If you have a son or daughter who enjoys solving puzzles, design a scavenger hunt that will unfold over several days. Choose a time-period for the hunt, such as a week, where each day there is a new “gift” to find. Plan hiding places for the gifts, as well as a series of clues throughout the day, each with a riddles, references, and hints as to where the gift is located. Take advantage of Texder’s customizable message feature to change the clue, picking specific times when each clue becomes available. Select the the 10-day, 50 message package, which will allow you can create 5 clues for each day. Design clues work around their schedule, such as before school, at lunch, after soccer practice, and just before dinner. Your son or daughter can text in to get the clue, each one getting them a little closer to their gift.
Image credit: Kevin Briody. Shared on Flickr under Creative Commons license.
Over these weeks and months of development, we’ve struggled with what to call the messages that our users create and their buyers receive. Are they texts? Items? Posts? Ads? However true each of these descriptions, none seemed to capture the breadth of potential applications.
So we returned to an earlier idea to coining a made-up word. And we returned to the word that was right under our nose … our company name.
texder (tex•der) – noun
- a classified ad sent and received via text message or SMS, limited to 160 characters.
- any short message containing product, service, event, or other information sent via the Texder system.
Individuals have been using Twitter to promote their blogs, projects, and profiles for a couple of years. Companies quickly followed suit, leveraging the site as a marketing, advertising, public relations, reputation management, and customer service tool. Consider the Mashable list, 40 of the Best Twitter Brands.
The primary cost of twittering is time, yet for companies who do it right, the ROI can be significant. How does Twitter make money in this process? They don’t. Yet. And they want to.
In a recent conversation with Marketing magazine, co-founder Biz Stone said, ”We are noticing more companies using Twitter and individuals following them. We can identify ways to make this experience even more valuable and charge for commercial accounts.” A burst of chatter erupted. “Twitter to charge…”
Twitter quickly responded that the platform will remain free to individuals and companies alike. Twitter is, however, working on revenue-generating projects. As Texder outlines a marketing strategy that includes Twitter, we’re curious to see what those projects are and how they’ll provide value to businesses.
Survey says YES!
In September, Nielson Mobile released figures comparing text messaging and calling habits of typical U.S. mobile subscribers since Q1, 2006. The data shows increasing preference for text messaging, with an average 357 messages sent and received monthly in Q2, 2008 compared with 204 calls. Neilson cites 450% growth in text messaging over the 30 month period. The numbers are compelling.
When we plotted the data, we saw a bigger story. Calls have been fairly level throughout the test period, with the latest figures hinting at decline. Meanwhile, not only are texts on the rise, but recent growth is dramatic. The increase in the first two quarters of 2008 nearly match that of the previous two years combined.
The 160 character limit imposed by SMS forces you to pack a lot of information in a little space. Yet Neilson’s figures show a growing preference for this type of quick, concise information exchange.
