Everything Will Go Mobile

“Everything will go mobile.”

Mark Hurd – Hewlett Packard Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and President, 1/11/08

Mark Hurd was in Waco today for a luncheon address to the Chamber of Commerce. When asked about the future of mobile technology he confidently made the above declaration.

By everything, I am also assuming Mark means marketing. More on that subject shortly.

(photo by Lesly Rascoe, Waco Chamber of Commerce)

Some of Hurd’s other thoughts on mobile:

• While everything will go mobile, we won’t see a ubiquitous device. We will see lots of little devices.
• Other countries are more mobile than the U.S. because they don’t have the hard wire infrastructure and can skip right to wireless technology.
• We will see the virtualization of technology

Mobile marketing is coming, and I think it’s going to be small-business friendly. As a small business owner, mobile marketing should be on your radar screen.

Some reasons I believe mobile marketing is the coming trend:

1. Mobile devices are getting easier to use. The iPod Touch is the start of the mobile device revolution. Expect many similar devices by the end of the year.

2. Mobile devices are cheaper than computers. Yes, you can get a pretty cheap computer now, but you can also get a cell phone for next to nothing. And when iPod Touch clones start arriving, you know they will be priced less.

3. Marketers are learning how to use mobile applications as marketing tools. Get ready to start saying the word: Moupon

The only thing left is for the consumer to begin accepting, and expecting, the role of a mobile marketing target. When that happens, mobile marketing will reach critical mass.

My opinion is that it’s still too early to jump in with both feet into mobile marketing. There is not yet consumer critical mass. But I do believe it’s coming, probably in 2009. So this is the year to start learning how you can utilize mobile in your marketing strategy.

You will have to wade through a lot of marketer hype. I expect there will be as many fraudulent mobile marketing experts as there are counterfeit search engine optimization gurus. Don’t get sucked in to the “you need to do mobile marketing” ballyhoo. You didn’t need social media marketing in 2007 and you won’t “need” mobile marketing in 2008.

This will be a significant weapon in your future marketing arsenal.

Continue reading here: Fearless Marketing Tactic: Wear A Black Cocktail Dress

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