sbk MARKETING

A Change In Culture: Getting Used To And Appreciating The Use Of Mobile Technology

I had to laugh at a Tweet Chris Brogan (@chrisbrogan co-author of Trust Agents) had a week or so ago. He is a man who has made a very successful career sharing his thoughts about business development and customer service – and how technology and the internet enables us to do that. He Tweets alot, and has over 115,000 followers. He tweeted that he was in a coffee shop, working on his mobile, when an older gentlemen looked at him and said something like “is there no limit anymore!” obviously frustrated with him punching away on his mobile.

But little did this gentleman know that Chris was actually working.

Sure he may have been “just” giving a shout out to a friend, or letting us know how CES was going. But this is all work as he is creating his loyal tribe of followers.

I often wonder what people are thinking when I am walking and typing away on my mobile – do they think I am crazy? Do they think I am just sending notes to my friends? Or do they realize that I am actually working – and working very hard?

Some interesting numbers:

• There are 4,100,000 million active mobile phones in the world (ranking: China, India, US, Russia, Brazil)
• 2.3 billion text messages are sent each day
• Standard Life in the UK changed out worker laptops to Blackberrys
• There are, on average, 357 texts in one month versus 204 phone calls

Mobiles are a vital piece to all businesses and non-profits today. Organizations that are embracing the technology are benefiting from it. Those organizations that are hesitant due to a misunderstanding or fear of the additional costs are loosing ground quickly.

When I got my first Blackberry I had no clue what I was going to use it for, I already had a cell phone that I barely used from my employer. I just knew that I needed a smart phone because I was missing out on a community of conversations and connections.

It was one of the smartest purchases I have made. I am more upto speed on the web and new technology than I have ever been – which is very important to my business. And my smartphone has positively affected my stream of business, allowing me to grow my network and connect with clients and peers.

So the next time you see young kids “playing” on their mobiles or adults in coffee shops “texting”, stop for a moment and consider they may be doing something very very productive, appreciate the culture change mobiles are creating – it is very interesting, positive, and it sure can be fun!

Shannon Bowen-Kelsick (sbk)
Twitter: @sbkelsick
contact me: sbk@sbkelsick.com

References:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_number_of_mobile_phones_in_use
• http://www.blackberry.com/newsletters/connection/business/i709/standard_life.shtml