Twitter users are intuitively on the cutting edge! A couple of days ago I saw someone comment that they wished they could order their take out food by text messaging.
Social media marketers will be challenged on how to help their clients creatively utilize social media tools. Consumers want time saving features & efficiency. But listening carefully to customers could result in some very interesting services that integrate social media tools that people are already using. (I think that’s the key).
Jim Tobin posted this ad by Papa Johns where people can text their order in. Now imagine if the customers that use this service opt in to receive text messages of special offers that were sent out near the end of people’s work days? Would that increase sales?
NPR has a 5 min podcast on Papa Johns & Dominos using text messages for ordering.
gomobo.com is a service for restaurant users to use. It allows users to text their order in & pay, then they receive a text message back stating the time the order will be ready.
Their tab to recruit restaurant owners has very descriptive clip from a Good Morning America spot. Their comment that it’s quite popular with 40 yr old soccer moms was interesting.
Check out their call to action to recruit new restaurants. It’s a very tactful appeal to consumers to take responsibility for recruiting restaurants.
Have you used a service like this? Is it something you’d like to see in your neighborhood & you’d use? What other services would you text for? library, dry cleaner, pharmacy,…?
I agree that this is way cool! When I first got wind of it a couple days ago, I immediately went to the Papa Johns website and set up my preferences so that I now have the option of ordering from my cell phone.
As for opting-in to receive text msgs of specials, well, that’s something I’d never do because I believe in holding the line against excessive commercial text msgs to my cell phone. And if I did opt-in, I doubt that receiving msgs from Papa Johns would increase my purchases from them – the occasional home-delivery pizza purchase is not something that’s price-sensitive for me. However, for others who are high-volume pizza consumers – such as college students – I can see how that sort of thing would be very appealing.
Another interesting use of Twitter I’ve seen is the Los Angeles Fire Department. http://twitter.com/LAFD They Tweet about fire incidents they’re responding to. Not exactly the same as what Papa John’s is doing, but an interesting use of social media technology.
You turned me on to Twitter 8 days ago. What a trip! I’ve been tweeted so many useful and interesting things since, that in its current form, I’d not hang it up.
Another derivation of this sms ordering we’re likely to see someday is free sms with a GPS hook such that when you’re four blocks from PapaJohns (or other “preferred” establishment) and likely to pass it (based on your driving path/pattern), you’ll get an sms coupon about 2 for 1 ThinCrust etc… Pure prediction here: this will become mainstream when your phone drops into an integrated cradle in your car allowing two way text-to-voiceto-text (like an enhanced version of a hands free Jott).
Hi Connie,
I just discovered that Noah Glass the founder of GoMobo is on Twitter as NNGlass.
Here is another blog posting on how they want to integrate to Twitter http://web.enjoychn.com/blog/13348-gomobo-uses-twitter-for-new-food-buddy-feature
I have been following this company since I read about them in a Entrepreuner mag article. If this has widespread folloiwng we can do a lot more on Twitter and our mobile phone.
I must put a plug for a product that I manage for Netsol. This is a easy to build website for a novice /small business to build a website for mobile devices at BuildMyMobi.com. This is relevant as therestaurants that use the gomobo service can out their menus on a mobile site for people to see on their cell phones. See http://passagetoIndia.mobi on your mobile phone as an example.
I haven’t yet, but I’m all over time savers. I wish I had a seamstress or tailor I could text my measurements to, send them shot of a dress I saw on someone, get photos back if they thought they could do it, put a deposit down, and then have them deliver it to me Fed Ex.
May sound a little nutty but most of my African clothes are custom made. I’ve seen our family tailor maybe once in ten years. I now send them measurements only, but it can be such a hassle because they are completely offline. As in, why would I want a computer, offline, LOL. So if I could convince them to get one of those new Presto machines – I could get me a new outfit every month.
Wow, this comment is way too long! :)
Ian – I agree that many wouldn’t opt in. But I also remember the times when I was working & wondering what to have for supper… I think that it will appeal to working women.
Dale – In the ‘old’ days everyone had scanners, now they can use Twitter. It is a great creative way to use Twitter!
Dave – I’m glad that you’re enjoying (addicted) to Twitter now *grin*. Thanks for the predictions! We’ll have to watch as it develops.
Shashi – thanks for the links – it is very interesting
Hey Tinu – we haven’t talked in a long time! your comment wasn’t too long – it was very descriptive of the service that you’d like. Great brainstorming, girl!