Mobile advertising - South Africa remains on top

South Africa is one country which is light years ahead of other countries when it comes to mobile advertising. It is considered the hottest market right now and the numbers speak for themselves. The average response rate for mobile advertising campaigns in South Africa is anywhere from 10% to 25%, which is nothing short of amazing.

The latest success story, MXit, proves it once again. MXit is a mobile social networking site which is as popular as Facebook in South Africa. With a subscriber base of over 7 million, the company is a dream for mobile advertisers. A huge number of mobile advertisers are interested in working with MXit as the response rates are really high.

This is not just a one-off story. Mobile phone is considered the hottest advertising medium in South Africa today and it is predicted that mobile advertising will be worth way over R1.5 billion in the next three years.

In case you’re wondering how it’s possible, let me explain.

1. Mobile advertising is cost effective. It’s way cheaper than traditional advertising methods like TV, magazines, or radio. And it delivers tremendous results.

2. You can create a mobile advertising campaign and launch it within a week’s time. And you can see the results in a day or two. This is simply unimaginable in the case of traditional advertising.

3. Most importantly, South African mobile users are prolific when it comes to mobile web. A majority of mobile users use mobile internet very regularly and this helps mobile advertisers create interactive mobile advertising campaigns to reach out to them.

Already, South African students have mobile advertising as part of their syllabus, in case you don’t know. It can only mean one thing and that is the next generation will be even more receptive to mobile advertising. Interesting, don’t you think?

Categories: Cell Phone Advertising.

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And the number of mobile social networks keeps on growing

If you thought social networking was a huge phenomenon, wait till you see the next generation of social networking – mobile social networking. Social networking has gone mobile big time and a healthy number of mobile users regularly visit social networking sites from their mobile phone.

Social networking giants like MySpace, Facebook, and Friendster have realized the enormous potential of mobile social networking and have released the mobile versions of their sites. However, the story doesn’t end there. In fact, it just begins there. Plenty of companies have started mobile social networks which have become tremendously popular with people.

First it started off as a new phenomenon and when mobile users showed great interest in them, mobile social networking sites became hugely popular. As a result, we now have a big list of mobile social networking sites and most importantly, the list keeps on growing. Check out a detailed list of mobile social networks here.

Categories: Mobile Social Networking.

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Friendster releases mobile site in Philippines

Friendster, the famous social networking site, has released its mobile site in the Philippines. If you are a Filipino, you’ll now be able to access Friendster right in your mobile phone.

The Philippines has long been Friendster’s territory. Such is the overwhelming popularity of the site that over 94% of internet users in Philippines have a Friendster account. So, after becoming the market leader in the country, it’s only a natural progression for Friendster to get into the mobile phone. Especially, with mobile social networking being the buzz word now, Friendster has decided to join the party to grab its market share.

If you are a member of Friendster, you’ll be able to access the site in your internet enabled mobile phone. However, if you are not a user, you cannot open an account in Friendster through your mobile phone. But Friendster authorities have said that they are working on it and soon people will be able to open an account via their mobile phone.

I think Friendster has made the right move at the right time. At a time when mobile social networking is on the rise, this move can be very fruitful for Friendster. Especially, its undisputed dominance in the Asian market will help it grab its market share in the mobile market also.

Categories: All things mobile phones, Mobile Social Networking.

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Pringo partners with NINJA Mobile

Pringo, the social networking solutions provider, has joined hands with NINJA Mobile, a mobile advertising specialist, to make its applications more appealing to mobile users by introducing new features.

From now on, mobile users will be able to access websites built on Pringo’s platform better than ever. They will be able to view content, post new content, and share their favorite content on the go with their friends through their mobile phones. Also, advertisers will now be able to send targeted, relevant ads, including video content, to users through the social networking sites built on Pringo’s platform.

This, in my opinion, benefits all three parties involved in the equation. First, the website owner will be able to monetize his site better, advertisers will be able to reach their target customer base better, and the end user will find it easier to access social networking sites from his mobile phone.

Mobile social networking is making its presence felt fast and companies like Pringo have realized its importance and started working on it. If you remember, Pringo signed a similar deal with a mobile marketing firm called Mozes some time back.

Categories: Cell Phone Advertising, All things mobile phones, Mobile Social Networking.

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Mobile social networking made simple - MoDazzle

If you are someone who travels a lot, keeping in touch with your friends through social networking sites can be tougher. After all, you can’t expect an internet kiosk wherever you go or even if you carry a laptop, you can’t expect to be in a Wi-Fi zone all the time. The result is – a mobile service which allows you to check out social networking sites right in your mobile phone.

MoDazzle is a company which specializes in building mobile services which offer value to the users. With MoDazzle, you can access sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, Salesforce, and other online sources. Also, you can get weather updates, stock news, news updates, and so on. While I was going through their site, two services stood out from the rest.

Firstly, restaurant reviews. I really think this might be useful for a lot of people. You are in an unfamiliar area and want to find out a good restaurant to dine. Pick up your mobile phone and mention the kind of cuisine you want and the area you are in and text it to 22553. You’ll get a text message in return with all the details about the restaurant you want.

The second one, direction help. If you’re stuck somewhere and want to go somewhere, you can text the place where you want to go and the place you are in to 22553, you’ll get a reply which will show you the right direction to go to reach the place you want to go.

You can access this service in two ways – you can text whatever you want to 22553 and get a text message to help you, or you can access your mobile browser and send an email with your query to find out what you want.

On top of everything, it’s a free service. Need I say more? Go check it out and let me know what you guys feel.

Categories: Cell Phone Advertising, All things mobile phones, Mobile Social Networking.

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