Mobile marketing is gaining momentum, especially since current trends indicate that mobile internet usage is on the increase. Businesses can leverage mobile as a marketing platform to achieve their business and marketing goals. ComScore’s study on mobile social networking usage, from January 2009 to January 2010, showed an increase of 112% in mobile Facebook users, and an increase of 347% in mobile Twitter users.

An interesting point to note, is that most social networks have a mobile component use API that can extract important information from users’ profiles, sending updates across various networks. For example, Twitter tweets can be published on Facebook, and Twitter friends can be added to Foursquare. Consequently, users don’t need to build full profiles on all the social networks on their mobile, saving them a lot of typing. This is also a big plus for brands who want to take advantage of social networking in their mobile marketing campaign.

Social networking is a popular activity for users with internet-enabled phones and many businesses have succeeded in utilising social networking build awareness and loyalty for their brands.  How to go about it?  Start by creating, optimising and linking all your branded business social accounts. Here are some pointers for Facebook Twitter and Foursquare, which are the most popular social networks in use.

Facebook

It is easy to aggregate all your social networking activities on Facebook, which can be done by integrating it with your blog, Twitter, Foursquare, YouTube and Flickr accounts. This is especially useful for your mobile and non-mobile fans.  Even if your website is currently not optimised for mobile phones, focus on your Facebook fan page, which is easily accessible on mobile browsers.

Facebook fan pages are basically mini-websites for those brands that show high engagement, and fan pages are accessible via the web interface as well. These pages rank well in search results and the more fans who “like” your profile, engage with your brand, post on your wall and link to your Facebook notes, the better. These users can also view photos on your brand’s fan page.  Coupons that can be redeemed in-store or mobile downloads can all be featured on your fan page with images and links.

Twitter

Most Twitter users access Twitter via their mobile phones, and this makes it necessary for all brands to have a mobile strategy for Twitter. Your brand can keep Twitter “followers” engaged with interesting 140-character messages. The idea is to keep your users engaged through an enjoyable user experience. Twitter offers automation tools that brands can leverage to keep their audience engaged.

Foursquare

As a location-based social networking service, focused on mobile devices and accessible via mobile websites or apps, Foursquare can help brands get an insight into their visitors. This social network can be a good starting point for mobile-based contests and other activities such as a new product launch. Brands can easily use the mobile phone to keep their audience engaged and inspire them to interact through innovative campaigns and reward them for the effort.  You can award custom badges to your users or offer discounts to those who check in at their locations.  Through your Foursquare page, you can keep your fans engaged.

Fortunately, you don’t need a big budget invested in mobile technology to reach your brand’s mobile user market, since these popular social networks have made it easy for you. Your success is in the way you leverage – know what motivates your audience and be creative.

Here is great news for Audi lovers, you can now ‘upgrade’ your car’s model just by downloading a mobile app and playing and winning a game within the app. Gameloft, a French video game developer and publisher of digitally distributed video games, have teamed up with premium car brand Audi to launch a mobile app named Asphalt Audi RS 3. The game pits players against each other and offers them the chance to win the new Audi A3 Sportback worth $70 000.

This mobile app is available for free download on Apple’s App store. App users can enter the competition (which ends on 16 March 2011) where they must race three laps around the Bahamas racing track. Players compete in three race carrier modes in the game – two regular races followed by an elimination round. The racers are able to post their final scores on GameLoft Live. The highest score posted on GameLoft Live stand the chance to win an Audi A3 Sportback 2.0 TFSI Quattro. The video below demonstrate the app’s functionality, take a look.

The app provides users with an adrenaline pumping experience where they can ‘feel’ the speed and power of the new Audi A3. The competition, which is run via the app, is proving successful in promoting the Audi brand and now the game is available for download at $4.99. The paid-for game offers players a wider variety of cars and more precise control on fixing minor bugs. If you’re a racing fan, head over to the Apple App store and download the app. Happy gaming!

Jamie Oliver released a brand new iPhone app called Jamie’s Recipes. This follows the success of his previous (award-winning) app, 20 Minute Meals, which hit the top of the charts in the UK and the rest of the world since first released in 2009. With its consistent interface design and amazing food photography, the new quick and easy-to-prepare recipes app will be a definite success.

The app, available for free download, comes with a “Taster Pack” of 12 recipes. It also includes step-by-step instruction cards, video tutorials and tips, as well as ways to prepare and cook the various recipes. Additional recipe packs are available at $2 each. Each recipe contains 3 crucial steps to follow when creating that perfect dish:

Summary

Contains an overview of the dish, as well as links to relevant, helpful videos.

You’ll Need

This tab lists the equipment and ingredients necessary for each specific recipe.

Steps

Text and photo step-by-step guides on how to prepare the dish.

The virtual shopping list is a cool feature where you are able to add all your shopping needs and store it in one place. The app also automatically adjusts the number of ingredients needed if you’re cooking for more than 2 people. How smart!

However, according to some the app lacks hands-free functionality (refer to Nigella’s Quick Collection app for example). Other than these minor issues, this app will surely change the way we cook. What are you waiting for? Download the app, develop your culinary skills and become a Kitchen Queen (or King)…!