The recent expansion and upsurge in mobile marketing has brought with it much success but also a new frontier of challenges, specifically in regards to consumer privacy and protection.

While mobile advertising has carved a new path to the consumer via data collection and location-based information, those new inroads need to be carefully patrolled so as not to compromise ethical standards and confidentiality.

Deciding how to begin an SMS marketing stragety can be a daunting task. One of the most important first steps, however, is developing an SMS coupon offer and choosing how exactly to offer the coupon. A brand must understand its customers and thus what format customers prefer for receiving coupons. Of course, this may vary from customer to customer, or there might be an acceptable industry standard.

JiWire recently launched a new advertising metric capable of accurately measuring the efficacy of location-based mobile marketing campaigns. The 'Location Conversion Index' - LCI - can track recipients of mobile ads to see if they end up shopping at a specific retail location.

As smartphone uptake increases, so too does the number of web searches being conducted from mobile devices. Analysts are also noticing that the type of search conducted on smartphones is quite different from the type of search conducted on desktop browsers. Says Phil Harpur of Frost & Sullivan:

Gyms and fitness centers all over the country are currently experiencing the same thing they experience every January: high sign-up rates that will begin to tail off throughout the year. For four out of five Americans, joining a gym amounts to no more than good intentions.

As you read this, the number of cell phones will be exceeding the world’s population. That’s more than seven billion mobile phones on the planet - a staggering number by any standard. These devices have become a new means of generating revenue for all kinds of industries. A significant element of the new mobile economy is the ability to market through mobile devices, and SMS text messaging is one of those tools leading the charge.

There are approximately 154 million people in the American workforce today. Some work for large corporations, while others for small businesses. Either way, despite the huge leaps made by technology in recent years, human labor remains the most powerful asset of any size business.