According to Forrester Research, advertisers spent just under $400 million on mobile marketing in 2009. Projections for 2010 place that figure well above $550 million. And by 2014, Forrester estimates that mobile will claim upwards of $1.3 billion from the advertising pie. But while mobile marketing as a whole remains on a steady path to integration with virtually every contemporary marketing campaign of businesses large and small, the evolution of location-based mobile marketing could very well be pushing ahead even faster than many realize.

“It’s still nascent, but it has a lot of potential,” says Julie A. Ask of Forrester. “Being contextual and personal is the holy grail of mobile, and location is one of those aspects. But the mechanics of how this is going to work and how effective it’s going to be get a bit murky.”

Murky or not, the waters of location-based marketing are now populated by no shortage of companies eager to capitalize on the “nascent” opportunities at hand. Last year, Burger King and Subaru received widespread attention in response to their successful location-based marketing endeavors. Already in 2010, an array of big labels and prominent brands have similarly dabbled in location-based marketing – most recently, The North Face. The trendy maker of outdoor apparel and gear will target text messages to potential customers (in New York, San Francisco, Seattle and Boston) in close proximity to a store carrying North Face products.

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Twitter marketing is on the edge of going mainstream, and although much of the market doesn’t quite accept it yet, the truth is that it’s coming, and now is the time to get in on the action.

On any given day, there are millions of people looking for something on Twitter, be it a cup of coffee, a snack, a nice book to read, or just something to help them pass the time. Add the fact that smartphones and other mobile devices have given the average consumer the means not only to find what they want online, but also to talk about it, and you’ve got the perfect situation for finding new customers.

How can you turn a random tweet into a potential customer?

1. Go Local with Twitter GeoTargeting. Using Twitter Search, you can use geotargeting to find tweets from your area. To do this, simply use Twitter’s “advanced search” function.  Or use the following syntax:coffee near:”New York” within:15mi.

Use these searches to find out what people in your local area are saying about your targeted subject.

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There are so many different ways to promote your restaurant, what are you waiting for? Engaging in a public relations campaign, an advertising campaign or a direct marketing campaign can all be fun if you remember that the concept of eating out is supposed to be a great social occasion. Don’t look at this as a chore, but rather as one of the most pleasant jobs associated with running your business.

If you have a good reputation and some loyal customers who you may also be on rather friendly terms with, why not engage them to help you promote your restaurant? Recruit customers to write reviews, contribute blog posts, “tweet” or place posts on their Facebook pages from time to time. This is a very effective way of getting the word out on the street and can be cost effective for you – just give them free appetizers or desserts.

You should go out of your way to get the e-mail address of your customer. This may mean that you have to give away something valuable, a two for one or something to entice them to give you the address. E-mail marketing is surely one of the best ways to promote your restaurant as once they have agreed to receive information from you this opens up a whole world of possibilities.

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I bet you only use YouTube when your 10-year-old daughter wants you to watch some cute pet videos, right?

But you would never think of using it to market your business.

If I told you that YouTube has a ‘Science & Technology’ category, a ‘How To’ category, and an ‘Education’ category, can you begin to see the possibilities?

Whether you work for a high-tech company, a hardware store, or a university, you might want to learn more about using YouTube to publicize your operation.

Why YouTube Marketing?

Because YouTube is all about video broadcasting. And videos are perfect for showing technical equipment, demonstrating a procedure or giving parents of prospective students a virtual tour of the campus.

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Seven reasons for preferring mobile marketing over the traditional marketing tools:

1. Mobile marketing facilitates the business organizations to reach the targeted audience within the shortest span of time. The seller can easily personalize the marketing messages to various customer groups. Mobile phones are generally used by a single person unlike PCs. This ensures that the message reaches the right customer always. Targeting proper customer groups increases the chances of success in mobile marketing campaigns.

2. Mobiles are regarded to be one of the best two-way communication devices. Cell phones are always with us and thus considered to be a highly personal and trusted device. When a person receives a message, it is opened and read immediately. Surveys show that about 90% of messages are read immediately after receiving. The remaining 10% are read after sometimes. E-mail marketing is less viable as a concept because chances are that the customer might never open the mail and check its contents. Surveys show that only 20% of the promotional emails are read.

Mobiles are already used as an important communication device. So it becomes easier for a seller to be in touch with the buyer directly through the mobile. It is perhaps the only device, which is with the user 24 hours a day. This makes it easier for the seller to convey his message and interact with the customers on a personal level.

3. Mobile marketing is regarded to be one of the most cost effective marketing tools. Experts say that mobile marketing cost is minimal, as a result of which companies can maintain their budgets and spread their message effectively through different marketing channels. Marketing done through electronic or print media requires a huge budget. Whereas costs incurred in messaging is quite low as you have a targeted audience since the beginning.

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