How many people do you know own a mobile phone? How many of them do not leave home without it? The mobile phone has become so routine in our lives most people feel naked or lost without it, being without it is like a missing extremity. The demand for the mobile phone continues to increase especially since mobile phones cater to all. The next time you walk down the street or are at the local grocery store observe the multitudes of people using their phones either talking, sending text messages, or even checking their calendars. There are almost 2.4 billion mobile phone users worldwide. This number alone is a good reason to focus on mobile marketing. There are also other reasons to use mobile marketing like increasing word of mouth, giving power to the consumer, and creating effective customer relationship management (CRM).

Marketers are moving towards mobile marketing. Understanding and awareness of technology is the first challenge toward mobile marketing, but justifying its worth is the second. The ability to stay on top of the continually improving technology is difficult and intriguing investors to accept these improvements can be even harder in this fluctuating economy. To be successful the campaign must be informative, entertaining or have social interaction.

1. The first service is providing the information, which will answer consumer’s questions. With access to a mobile phone, the consumer can visit a company website to read feedback and reviews on in-store products or services. This simplifies consumers purchasing decision with a sense of security.
2. Social interaction usually involves a user creating a personal profile of experiences, images, videos or just general thoughts on issues viewable to all or selected individuals via the internet. Social Networking sites are the most rapidly growing websites available. Users are connecting through websites like Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter. Each website connects users with one another allowing them to share rich media content, join similar groups, fan clubs, and more. Social Media creates a personalized interaction between readers, consumers and businesses.
3. Engaging the audience in a type of entertainment will increase retention and the return rate. The Zynga Corporation that has developed hundreds of video games and according to their website there are over 50 million players. The majority of their video game connects players with one another through the social media websites. To finance games, Zynga relies on external business promotions and players to purchase special gaming points.

Conclusion

Mobile marketing seems to be the obvious way to keep in touch with consumers via mobile phones. It expands company’s range and target market with the instantaneous convenience. The cost efficiency speaks for itself. Companies can determine the extent of the mobile marketing campaign and customers can determine if they want to accept or decline these offers and updates.

December often marks the month of performance appraisal’s for many organizations. For many managers and employee’s this is a dreaded time of year for one reason or another. Some managers procrastinate because they see the review as a hassle with little evidence that the review actually improves employee performance. The key is that if you want to motivate employees to improve their performance, start by motivating managers to do a thorough job on reviews.

Manager’s should ensure that the review is meaningful by discussing what was/was not accomplished while also focusing on what’s important to move ahead.

Secondly buy-in from the management team is essential since they utilize the forms. Through their experience in working with the forms, they may have excellent insights and suggestions on how to improve them. If the managers felt included in the review form development/improvement process, they will be more likely to comply.

A solid training system should also help motivate managers to review performance by demonstrating how individual performance benefits the organization and how managers can measure performance in an objective manner. If manager’s can clearly see the correlation between a performance review system that adds value to their margins, they will be more likely to give quality feedback to their employee’s.

Lastly, all managers should be required to conduct timely and thoughtful employee performance reviews. If managers are evaluated on the quality and the consistency with which they do their performance appraisals, there is a clear message that communicates the value to the organization. Overall, for performance reviews to be as effective as possible, managers should feel involved in the process, receive proper training and be able to see a clear correlation between the review and reaching organizational goals.