Simple How-To: Monetize your content through SMS text messaging
A new service launched today that allows bloggers to monetize content easily. But it has broader uses too: businesses can serve ads directly to their consumers in a process that completely sidesteps classifieds, print or digital.
Meet TextMarks, an exceptionally clever app, so smart that newspapers ought to take notice immediately and begin emulating some of its features.
Publishers select a keyword, such as BALTPOL (Baltimore Politics). Then an auto response would be entered: Mayor Sheila Dixon announces she won't run for office in September. Subscribers to that keyword receive an instant SMS to their mobile phones. Users can also text the keyword to 41411 at any time for an update. (And I'm sure you're noticing that 41411 looks very similar to 46645, which prompts Google to return an answer via SMS to directory searches, sports scores, etc.)
Using TextMarks, bloggers can update their sites via text message and they can broadcast information to subscribers.
And, of course, you can monetize your blog using TextMark's SMS alerts. You set a price point at either $4.99 or $9.99 per month, customize the graphics all you want, and offer text updates to your blog's readers.
Now TextMarks is taking a significant portion of the proceeds, but it also takes away the need for a secure shopping cart system. TextMarks deals directly with the wireless carriers, so bloggers never have to worry about billing.
This model, at least in some form, should (and can!) be applied to newspaper and magazine websites asap.
To wit: I'm not a die-hard football fanatic, but I was at my sister's most recent opera recital last month and missing both of the playoff games. I sat in the audience with my Blackberry on silent texting Google every couple of minutes to get game updates. Then I switched over to ESPN.com mobile. Both were free (and I have an unlimited data plan, so usage was free too). But you know what? I just might have paid $1.99 for a one-night subscription to get the scores. Hell, the sale of commercial ringtones topped $2.5 billion in 2004. Billion! You don't think folks might pony up a buck or two for up to date information?
At last year's Online News Association conference, I sat in on a panel of industry big wigs talking about the challenges and pitfalls to harnessing wap for use with newspaper/ media promotion. The Bakersfield Californian was, an entire year ago, starting to use SMS for stories and also for advertising.
Why aren't more newspaper websites taking advantage of SMS - TextMarks should convince publishers that they need to look beyond videos and podcasts already.
