Did you know? The World is Going Mobile…

  • Tablets and Smart Phones are #1 and #2 fastest growing consumer electronic products
  • Sales of web-enabled mobile devices far exceed desktop and laptop computers
  • Smartphones shipments outpaced personal computers including tablets, laptops, netbooks and desktops for the first time in 2011 (IDG News Service)
  • The Smartphone Market grew by 63% which the PC market grew by only 15% (IDG News Service)
  • 10% of Google's Page views are mobile (it's increasing!)
  • Mobile searches have grown by 4X since 2010
  • 25% of mobile phone users ONLY use their mobile phones to access the web and email
  • Mobile devices use exceeds TV/Computers 5:1
  • 66% of people use their mobile phone as a flashlight
  • More than 80% of the U.S. population have a mobile phones
  • By 2013, more people will use their mobile phones than PCs to get on-line
  • There will be one mobile device for every person on earth by 2015
  • People are spending far more time in mobile apps than Internet browsers
  • People are rarely more than a few feet away from their cell phone 24/7 (including in bed and the bathroom!)
  • E-reader sales are skyrocketing (Kindle, Nook)
  • E-book sales are catching up to print books (Amazon sells twice as many e-books as hardcover books)
  • Hand held device buyers nearly doubled in the past 3 months according to the Los Angeles Times
  • Tablet adoption is highest among wealthier and more educated buyers.
  • About 36% of those making more than $75K a year owned a tablet computer compared with about 16% of those making $30 to $50K. For college grads it is about 31% compared to high school grad at 15%.
  • Push Notifications on mobile devices are read by 97% of people within 5 minutes of it being received. The rat for opening email is only 5% to 15%

Is your website and your business mobile friendly? If not, it might be time to start working on a plan.

Social Media

Why is all this mobile computing happening?

Besides cost, portability, connectivity and convenience, smartphones are the modern day equivalent of carrying around a Swiss Army knife. In the palm of one hand, you can have access to your telephone, calculator, email, the web, news, voice/memo recorder, weather forecast, song lyrics, photos, documents, spreadsheets, documentation, your calendar, contacts/address book, photo and video camera, alarm clock, eBooks, music, videos/movies, GPS/maps, instant messages, notebook and games. Some of these devices even include a small projector, TV, radio and can be used as a remote control for other devices and toys. In some parts of the world today, you can use it to take payments or even make in-store payments. You can even talk to some of these little devices and they will answer you back or perform certain tasks for you. while they won't make your coffee for you yet, you can use them to order a coffee. I know several people who run their whole business from their smartphone. What's not to like?

Some people will tell you that it is keeping people from exercising, from socializing in person. Would it not equally be true that a smartphone would empower you with the flexibility in your life and your business to actually go out and do these things? Like so many tools in life, they can be used to enhance your life, or to hold you back. The decision is yours.

Social Media Revolution 2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eUeL3n7fDs

Social media is by far one of the most powerful driving force for sales to smartphone users. It has in fact quickly become a way of being connected to people. In some ways, it even teaches people to be more conscious of what they say. You can always deny having said something but when it's in print, there is no going back. And tweeting with only 140 characters really makes you think about what your message is really about and how to get it across to someone else.

Of course there are mindless babblers who don't really care what they say… they probably do that in person too and sometimes even give the rest of us something to talk about. That being said, in some cases it's the difference between being interested in what that person has to say or not.

Did You Know 2011 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JaDiBiAnv8

Whether you are looking for a job or want to grow your business, your best bet is still going to be all about who you know and who knows or has at least heard about (not just of) you. Social interaction is in, paper is out. Customers' needs are in, what you have to offer is out.

Don't know how? Don't worry, you'll figure it out. Don't be afraid to let people know what your challenges are. When you declare it, you become helpable. Don't let perfection turn into procrastination. Just get out there and do it and make it happen! Don't be part of the 95% of people out there who failed because they either didn't start or gave up not realizing just how close they were to succeeding.

A business is like any living being whether a person, plant, animal or even bacteria. It is either growing or dying. As long as your business is growing, you are heading in the right direction. Just be sure to pay attention to what works and what doesn't. Then make small course corrections over time as you learn. Find others who are succeeding and notice what they are doing. Success leaves clues.

A Side Note on Social Media

You can make it easier to manage your interactions with Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ and Twitter by using online tools like HootSuite to save time and to preschedule posts on these social media sites.

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