Mobile is eating the world...

You just have to find the time to go through this.

Brilliant. Don't SMS & drive you idiot...

This brilliant. Fiona sent it to me.

Loads more info here.

SMS Activism in Norway

Amnesty SMS-action from Rickard Roslund on Vimeo.

I was at the IFC in Holland last week. In the preparation for the masterclass I was running I was sent this.

It's brilliant. It's brilliant because it's different. And it's brilliant because it is interesting.

MobileMagic: the Sunday in front of Mo addition

I was in the USA last week. At DC airport on the way back I bought this. 

Don't cha wish your husband bought gifts like me. Don't cha? #trump #USA #politics

A photo posted by Paul de Gregorio (@degregoriopaul) on Aug 7, 2016 at 11:25am PDT

Mobile banking on the rise as payment via apps soars by 54% in 2015. This type of stuff is really important to us. The more people move money around using their phones, the more opportunity there is for fundraising. Which brings me neatly to this. M-commerce: has the mobile web finally won?

Snapchat users getting older. Probably superseded by Instagram Stories? BTW, my Instagram Story is exactly as you'd expect.

New mobile game puts you on the frontline with MSF. My MSF work crush continues.

Turkish Protesters Are Spray Painting "8.8.8.8" and "8.8.4.4." On Walls — Here's What It Means. Protest is so so different in this digital age. Love this story.

Money as Message. A great article about money and messaging.

And then this. Charity: water using chatbots to take donations in Facebook messenger. A tiny rant: There is already comment online which suggests Charity: water have delivered an awful experience, that no human wants to give in this way, which IMHO is kind of missing the point. I don’t think anyone wants to give to a robot. But, this step one in the development of the technology, it will get better. Those that invest or at least keep aware of emerging tech will do better as the world changes, than those that seek to pick holes in progress. RANT ENDS.

Lots to learn from the US presidential race. Look at Hillary Clinton with her fancy approach to winning. "No matter where you are, you can help Hillary win in November. All you need is a smartphone”.

And finally. How charities are adopting WhatsApp. Includes some quotes from your favourite chap from Somerset. (That’s me by the way).

All the other editions can be found here.​

If you had to flee, what’s the one thing you'd take with you?

Watch this on a mobile phone.

MobileMagic: The blank holiday edition...

When a New Cell Phone Almost Ruins Your Relationship...I just, I mean, I just don’t have the words. I more than most think that your phone is really important. But this, this is just silly.

Presentation: Mobile is eating the world. This, (from Benedict Evans) is a must read. It contains all sorts of facts and stats to feed your brain. 

Mobile to become dominant device by 2019. More brain food. By 2019 mobile will grab more online time than all other devices combined.

Apple says the average iPhone is unlocked 80 times a day. What are we looking for? Entertainment probably. Distraction from what we should be doing. Likes? We’re looking for something… It’s probably not there.

End of SMS? WhatsApp and Facebook messages outstrip texts by three times. No. Probably not the end of SMS. But the end of voice?

WhatsApp activates end-to-end encryption for one billion users. Just ask David Cameron. 

German city installs traffic lights in pavements to protect texting pedestrians. Yes. We live in a world where this is necessary. 

This weeks messaging bit...

Our growing obsession with WhatsApp… Our blog post on the subject.

Great Western Railway receives 4,731 customer inquiries on Facebook Messenger.

TD Bank streamlines customer service via mobile on Facebook Messenger.

WhatsApp in higher education: A UEA case study. Seems to be a reoccurring theme this WhatsApp thing. 

And the final bit. The FEELTHEBERN section.

Inside Bernie Sanders's Social Media Machine.

Our growing obsession with WhatsApp…

Originally posted on the Open blog.

Yesterday I got my first MSF WhatsApp message after signing up a week or so ago.

This made me very excited. As any regular reader of this blog will know - I’m a little obsessed by the potential of WhatsApp and other instant messaging apps.

I talk about it a lot at conferences and client meetings - so I will try to explain my obsession without the hand waving and swearing that accompanies me talking in those places.

In the UK, SMS volumes have stabilised at about 150 billion a year. But the use of instant messaging has exploded, with volumes hitting around 300 billion in 2014 – up from about 25 billion in 2010. Source here. So, if the people we want to inspire and communicate with are this obsessed with these messaging services, we should be too.

I have a theory about this mass adoption. It’s a theory, so feel free to disagree with it. It goes like this…

As people become more aware of the privacy concerns of social networks like Facebook, instant messaging is attractive because they can create their own private social networks by using groups. I’ve seen this happen with my family, friends and colleagues – where groups have been set up for specific events, groups of people or work projects. And just like in social media, pictures, video and links are quickly shared and chat ensues…

I’ve seen JustGiving use WhatsApp to drive sharing and it seems to create additional value.

