We have recently blogged about how sms is the highest revenue generator in mobile VAS space and though the question of internet players heavily leveraging sms to reach to a larger audience might have come a little later in the day (or year) but its still a trend that continues to grow among internet players in India. Its the trend of using sms to build connect beyond the PC. Its the first steps to going "Mobile" so as to say.
So recently two startups Burrp – a lifestyle and local listings website and Ixigo – a travel search engine (both being quite good startups) increased their exposure to the mobile audience by launching features that were sms enabled.
So Burrp on one hand launched sms alerts for multiple location listings which was earlier limited to just one location. While Ixigo launched SMS driven search service for flights in association with Onyomo the mobile search provider.
Besides for these two young startups recently Clickjobs.com of BharatMatrimony group has sms enabled the entire recruitment process. The feature known as "Recruit on Mobile" and allows recruiters to send details of job vacancies from their own mobile number to relevant job seekers from ClickJob’s database and receive responses instantly. Alternatively, if the employer does not wish to use this mobile number, he can also route the messages through the mobile platform 5050. ClickJobs would provide the mobile platform and send reports to the employer. Similar features have been provided by other jobsites like naukri, jobstreet and timesjobs as well.
I feel the above trend of using sms to connect with your existing audience creates a new channel of communication for internet startups and is probably helping them to reach a wider audience which is mobile.
Even we at WATBlog are contemplating of having sms alerts regarding our new posts to our readers. Do let us know by commenting to this post how many of you would like something that?
Rajiv,
I already told you about the same. I am much interested to get the blog titles. There is still lots of innovation beyond simply getting titles. Let me see who will capture the imagination.
As i am getting lots of alerts from Jobs to About Internet connection here is one such SMS: "RELIANCE COMMUNICATIONS LAUNCHES WIRELESS BROADBAND INTERNET CONNECTION WITH SPEEDS UPTO 2MBPS FOR DETAIL CALL:SINDHU @ 9986780871/41481527".
Though I Like Advertising. I Enjoy SMS Alerts.
I think it is a viable means to employ people. For, there are more mobile phone users than internet users.
Well I would not like to receive sms updates on news stories unless i have opted in for it.
Frankly even re sms about jobs, i am not sure i would be able to give it much thought, am sure i would instead treat it as spam. Maybe it depends on the profile being recruited.