Mobile marketing is a hot trend right now, but all types of mobile solutions have been, not just available, but evolving for quite some time. Mobile messaging in the B2B arena is not often talked about as urgently as within consumer environments, but the impact and business benefit brings incredible value for sales, service, partnership, information sharing and the like.

Wireless enablement and mobile capability have proven themselves to enhance business efficiency and effectiveness. Mobile strategy should most certainly be a part of every business plan for success. Begin with a general business, then mobile, checklist for your business and continue to define as you move forward.

Is it the right time to mobilize? Of course it is!

- Do you spend greater than 10% of your business hours in the field (calling on customers, associates or suppliers, traveling, or working at home)?

- Do you have direct reports (i.e. sales or service people, etc.) who work off-site?

- Does your business have multiple locations?

- Do you wish you could get more done when you’re on the road?

- Do you wish you could get more done when at the office, but not at your desk?

- When in the field, do you need to call or stop into the office for information to complete any of the business tasks of your day?

- Do you travel with printed documents and files, just in case you need them?

- Can you access your files remotely, or do you spend time e-mailing them to yourself and/or co-workers?

Alerts, notifications, inventory, lead generation, brand, presence, order ready, …
Mobilize work flow, mobilize your “out of office” experience, mobilize business.

Have you ever received a text message on your mobile while sitting at your desktop computer or laptop? I have.  Is it easier (and faster) to tap out a reply via your mobile handset or use the full computer QWERTY keyboard sitting before you. Hmmm, that depends, but yes, most of the time.

Do you prefer receiving text messages over email (I do), but have people in your life that just can’t (or won’t) use SMS/Text? Absolutely, older parents who can’t really see their phone well enough to text or friends who are just a bit mobile “challenged” (no offense).

There have always been ways to send text to a mobile phone from a desktop. All US carriers have a method to send an “email text” to a mobile phone via their websites or via text email addresses (such as phonenumber@messaging.sprintpcs.com; 10digit#@txt.att.com or number@vtext.com), but ….

I like Cherple. It is a desktop application easily accessed. It is 2-way SMS from a computer to mobile, the mobile subscriber has to opt-in and it’s easy to use. It also has a sense of humor.

Try it.