Here we go again! Welcome to another installment of “the Friday Five,” a bi-monthly feature that highlights articles from around the web to give readers insight into the inner workings of the SMS industry and offer mobile marketers valuable information and helpful advice. This week’s offerings give you a little bit of everything: a campaign guide, an infographic, some use cases, and an update on mobile trends. So, what are you waiting for? Check it out!

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6 Steps to Create a Successful Messaging Campaign

Sam Balter

Our first entry for this week’s installment comes from Sam Balter, the Marketing Manager for mobile marketing organization Waterfall. Balter provides marketers with some valuable insight by composing the perfect guide to crafting a successful marketing campaign. Balter’s six step template covers everything from setting engagement and conversion event goals to planning a good call-to-action. It’s definitely worth bookmarking to have on hand for your next campaign.

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Phone vs. Text vs. Email

Accredited Online Colleges

The next entry on our list for the week is a bit of a departure from entries we usually feature on the Friday Five. Rather than focus on an article or blog post, we’ve chosen to feature this handy infographic provided by the team at Accredited Online Colleges.org. Because presenting information in a visual manner is both helpful and engaging, infographics can be incredibly effective and this one is no different. As the title suggests, “Phone vs. Text vs. Email” breaks down and compares these three widely-used forms of communication and analyzes them based on generational usage. And, since the human brain processes visual information 60,000 times faster than text-based data, you may as well take a gander!

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Bonneville boosts listener engagement, saves money with SMS push

Michael Barris

Speaking of mobile campaigns and closing gaps (although this isn’t necessarily a generational one), the third entry of this week’s Friday Five comes from Mobile Marketer contributor Michael Barris and it chronicles a campaign conducted for broadcasting company Bonneville International. Disc jockeys from the organization’s radio stations would make sweepstakes announcements and then invite listeners to text a special keyword into the designated short code to enter in for a chance to win. Barris’ coverage represents yet another great mobile marketing use case. Check it out!

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Starwood Sets the Bar High for Mobile-first Hospitality

Meghan Medlock

The fourth entry for this installment comes from Meghan Medlock, the director of committees and conferences for the Association of National Advertisers. Medlock’s post explores the success that hospitality organization Starwood Hotels and Resorts has had from incorporating what Medlock calls “the mobile experience” into their business endeavors and customer engagement efforts. For a more in-depth look at how the company’s’ implementation of all things mobile has helped them enhance the customer experience and increase bookings, head on over to the link provided.

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Mobile Marketing Means Much More Than Apps

Tom Kaneshige

The final entry for this week’s installment continues on with a theme that was established in earlier Friday Five entries: the mobile app craze and how it may not be the best option for every marketer. CIO Senior writer Tom Kaneshige cites recent studies from Forrester pertaining directly to mobile marketing trends and explains that mobile apps are having a harder time driving traffic than many might expect. It’s definitely an illuminating read!

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