Mogreet API Test Center: Introducing the GUI API Construction Set

Hello devs!

One of the most painful parts of integrating any new API is simply figuring it out – what API calls require what parameters, and what data is returned.  Usually the process involves poring over the API documentation, and putting together test API calls, then finding a framework to make the calls and observe the results.  Many times, setting up the test framework is a significant amount of work – time you could better spend learning what the API can do and discovering how it can help you.

To simplify this process, and to make the Mogreet Mobile APIs even easier to learn and work with, we present the API tester!  The API tester, located in your developer dashboard, is a handy way to learn about the API calls available, discover what parameters are required and optional, experiment with alternatives and quickly make the calls and see the result.

Log into your developer dashboard now, at https://developer.mogreet.com/dashboard and head to the test page at https://developer.mogreet.com/dashboard/test to check it out with me. The Menu item for the Tester is labeled API Tester, and is on the left hand navigation bar of the Mogreet Developer Dashboard.

It’s dead simple to use.  Just click on the drop menu at the top of the page to view all the API calls available to you. They are grouped by functionality: Test System, Messaging, Media Management and Transcoding, List Management, Keyword management and User Info.

Let’s start with a simple test api call.  When you choose ‘check credentials’, the API tester shows a handy description of the API call and a series of fields showing the parameters of the API call. In the case there are only two required parameters to the API call, your client_id and token, and these are included in the call by default. All you need to do is choose between JSON and XML for the return data format. Easy!

As you make choices in the API tester, the API call itself changes, and the code to make it is shown in plain text as an HTTPS GET request (you can also use HTTPS POST).

When you are ready to fire off the call, click the ‘Make the Call!’ button, and the result will be displayed to you in the API Response area of the tool.

You can also copy the text of the API call and paste it into another framework for testing. The simplest way is to use curl like this:

curl ‘https://api.mogreet.com/moms/system.ping?client_id=1166&token=3a7d4b76be8c724c894aef30ecf1d01f&format=json’

When you choose an API call from the drop down list of available call choices, all of the required and optional parameters will be displayed in the API builder.  As you mouse over each one, a simple description will appear in a pop up bubble.  This makes it easy to explore the available API calls, see what parameters are available, and learn more about what those parameters do.

Choose several calls from the drop list to learn more about the possibilities – you’ll find a complete set of APIs for sending and receiving SMS and MMS messages across carriers, for uploading, transcoding and consuming video and/or any other media on mobile devices, and much more.

If you are building with the Mogreet API, let us know!  We would love to spotlight your build on our website and blog.

Enjoy!

Anthony Rossano, CTO, Mogreet

Mogreet’s 2013 Predictions for the Mobile Marketing Industry

It is our favorite time of year!  Prediction time!  The time of year when marketers look at technology, marketing and consumer behavior patterns and from there, try to guess what changes are on the horizon for the upcoming year and how, if possible to prepare for it. 

So where does Mogreet see the mobile marketing industry heading in 2013?  Here are just a few of our predictions.

2013:  Mobile Marketing Takes Center Stage

Hurrah! Mobile receives it’s due:  Years after the age of mobile was declared, we see 2013 as the year mobile is embraced across the board.  As consumer usage of mobile phones and tablets rises, marketers will start to create programs designed to engage, within the mobile mindset.

The second screen dominates: Marketers continue to try tools that recoup the consumer’s attention second screens are taking away from television programming and advertising.  Look for tools like Viggle that automatically sync with TV viewing or two way MMS messaging to drive engagement during real-time TV watching.

Mobile ads become fun:  Look for advertising in 2013 to become more engaging and interactive with celebrities appearing in supporting video.  2013 will be the year, brand marketers merge content creation and commercials with big returns.

Say cheese!  The content revolution continues:  The incredible penetration of smartphones has made every phone owner a content creator.  As high quality cameras usage becomes a daily activity, so will content platforms.  Look for more social networks surrounding image and video creation and sharing to continue to take center stage.

