So what does that mean to companies still running print ads in the local paper? It’s time for a change. You don’t have to stop thinking of advertising in the traditional sense (intelligent media buys, call to action, enticing creative), you just have to open your mind to the endless possibilities that this new technology has provided. As we are learning with the evolution of social media, if you don’t participate in the conversation with your customers, your voice will never be heard. What better way to communicate with your audience than to deliver information directly to a device that is never more than an arm’s length away?

The big question, and even deterrent, for most companies when considering how to delve into the mobile world is: “Where do I get started?” It is important to remember that mobile campaigns can range from elaborate guerrilla programs, such as Carnival’s digital fish tank that allowed pedestrians to personalize their own fish, to a simple text-to-win sweepstakes. Platforms are easy and affordable to use, and mobile ad buys are becoming just as accessible as, if not more than, traditional online-banner ad buys.

My advice for marketers who are ready to take the leap is to start with the basics:

1. Get your website in mobile shape. How can you expect to have an effective mobile presence when your PC-size website is crammed into a tiny mobile screen? Trim it down, and focus on what mobile visitors will want to see when you get them to your site. Think of your mobile site as your regular site on a diet.

2. Integrate your mobile efforts into your other advertising efforts. Mobile campaigns are most effective when other forms of media supplement and/or support them. Try having consumers text a picture of your print ad or QR code to enter them to win a prize.

3. Make it worth their while. Cellphones are as personal as people’s homes, making the opt-in process extremely important. So how do you get “invited” in? Make sure that your campaign/message adds value to the lives of your target, and they will not only welcome you in but also interact with you on a regular basis.

Marketers across the board are seeing the benefits of utilizing the mobile Web to reach the 450 million worldwide Internet-connected mobile users, and that was just in 2009. This massive number of users, which is expected to double in coming years, proves that mobile marketing is not just a fad, but a legitimate channel and is not going away any time soon.

My desire to promote Anderson’s book to those interested in understanding more fully the sea change that we’ve been living through the past 10 years came over coffee this morning. Garmin and Tomkin, companies who develop and sell GPS navigational products watched their stock prices plunge by 16.4% and 20.8% in one day – erasing billions of dollars of market capitalization. Yesterday, Google announced a free voice navigation application.

Garmin and Tomkin’s woes reminded me of a sidebar example in Free where Anderson described the effect that Craigslist.com has had on the traditional newspaper classified advertising business. Craig Newmark’s largely altruistic project, which has never been a runaway revenue generator, is credited with evaporating $30 billion in receipts from our hometown newspapers.

Throughout the book, Anderson illustrates how savvy businesses are succeeding with indirect routes from product to revenue . He shows that a generational and global shift is at play and highlights the challenges that we face as marketers in this new economy.

He also notes, and I’m sure the C-suites residents at Garmin and Tomkin can now attest, that Google has mastered this concept. A company best known for its free services continues to post record revenues, profits and climbing stock prices. Even in a tough economic climate, Google posted Q3 profits up 27% over last year.

Anderson is an entertaining writer and dedicated observer of the online marketplace and related technologies and behaviors. This latest book, actually offered for free through a number of online promotions, is an interesting read.

Today, I run a business that offers a solid blend of brand strategy, public relations, interactive/web, multicultural and creative/design services. But these areas of focus are blending, mixing, converging together at the speed of light. As clients’ needs become blended from traditional marketing to online visibility, so must we, as a service provider, be able to meet those needs. A PR advisor who knows how to pitch a story must also know how to develop a creative piece to support the story. The web developer must understand how a site will work to support the client’s online reputation. Social media is all the rage and is typically PR-driven, but the marketing strategists need to know when it makes sense to employ, as well. Print designers have to add online and interactive design to their repertoires.

As I see it, this is much more of an opportunity than a challenge. As long as we continue to focus on the client’s brand first, identifying their true distinction in the market, the rest follows suit. I’d much rather have a team with blended capabilities than individuals with a single focus. After all, why would someone hire a website-only company without considering the need for that site to be optimized online, to support lead generation and online social sentiment? We can address all of those things with a single brand voice.

Our challenge is to stay one step ahead of the speed of change and ensure that we are using all of the tools in the marketing and PR toolbox to ensure our clients get the results they need. As those tools evolve and new ones are added every day, we must stay abreast of them so we can do what we do best—create marketing and PR results as efficiently and effectively as possible. It’s not easy to stay current, but it sure is a fun, challenging and energizing time to be in this industry.

The answer? Maybe…and likely, yes.

With 9.3 million visitors in the U.S. and 19 million worldwide, actively participating on Twitter enables you to spread your messages far and wide.

According to Hitwise (link to http://www.hitwise.com/), the amount of visitors on Twitter has almost tripled in just the past four months. In addition, as the below graph shows, when people are online, they’re spending a significant amount of their time on the site. It’s as if Twitter is a marketers dream because its been built and they’re coming!

In addition to the application drawing a large crowd, it’s important to note that the audience is not just a bunch of teenagers spending their after school time online. The below chart shows that the majority of users are between the ages of 18 and 49. And most surprisingly, 21 percent of Twitter users are over 50 years of age. Are any of the below consumers people your company is interested in targeting?

Okay, so it’s apparent that Twitter can open the doors to communicating with your existing customers and offers a tremendous amount of potential to reach new ones. But if you decide to build a presence on Twitter, the most important thing is to make sure that your adoption of the tool into your marketing efforts is done in the right way. The key is to make sure your presence on Twitter provides value to your customers, creates opportunities for engagement and insight, and most importantly is in line with your brand.

Hopefully now you’re convinced that there’s value in at least exploring applications for integrating Twitter into your marketing strategy.

We twish you the twest of tluck!