving knowledge away" and selling your product or service based on that trust then you are not going to make it. End of story. If you start off giving away your product or service then you are essentially giving away the farm. Seriously what is going to make your potential or new customer want to buy from you if you are giving it to them free???? Which I see that a lot in IM.

nickhumph

I agree that text messaging is dying. As a young person who is using apps and seeing trends that most of you don't use or see because they haven't reached you yet.

Many of my friends have smartphones and many of my friends use apps like WhatsApp and Viberr to stay in touch. They are some of the most popular apps on app stores. Facebook messenger has also just come in, so I can contact pretty much any person I know with that on my iphone.

Many phone companies are now throwing in deals with their phone bundles for free texts because they know too that it's dying (at least with my generation)

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Legacy3

I'd have to disagree with you on this point. Text messaging is not dying. No way! Not as long as it is an integral component of EVERY mobile phone whether it be smartphone or a "dumb" phone. Its ability to reach the masses is too great.

Now that's not to say that the tactics to sell SMS as a service and utilize it for our clients won't have to change or evolve but it is certainly not going away anytime soon. And it certainly won't be replaced by apps. Why? Because apps are too specialized (for local business).

I was recently on a webinar of a guy selling custom app development for local businesses. The buy in for the "white label" program was about a grand plus a monthly fee which the client had to pay him directly on a monthly basis. He was trying to pitch the app over a mobile website for businesses and the main point he used was that it enabled the business to use push messaging (as an SMS substitute) to market to the user base.

...Sounds like the best of both worlds but I passed! Why? Because it makes no sense! Where is the business use for a local business to have an app?

From a customer standpoint you are already working from a very limited (but growing) pool of smartphone users only and then you have to ask why a customer would want your individual app on their phone, taking up space, just to wait and hear from you (only). I'm sure there would be some takers but the response wouldn't be that great and you will have waisted your local business owners money with another shiny object. Plus I think business owners are smarter than that and will push back all the way on that idea particularly when you consider how much you will have to charge to make sense based on the "white label" fees.

I am a smartphone user and I love it but I'd be very reluctant about putting an app on my phone free or otherwise from a local business that had very limited functionality outside what ther website offered. I might look at it briefly out of curiosity but in short order I'd be hitting the delete button in preference for more space. And I certainly would install an app for each business on the block.

I believe the only way a local app might have a real chance is if you bundled businesses together in a directory of sorts (similar to the apps you mentioned above). But that's still a far cry from replacing SMS for each businesses individual marketing efforts.

Of course, that's not say you couldn't use an app in conjunction with the other mobile offline services (SMS, Mobile Websites, email lists?), I just don't see that as primary or ever taking over the mobile marketing space. And as a marketer we should all hope it doesn't...we need a vehicle to reach the masses no matter what platform they are on. As it stands, apps ain't it!

HypeText

I have to disagree with this as well. Text Message numbers have been climbing year after year with no hint of letting up.

Carriers don't bundle free Text Messaging in Plans because it's dying, they bundle it because it makes their packages more attractive because it's what consumers want.

Thats like saying Carriers are offering unlimited plans because cellphone usage is dying...and we all know that isnt true!

HypeText

I just watched that video....I found myself chuckling at the way the guy misrepresented the facts and cherry picked what he felt supported his viewpoints.

He uses HP as an example for Large corps that dont make use of the Mobile channel and quoted one of their Staff as saying they don't spend a dime on it.

HP isnt advertising via mobile? Surprise Surprise! They don't advertise on TV, Radio, or any other number of mediums.

How often does a consumer actually purchase a Computer? Not very often! so why would HP advertise that way? lol

HP has always stood in the background and let their Retailers do the advertising....they have have never been big on advertising to the end consumer.

I will admit his approach was slick, but his delivery EXTREMELY shady in my opinion!

Legacy3

I just saw the video too and if this is was what the OP was referring to, I'd have to agree with the video. In the context of Affiliate Marketing I'd pretty much have to agree that mobile marketing in its current state is a non-starter.

Just think, most of the buyers in the affiliate arena are people just like us. They are us. I doubt many of us access the Warrior Forum from our mobile phones on a regular basis. It's too research intensive and therefore an unpleasant experience on a miniature mobile device.

I do occasionally visit the WF and enjoy accessing my purchases from my iPad, that is, until I'm stopped by Producer who has decided to use flash videos. (Note to producers: flash shrinks your audience). I've even purchased a few WSO's from the iPad too because the screen size closely replicates that of desktop computer for web pages. I've never done any of that from my iPhone because the screen's too small.

Would there be any value in developing a campaign around a tablet computer? Probably. Because it wouldn't be much different than a desktop. But let's be clear, as popular as tablets have become they don't share the same ubiquity as mobile phones. It's hard to beat "everywhere all the time". Plus, people's usage habits on a mobile device are very different than desktop user (need vs read).

A main point that the video brought up was that people use their phones for local search as a replacement for the yellow pages. In THAT context, the local context, Mobile is alive and THRIVING and this is where we do completely agree.

I think this guy's course could be quite valuable because I've personally toyed with idea of combining mobile websites with sms and voice numbers into one campaign for local promotions. It may be in a similar manner to which the video alludes for local marketing. I just have find the right use case and someone willing to buy.