Networking follows content: As content creation grows, so will content based social networks.  Look for 2013 to be the year of  visual and interactive content networking.

The Evolution of Mobile Marketing tools in 2013

The death of QR and other non-native tools:  In 2013, consumers are no longer going to be forced to learn new technologies to engage with brands.  Instead, brands will be working within existing behaviors and platforms to engage and interact with fans. 

Be useful or die out:  The future of apps:  With over 1,200 apps launched every day and ongoing app amnesia occuring across all smartphone types, apps have to evolve. The will need to provide greater value to the end user, either by being providing ways to make the user’s life easier, or be incredible compelling.  The days of “just because” downloads are over.

The All in One Delivery:  The rise of MMS:  CTIA predicts that MMS usage will skyrocket in 2013 and we agree. As more consumers become content creators, their need to consume content also increases.  Smart brands will take advantage of this native behavior resulting in an increase across the industry of MMS branded messaging.

The rise of the CRM: With retailers leading the charge, 2013 will be the year of better CRM tools and adoption as companies look to find ways to provide customers a more personalized experience.

A Look Ahead at 2013 Carrier Changes

Pricing changes for unlimited messaging:  As more and more consumers utilize text messaging, and as carriers move their focus to data usage, we will see a drop in unlimited messaging prices. The first carrier to do this will be bold about it and others will quickly follow suit.

Speaking of data – LTE:  Look for a widespread LTE availability and with that, data consumption. And with data consumption, look for an increase in data pricing and phone costs by top carriers, Verizon and AT&T. 

Sprint makes a comeback:  We are already starting to see signs of this but we think 2013 will be a big year for Sprint.  We see them gaining traction and growing market share with the continuation of flat rate pricing for calls, messages and data. Our prediction is big, we think Sprint and partner networks will exceed 20% market share for all pre- and post-paid mobile subscriptions in the U.S.

Bye Bye Free Phone: 2013 will be the year many carriers end phone subsidies. This change will drive an increase in market share from smaller, more cost effective phone makers.

A Peek at the New Players

The rise of Google Wireless Network Services:  Look for Google to roll out wireless network services, including calling services, in select markets.  We know Google is already looking at creating a wireless network – what if this network went national, making it possible to use Android devices without a carrier contract at all?!

Amazon anyone?  Our CTO has a soft spot for Amazon. His prediction?  Amazon will release a new mobile phone product and service, in partnership with T-Mobile, using the T-Mobile network. This move would bring Amazon directly into the smartphone race, and give a big boost to this fourth place carrier.

Apple Voice anyone?  How interesting would it be if Apple added voice as part of their iOS device offerings?  Perhaps it works like iMessage, that both users must have valid and linked Apple IDs.  This would allow consumers to bypass carriers all together when making voice calls.

With 2012 being the year technology, consumer behavior and smartphone accessibility, we see 2013 as the year when mobile marketing takes front and center stage across all company types – small, large, B2B and B2C.  What do you think will be the dominant trends in mobile marketing in 2013?  Do you agree with our list?  Are we missing anything?  Let us know!

Internet Retailer and Data Says Text Message Marketing is Where Retailers Need To Focus

Yesterday, Internet Retailer cited new research from Experian Marketing Services, as an ode to text messaging’s 20^th birthday. There are undeniable findings that all retailers and marketers need to consider when developing their marketing and digital marketing strategies.

As IR highlighted, the most impactful survey finding was that “48% of smartphone owners ages 18 to 24 and 47% ages 25-34 say that a conversation via text message is just as meaningful as a telephone call.” Your customers are texting everyday, hundreds and even sometimes thousands of times a day – how valuable would it be to your brand if they opted in and gave permission to your brand to send them text messages? Priceless. With text message marketing, you don’t need to promote your app hoping that the consumer will search through millions of apps to find yours and download it, and also consistently use it.

Happy Birthday, SMS! Now Get Back To Work, You Have ROI to Generate.

