The standard media business is on the center of a technological vortex, with new media channels akin to cellular and the online altering the best way that folks eat and work together with content material.
In response to those challenges media corporations, akin to tv, radio or publishing corporations, have developed ever extra innovative know-how platforms. Nevertheless, this method generally implies that easier and more cost effective options are neglected.
The cellular combine in media
One nice instance of that is within the cellular house. An increasing number of media corporations are wanting in the direction of the newest smartphone apps and the cellular net as a manner of accessing customers on the transfer.
Whether or not these are information apps just like the BBC Information app, cellular TV apps akin to Sky’s, or programme apps like these developed for codecs akin to Britain’s Acquired Expertise, these providers are all the fad amongst media corporations seeking to achieve a foothold within the cellular house.
Nevertheless, while smartphone-based providers have a spot available in the market additionally they have their limitations. Wealthy cellular performance is unarguably a robust instrument for media corporations, however on the similar time it intrinsically limits the potential market for any such service.
The constraints of apps and the cellular net: ubiquity and penetration
The problem lies within the comparatively small penetration of app- and internet-enabled smartphones, which remains to be solely round 30% in developed markets akin to Europe and US (NPD, 2010). Which means that, even in probably the most superior markets, greater than two thirds of customers nonetheless can not entry wealthy cellular providers on their main handset.
Whenever you mix this with the comparatively low attain of the 3G protection that permits cellular web and utility entry, it’s clear that wealthy cellular media providers are successfully restricted within the extent to which they will attain the broadest shopper audiences.
SMS in media
SMS may be deployed in an enormous vary of media eventualities:
Voting
One of many traditional makes use of for SMS within the media business has been in voting. SMS affords viewers a easy and price efficient manner of interacting with a programme and influencing its end result, thus making certain a extra devoted viewer expertise. Initially targeted on premium charge SMS, non-premium SMS is now turning into the voting channel of selection in response to widespread points with premium charge tv interactivity.
Competitions
Alongside voting, competitions are a nicely established use case for SMS throughout the media business. Viewers may be requested to enter a contest by texting their most well-liked reply to a quantity given within the programme. This interactivity drives engagement with content material and thus enhances viewer loyalty. Equally to voting SMS, premium SMS is more and more giving method to non-premium numbers as viewer considerations over premium charge fraud have brought on declining response charges.
Advertising
Advertising has lengthy been the usual company utility for SMS. Using SMS to distribute advertising and marketing messages direct to shopper’s handsets is a robust method to interact instantly with people. Within the media house the purposes for the know-how on this manner are limitless – whether or not they’re SMS updates from celeb presenters or schedule details about forthcoming exhibits.
Content material distribution
While SMS is itself a textual content channel, it may be used to facilitate the straightforward transmission of richer content material with out the necessity for customers to entry the cellular net. Utilizing a know-how generally known as WAP-push, it’s potential to ship hyperlinks in an SMS that allow the recipient to easily click on to obtain content material. In the identical manner, a cellular net URL may be despatched in an SMS, avoiding the necessity for customers to navigate their method to a web page themselves. Utilizing these approaches, media corporations can distribute wealthy media content material utilizing a longtime and straightforward to make use of know-how.
Alerting
One of many defining options of SMS is that it’s extremely impactful – when a consumer receives a textual content message they’re greater than doubtless going to learn it there after which. As such, it is a perfect mechanism for alerting customers to time delicate info. For media corporations this would possibly take the type of information alerts round main breaking information tales, programme alerts, letting viewers or listeners signal as much as obtain a textual content when their favorite present is about to begin, or alerts about different present associated occasions, akin to new on-line content material going dwell. On this manner, SMS can be utilized as an outreach mechanism to succeed in out to customers in a manner that’s merely not potential by way of conventional media channels.
Two manner SMS
While the straightforward ‘push’ mechanic of SMS advertising and marketing is nicely established, it’s now potential to make use of SMS as an interactive, two-way communications channel. Whereas beforehand a viewer would possibly simply have voted as soon as for a present, programme makers can now reply to viewers in actual time with further content material, questions or different messages. Alternatively, a broadcaster sending information alerts may invite viewers to reply with their feedback on breaking information by way of SMS.
The cellular combine
That cellular is a crucial a part of the communications combine for media corporations is an simple reality. It’s also true that apps and cellular net entry are helpful instruments for the small however rising smartphone viewers.
Nevertheless, if the goal of a cellular media service is to offer performance on the go for the widest potential viewers, then SMS stays an actual contender because the know-how of selection.