4 posts categorized "Education"

Entry By Jason Brick

There's something appropriate about mobile marketers getting their daily fix of industry news from podcasts. But with thousands of podcasts streaming every day, the question becomes: which podcasts are most useful to the busy SMS or mobile text message marketing expert? 

If your mobile marketing guy isn't listening to at least one of the streams listed below, here are four New Year's gifts he'll enjoy year round:

The Bunker Project

It's a locally produced podcast recorded in a bar in the middle of the afternoon, but don't let that fool you. Andrew and Bob stay on top of social media trends and deliver actionable news and advice with informal titles like "Tearing Facebook a New One" and "Sex, Drugs and Social Media." Irreverent, sometimes hilarious, usually safe for work, and indispensable. 

Tech In Twenty

Luis Sandoval and Jennifer Navarrete deliver twenty minutes of tech news, with frequent discussion of social media, web 2.0 and similar small business marketing concerns. It's not always directly relevant to mobile marketing, but will keep your team on top of changes and trends in the industry on their drive in to work.

For Immediate Release

A bi-weekly discussion of what's going on in communications, public relations and social media. Hosted by Shel Holtz and Neville Hobson, it's such a staple that you could ask about it in interviews – and reject everybody who hasn't heard of it. The podcast has several different modes: Book reviews and press releases run a few minutes; interviews run for about twenty, while regular episodes take an hour and change. One special feature of this podcast is that the hosts hail from the U.S. and U.K. – giving the show a uniquely international perspective. 

6 Pixels of Separation

One of the longest-running marketing podcasts, Pixels was active before mobile marketing became a thing, though host Mitch Joel's insights have evolved with the times. He's a leading expert on digital and social media, and covers topics ranging from keeping costs low to effective calls to action to guerrilla marketing tactics. 

There are plenty of "podfaded" 'casts out there as well, such as the Mobile Mavens' Mobile Marketing Review and the Area Mobile Marketing Podcast. Though defunct for long enough to be nowhere near topical, they can still be sources of inspiration – or simply context – for your mobile marketing team. 

Some interesting news from Down Under:

Not-for-profit sexual and reproductive healthcare provider, Marie Stopes International, is encouraging young people to practise safe sex.

The organisation's "TXT 4 Free Condomz" sexual health campaign was launched to tackle rising sexually transmitted infection rates.

General manager of operations Jill Michelson said young people were often too embarrassed to buy condoms. If they text 19SEXTXT with their name and address, they will be sent two for free.

An ambitious text messaging campaign is expected to reach a million South Africans daily with information about HIV/AIDS counseling services and testing centers throughout the country.

The effort, called Project Masiluleke—which means "hope" and "warm counsel" in the South Africa's major language, Zulu—"is one of the largest ever uses of mobile phones for health info," according to Andrew Zolli, executive director of Pop!Tech, which helped coordinate and fund the project.

One message reads: "HIV + & being mistreated by your family of friends? For confidential counseling call AIDS Helpline on 0800012322."

The use of text messaging to spread this information isn't necessarily new—similar campaigns have launched in recent years. "But this campaign is the most ambitious we are aware of," said Robert Noble of AVERT, an U.K.-based AIDS charity that works in South Africa.

Read on for more information on this "mobile" cause.

Calling - ahh hemmm - Texting All Librarians!

Mosio has launched Text a Librarian, a new service that helps libraries set up mobile Q&A systems so they can answer patrons’ questions via text message to any mobile phone.

Every year, libraries answer more than 374 million reference questions, according to the American Library Association. Americans text almost twice as much as they talk on mobile phones, according to a recent Nielsen Mobile Survey, making it a preferred means of communication while on-the-go.

Read more