I’ve seen Change.org add WhatsApp sharing to the post petition signing experience.

And now we see MSF using it to communicate with their supporter base.

In our opinion the growth and adoption of instant messaging is not ‘happening’ it has ‘happened. And we need to be thinking now about how we use the changing nature of messaging to our and our clients advantage.

Whatsapp messages from Syria

Another one of those films that will make you feel sad.

It includes images of those fleeing Syria and those that remain. It includes the words that separated families send each other using the voice functionality of WhatsApp.

The full article, 'The Messages That Hold Refugee Families Together' was published in TIME Magazine and can be found here.

If you don't look good on a mobile you don't exist...

I've been meaning to get this off my chest for a while.

The rise of smartphones means we've all got the internet in our pockets.

The way that people communicate with each other and consume media is undergoing revolutionary change and it’s all happening on smartphones. 

If you can motivate people to come and find you it’s highly likely that they will do so on a mobile. The people you want to inspire and move to take action expect you to offer a fabulous mobile experience. Not doing so is not an option if you want to be heard and want to be effective. Your audience doesn't care why you don't look and feel good on a mobile - they just know you don't and they know someone else does.

So what?

Well it means that digital and mobile are one.

Digital is Mobile. 

Mobile is Digital. 

There really is no distinction anymore. If we continue to think there is, we’re missing the point. And probably doing it wrong.

MobileMagic: the Saff by saff west edition...

Online activists support uprisings around the world. Here’s what we know about them. I know, I'm obsessed. I really am.

Facebook Plans To Put Ads In Messenger. Sigh...

Twitter is making it easier to direct message brands. Hopefully this will mean I will see less friends in Twitter shouting at Yodel and spamming my feed. Interesting for charities though….

Teens have a smart reason for abandoning Facebook and Twitter. Cough, been saying this for a while, cough, believe it comrades, private messaging is the new InstaFaceTwitterbook…

The Meticulously Engineered Grassroots Network Behind the Bernie Sanders Revolution. Fascinating article about how Bernie built his supporter base using digital techniques.

A charity using WhatsApp. MSF. Who are fricking brilliant.

The global tech community tackles the refugee crisis. Tech for good.

63% Of Us Now Use Mobile Phones. I’m surprised it isn’t more.

MobileMagic: the Sunday in DC edition...

This edition has a US slant given I’m in the USA on a work trip...

Texting Comes of Age as a Political Messenger. A great article from The New York Times on how SMS is critical to the 2016 presidential race.

2016 Candidates Capitalize on SMS Donations. More on the race for president, this time, fundraising.

A Digital Revolution? Sanders Reinvents the Online Campaign.  And in the same theme here’s a long but very interesting insight into Bernie’s digital campaigning...

The death of m-payments. I’m obsessed with mobile payments. Less friction in payment = more fundraising success. So this article is super interesting - are wallets going to be the future or did the future arrive ages ago and only now becoming ubiquitous.

Leave my iPhone alone: why our smartphones are extensions of ourselves. Our smartphones and our privacy...

Have a nice day now.

NB. The picture was taken yesterday, minutes after being stood up by the Obamas...

Samaritans. Mobile. Valentine's Day.

Share the love this Valentine’s Day. Give £3/month through your mobile! https://t.co/NUbMDB7jBb pic.twitter.com/wWWfVNMpgi

— Samaritans (@samaritans) February 14, 2016

Well this is clever.

MobileMagic: the TRUMPED edition

One billion. This is news. It’s WhatsApp news. It’s MASSIVE news.

The rise of WhatsApp on JustGiving, and other interesting stats from 2015. The JustGiving blog is a great place for all sorts of nuggets. Like the fact they've raised £1M via WhatsApp shares...

Facebook Messenger: inside Mark Zuckerberg's app for everything. Great article about FB’s plans for messenger. Messaging is the next social network if it ain’t already.

Starbucks Earnings: Mobile Payments Growth.  Whilst it would be lovely if they paid their taxes, we can all learn a thing or two from the Starbucks mobile experience. This mobile payments thing is real people. It will not go away.

Bernie Saunders uses SMS real good... (#FeelTheBern). I like what politicians in the USA do with mobile and messaging. It’s smart. We could do the same here. Charities could do the same here.

Samsung and Apple are using conflict minerals, says watchdog. Is your phone conflict free? Amnesty will tell you.

YouTube Videos Can Now be Used to Raise Money for Charity. Coming soon to a mobile screen near you.

'They're the worst': Why agencies are trying to kick the PowerPoint habit. WTAF?!

