You know you've arrived when...

When we started SellPhone Marketing less than one year ago, we heard a lot of questions that we don't hear anymore. Just a few short months ago, people were asking "What IS Text Message Marketing?" Flash forward to today...more and more people understand SMS and Mobile Advertising, and a growing number of companies are starting to USE it! We're seeing smaller companies getting involved than ever before...the first true sign we noticed that told us text was becoming relevant. As mobile marketing continues to gain traction there are some important trends we can watch to see mobile marketing begin to settle in to the mainstream.

1. Mobile Integrated Events
Imagine...hundreds or thousands of people all in one place with a common purpose or interest. What better place to use Mobile Marketing? The fact that more & more events are being integrated with mobile is important because everyone in the audience becomes one more person who's been exposed to mobile marketing & will then be more likely to participate in future Text campaigns. It helps it become normal.

Were you watching the Democratic National Convention? Did you notice the interactive text screen? Delegates could use their cell phones to send comments via text that would show up on a big screen for everyone to read. Dianne Sawyer was PRICELESS on Good Morning America talking about how this would happen. She sounded like she was reporting that we'd landed on the moon! By the next convention cycle in four years this technology will be so ingrained in our culture it won’t even be worth a mention. Rock bands are using the same sort of technology at concerts, NBC used it during their coverage of the Olympics, and there are more & more examples popping up every day! That brings us to trend #2...

2. Major Companies Jumping into Mobile Marketing
There is nothing like Fortune 500 companies jumping into something to prove it's part of everyday life. Every time another major brand uses mobile marketing the closer we are to having mobile marketing become a household word. Some of the latest big brands jumping into mobile include Chase Bank and Visa, the New Orleans Saints, Armani & Ashley Furniture.

3. Rules and Regulations
Another way to know that something is here to stay is when rules and regulations are written out and defined. What’s that old saying? It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt. So that’s when an authority figure or the players themselves decide on rules to keep everyone happy and safe because they know the game is going to continue being played.

The Mobile Marketing Association has long had a set of Best Practices but they are now branching out and have a Code of Conduct as well. They are working up some best practices and guidelines for wi-fi, Near-Field Communications (NFC) and location-based services next.

What other trends do you see in mobile marketing?