We woke up this morning to a sea of well wishes and happy birthday.  And why not, today marks the 20^th anniversary of the first text message ever sent, in some ways, the birthdate of our industry.

Source: iphonestic.com

A lot has changed in messaging since the first SMS was sent 20 years ago.  The first text was from a computer to a phone.  Back then SMS was used to share short form conversation – sharing small bytes of news and information between two users.

Now SMS, or its more effective counterpart, MMS is responsible for a wide range of tools.  With more than 6.7 trillion messages sent in 2012, SMS and MMS have become the defacto communication for billions of mobile phone users.   And users are no longer just texting snippets of conversation with each other.  Today’s messaging users (75% of Americans) are sharing more and more information, and thanks to the advancements in mobile phones they are sharing multimedia services: photos and video.  And they are not only texting friends and family, text messaging is now occurring regularly between consumers and their favorite brands. 

A Win-Win: The FCC Ruling that Protects Mobile Marketers and Consumers Alike

The latest FCC ruling on Mobile Text Message Marketing is a win for all parties.  This ruling protects and empowers consumers as well as mobile marketers using text message communications to engage with their customers.

The declaratory ruling, released on Thursday, states that companies and organizations who participate in text message marketing may follow MMA best practices and send one final text message to consumers opting out of a mobile program, confirming the requested opt-out. This automated response message’s sole purpose is to reassure user is they are being permanently opted out of a program.

This legal case was based on complaints filed under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) from consumers who said that since they had opted out, they did not want to receive an additional text message confirming their actions.   This controversial issue caused many marketers to shy away from continuing their text message marketing programs despite remarkably high program results. Now that the FCC has made a final decision in favor of letting mobile marketers confirm an opt-out via one last message, brands and marketers should no longer fear the use of text message marketing.

Unlike many industries, mobile marketers are held to strict standards and best practice guidelines from leading institutions such as Mobile Marketing Association and CTIA. These guidelines allow consumers receive the content they want from their favorite brands and companies without their information and mobile number being sold, abused or spammed.

As AdWeek noted this morning, Mogreet was one of 11 companies who supported Soundbite’s petition to bring more transparency and clarity to the FCC and consumers who might not have understood the purpose of the final opt-out text message. We as a text message marketing company are pleased that the FCC understands and supports the permissions-based marketing model and have officially stated that this is not a violation to consumers who choose to participate in and also to discontinue their text message programs.

What do you think about this ruling?

Data: Today’s mobile marketer’s secret weapon

Every year, Mogreet processes tens of thousands of text message marketing campaigns designed to meet a wide range of company goals.

Some text programs are informative and helpful – they remind customers to floss their teeth, pick up prescriptions or tune into their favorite shows.  Other text programs are drive immediate sales, featuring beautiful product shots, videos, and shortened links to mobile websites to encourage purchasing.  And others’ use texting for engagement messaging. These engaging messages start or continue conversations between consumers and their favorite brands, shows or radio stations, building deeper connections and higher customer loyalty.

Text message marketing can meet a wide range of goals, and with proper promotion and strong value-based incentives it can be very successful. However, there is one other element of text message marketing companies can use to drive results – a secret weapon known as mobile data.

Every time a person opts into a text message program, their phone is detected and information is gathered.  Marketers can use this information to improve their mobile strategy to ultimately produce better results.

What kind of data is accessible to mobile marketers?

MMS Text Message Campaign Highlight: Cox Media Group Radio Station – 10 schools, 10 cheers, 1 winner

From time to time, we cannot resist highlighting one of our client’s text message marketing campaigns. The campaign is backed with so much enthusiasm we have to write about it!  And this MMS text message program has all of the elements of a great promotion, it has vibrant creative, with widespread promotion and the contest offers participants a highly valuable prize. What makes this text message contest so great is the sheer number local participants.  It is rare for one SMS or MMS marketing campaign to engage so many members of one local community!

