Growth in mobile marketing services competes with Internet marketing

Mobile marketing is becoming the preferred medium for many businesses across the Kingdom.

"The mobile phone has opened new horizons for the business sector in Jordan," said Fastlink Data Services Manager Ziad Masri on mobile marketing. He said many businesses have been able to cut down on their promotional expenses by using the mobile to advertise their services and products. Not only that, but mobile marketing has proved more effective, according to Masri, as it communicates quickly and directly with potential customers in addition to reaching targeted potential customers effectively.

Masri said the widespread of the mobile marketing service has doubled since the beginning of this year, in comparison with the same period of last year. "Comparing the same period of 2003 with 2004 the number has tripled," added Masri.

This evolving medium of using the SMS to communicate promotional messages has inspired Fastlink to continue efforts towards develop some added value services, which allow customers to achieve the optimal benefit of the mobile's applications as well as to find ways to expand the advantages of the device to cover other sectors such as the business, social and health sectors in addition to entertainment.

Masri said wireless technology, namely manifested in the mobile, has resulted in drastic changes pertaining to business management and helped introduce more modern methods. "The mobile has surpassed its role as a basic communications device to a multi-purpose, multi-media tool," he added.

Fastlink deals with a big number of information providers, who make good use of the company's data base to send short messages to customers or to a certain targeted group. The company however, said Masri is cautious not to overload customers' phones with ads, a nuisance avoided by dividing customers into categories and targeting a certain group in a certain area at a specific time.

Furthermore, the mobile phone has become a trading medium after Fastlink launched its Autotrader service, which offers customers a fast and practical way to buy or sell a car, and valuate its market price.

Fastlink's strategy relies on staying in the lead as far as technology is concerned and introducing cutting edge solutions to the Jordanian market so as to contribute to His Majesty's the King's vision of transforming Jordan into an information and communications hub.

Fastlink accords particular emphasis to non-voice data by focusing on similar services and working to spread the use of such services while increasing people's awareness on their advantages.