Pew Internet & American Life Project data suggest that consumption of mobile content shows significant variation among ethnic groups. Data shows that Blacks and Latinos are more likely to access the internet via a mobile device. Although 32% of all US consumers ages 18 and older have accessed the mobile Internet (up 8 points since 2007), usage by minorities climbed more quickly. By 2009, 29% of both blacks and Hispanics went online with a hand held device “on a typical day,” versus only 17% of whites.

“Black and Hispanic households are more likely to use a mobile phone as their primary phone, and have a lower rate of PCs and broadband than white households,” said Lisa E. Phillips, eMarketer senior analyst. “It makes sense that these groups access the Internet via a mobile device more often than whites.”

So what does this mean for the small business owner?

Well, if you your target market includes minorities, it is a good idea to explore mobile internet marketing as a means to reach your potential customers. There are multiple ways to achieve better access to your customers that primarily use mobile Internet.

• Email campaigns are great to communicate with potential customers. 16 % of Blacks and 23% of Latinos send and receive email via a mobile device. To have an effective email campaign you need to gather a list of email  addresses. Don’t want to get a reputation as a Spammer. To do this, offer a potential customer something free or at a discount, but require an email address to get the reward. Once you have gathered a nice sized list, send information about your products or services, but keep it to no more than once a week so you don’t irritate people by flooding their inboxes, especially on their mobile device.  Make your emails short and to the point and also make them text-only emails. Graphics take longer to load and they may display differently on different devices.

• 47 % of Blacks and 59% of Latinos send and receive text messages via a mobile device. Get customers that are willing or required to give their mobile phone number to give you permission to send them text messages about new deals or sales. You want to be sure to get the customers explicit permission for this because, depending the person’s individual mobile plan, they may be charged per text message. Costing a person extra money is a sure way to anger them and you lose a customer! If you do get permission, I would keep the communications to twice a month, unless your customer base seems receptive to more frequent text messages.

• Popular social networking sites (Twitter, Yuwie, etc.) have integrated mobile components. Many people get their social network sites to send updates and messages from their account directly to their mobile device. This is a great way to reach potential customers. Set up an account for your business and post things relevant to your industry, with the occasional ‘sale’ or ‘deal’ posting. Network on these sites and gain ‘friends’. The more ‘friends’ you have, the more people that will receive your updates. Be careful to remain professional on these sites, you should not talk as if you are using your personal accounts ! Avoid any offensive language and stay on topic.

• You also want to start making your web pages more mobile ready. This can be done in a variety of ways… here is a good starting point:

Get your website ready for the Mobile Web in 10 steps

High mobile usage among minorities is not limited to online content. Black and Hispanic mobile users were more likely than whites to participate in every mobile activity studied by Pew, including sending and receiving text messages, taking pictures, playing games and accessing e-mail.

It appears that mobile devices may be one of the ways in which the digital-divide is being closed. Minorities seem to gravitate to mobile devices for internet. It is not a surprise though, more minorities have cell phones than do PC’s, they are cheaper and mobile. As more and more activities and services are available on the internet the cell phone is a readily available conduit to the Internet and it is already in most people’s pocket.

]]> http://vbsinsight.visionsbiz-online.com/2009/08/minorities-access-mobile-content-more-often/feed/ 6 http://vbsinsight.visionsbiz-online.com/2009/06/bluetooth-uses/ http://vbsinsight.visionsbiz-online.com/2009/06/bluetooth-uses/#comments Mon, 15 Jun 2009 06:27:01 +0000 admin http://vbsinsight.visionsbiz-online.com/?p=244

Just about everyone has a cell phone these days, but many people really don’t understand all the capabilities of their personal tech. Most cell phone are Bluetooth enabled which allows your phone to perform some really convenient tasks.

If you are minimally observant I am sure that you have seen the Bluetooth headsets that a lot of people walk around with hanging on their ear. This is the most common use for the Bluetooth technology, but it can be useful in other ways.

What is Bluetooth?

Bluetooth is a low-power-consumption and short-range wireless technology for personal area networks (PANs). It has a max range of about 30 feet. It connects your personal electronic devices, such as laptops, mobile phones, digital cameras, audio equipments, and printers, without the clutter of cables or the need for direct sensor-to-sensor  data transmission, such as infra-red technology.

This technology is great for mobile devices  and is most often associated with mobile phones. Did you ever think of using it for:

1. Transferring contacts from one Bluetooth enabled phone to another. The contact is sent from one cell phone to another and is automatically saved with your other contacts. This method is a lot faster than re-entering the contacts manually and cheaper than buying software or getting your cell phone agent to transfer your contacts.

2. Connect to a Bluetooth enable printer with your cell phone. Many people use Smart phones and have the capability to read and modify document and image files (Word, Excel, PDF’s, Photos, etc.). These files need to be printed on occasion. Bluetooth technology allows you to print directly from your phone to any bluetooth enabled printer. No need to connect your phone to your computer and possibly sync your files… just Bluetooth connect and print.

3. Connect to a Bluetooth enabled laptop with your cell phone for quick file transfers. Running late, forgot to email that important document. Bluetooth connect transfer file to your phone and email it on the way. This is especially usefule for those with cell phones that need device-specific cords to connect  to the computer or have no other way to connect (wired) to a computer.

4. Additional Bluetooth audio applications.

- Wireless headphone or speakers for cell phones with integrated music players.

- Hands-free cell phone usage in the car, via Bluetooth connection to a Bluetooth car stereo or even some portable GPS devices.