The 2012 Gridiron Invasion is the brainchild of Cox Media Group radio station, The New 93Q in Houston, Texas.  Sponsored by nationwide Pizza restaurant chain, Papa John’s, this program highlights 10 local Houston high schools who are competing for a live concert on campus with American Idol’s Lauren Alaina.  Each schools’ cheerleading team came to the radio station and performed their favorite cheer on air.  Radio listeners and school fans are invited to text in the name of their school to the shortcode 70123.  The school with the most votes wins the live concert.

Are you in the Houston area?  Join in the fun!  To learn more about the 10 schools competing or about the competition itself, go to http://www.gridironinvasion.com/. Msg & data rates may apply.

Mobile: The New Political Platform

There’s no doubt that mobile usage is shaping a new era of political participation and discussion. In 2008, the giant communication channel for political chatter was on Facebook and Twitter. Although social still has a heavy viral reach, Americans took their mobile device to share their thoughts through text, donations, and flooded mobile app, Instagram, with pictures of “I Voted” stickers to show off their pride in making their vote count.

In a new infographic by mobile payments company, Payvia, they collected new statistics that illustrate the modern wave of mobile engagement during this year’s Presidential Election.

Some highlights:

• 90% of American keep their mobile within three feet, 24 hours a day
• 60% of smartphone users said they would vote via mobile
• 89% of 18-24yos spend between 1 and 5 hours on their mobile device each day
• Half of 18-24yos discussed the election via mobile
• Romney and Obama both used mobile as the exclusive communication channel to announce their VP selection

View full article to see entire infographic

User Generated Content is the King of Mobile Engagement Goals

Why does social media have so much power and have such impact when it comes to content sharing? For the same reason why people heavily trust peer reviews of products on Amazon and feedback ratings on eBay, people value and trust, recommendations from their peers, over the words of companies and media.

People look to others for a sense of reassurance and validation from people like themselves. In fact, this sense of connection has been a driving force in the success of crowdsourcing and the harnessing of user generated content (UGC) in driving consideration and product sales. The growth of crowdsourcing and UGC has created a new channel allowing audiences to change their role from onlookers to participants. It’s about multi-channel dialogue now, and to succeed, companies and media outlets need to empower their fans to be a part of the experience.

Content sharing has evolved in recent years as well. As newer smartphones showcase better camera technology, consumers are responding by creating and sharing better content with friends and family. Instagram, Viddy, YouTube, Pinterest represent just a handful of companies who have skyrocketed to success based on sharing user generated content.

SocialPoster, Where Social Meets Mobile

To ensure that your mobile marketing reaches the widest audience possible, it’s crucial to enable your fans to become brand advocates by giving them the opportunity to share your message.

Social media and mobile marketing simply go together. Now, users access their Facebook on their mobile phones more throughout the day than on desktop computers. This growing synergy of mobile and social is why we developed a way for your mobile subscribers to share MMS videos and content directly to Facebook or Twitter from within the text message.

SocialPoster is a feature in the Mogreet Campaign Manager that a marketer can use to easily add shortened hyperlinks within a MMS text message blast. It’s easy for your mobile audience to use too. The recipient just clicks on the link in the body of the MMS message that pulls up their Facebook or Twitter via mobile web with a pre-populated post or tweet.

With SocialPoster’s shortened links you can track clicks, CTR, and shares. Marketers can use SocialPoster to generate more buzz around TV shows, movies, products and services by facilitating viral impressions.

FOX has seen great success with their social and mobile efforts powered by Mogreet. FOX utilizes SocialPoster to generate more awareness for their shows and to build their mobile database by exposing the exclusive mobile content club members receive. After offering their audience SocialPoster links, they began to see more and more fans’ tweets and Facebook posts on a weekly basis for hit shows including Glee, House, Bones, New Girl, and Fringe.

SocialPoster is not only great for entertainment, but for retail as well. SocialPoster promotes branding, visibility, and makes shoppers advocates. Text message marketing doesnt need to be limited to communication within a mobile database – maximize impact with social amplification.

Example of how a retailer can use SocialPoster