And not forgetting www.loser.com

Bernie Saunders uses SMS real good... (#FeelTheBern)

Do you know where to #CaucusForBernie today? Text 'CAUCUS' to 82623.

A photo posted by Bernie Sanders (@berniesanders) on Feb 1, 2016 at 1:35pm PST

The picture above and the two below. Oh, just political campaigners in the USA showing us how to use mobile in political campaigns properly...

I really think 'join the SMS list' could be a great tool for UK charities. SMS messages get read. It helps.

A political revolution is coming. Join us and text BERNIE to 82623 to sign up for important campaign updates today.

A photo posted by Bernie Sanders (@berniesanders) on Sep 13, 2015 at 1:22pm PDT

Join our text list to receive important campaign updates including local events in your area!

A photo posted by Bernie Sanders (@berniesanders) on Jul 6, 2015 at 6:37am PDT

All the digital stats you could ever need courtesy of We Are Social...

Digital in 2016 from We Are Social Singapore

The good people of We Are Social have just released their annual Digital report. Is really is an invaluable resource from quite obviously lovely people. Enjoy.

If you don't look good on a mobile you don't exist...

This?

This is my face when I get to a donation form that doesn't work on a mobile.

What follows is a brilliant presentation from Beate Sørum, it's all about maximising conversion from online donation forms. It's essential reading.

If you ever get the chance to see Beate speak, take it. She's brilliant.

How to get people from intention to donation from Beate Sørum

An alternative to the same old same old...

I wrote a blog the other day with the title ‘Ignore all gurus. Read fewer fundraising blogs. (Yes, including this one).’ And I meant it.

The point buried somewhere in that post was that there are too many fundraising blogs. All covering the same circular debates with no real alternative to the status quo. Which isn’t very exciting or inspiring.

In that post I suggested we should seek inspiration from elsewhere, so here is a list of places on the internet I look at when I need that inspiration or an alternative view.

Mobilisation Lab. One of my favourite corners on the internet. And great people in real life. I had the pleasure of attending one of their events in the woods just outside of Arnhem a few years ago and I’m still drawing inspiration from my experiences with them. The blog has loads and loads of case studies on how the Greenpeace network and affiliates is using tech to win.

Springwise.  A place to see examples of problems that are solved by taking an alternative view.

Meta Activism.  A look at how digital drives activism. 

The Sell! Sell! Blog. A blog that at times can push my thinking and state the obvious in an uncompromising way. Good brain food. 

Two US agencies, Precision Strategies and Blue State Digital. The former set up and staffed by some people who worked at Blue State Digital. Both a great place for a look across the pond at smart things happening in political campaigning & fundraising.

We Are Social. A phenomenal resource for up to the minute thinking and global stats on all things social.

Benedict Evans. Not a blog, but a email list you won’t regret signing up for.

Mobile Fix. And another ace email to sign up to.

I’d love to hear about blogs that inspire you. But please, no purely fundraising ones...

DISTRICT ZERO: What's hidden inside the smartphone of a refugee?

This film looks amazing. Watch the trailer, read the words.

Maamun opens the door to his shop, like he does every other morning. It is a tiny white container. Next to it is an identical container, and then another, and another. Thousands of containers stretch as far as the eye can see, all of them exactly the same. We are in one of the biggest refugee camps in the world: Zaatari, in Jordan. His shop repairs mobile phones. Maamun starts to serve his customers. Their memory cards contain their past in Syria: happiness, routine, family life. And then the war came, followed by destruction, fear and flight. Maamun rebuilds photos and sound, recovers lost content, recharges batteries, and restores the only link his neighbours still have with Syria. He and his friend Karim have decided to provide a new service: printing off the photos which have filled up the mobile phones of the people who live in Zaatari.

Through his routine, the conversations with his friends and neighbours, the daily life in his tiny shop, we discover that no-one wants to print off photos of the war; there is much more to the refugees’ sense of identity than that. They want to remember, they want to emphasise their Syrian identity, their identity as individual people. The photographs printed off in Maamun’s shop every day not only make us ask questions about the identity of the refugees, but also about our own identity: who are we? Why are we here? Where were we born? Where will we die?

All the info here.

MobileMagic: the jumping on the Dismaland bandwagon edition

Presidential Campaigns See Texting as a Clear Path to Voters. Looks like the next US election is gonna have a whole lot of mobile in it.

Survey: 35% of Users Check Their Phones More than 50 Times Per Day. Sure we’ve seen data that says it’s more than 150 times a day… Count them and let me know :)

Mobile Messaging and Social Media 2015. Lots of good data.

A 21st-Century Migrant’s Essentials: Food, Shelter, Smartphone. These events are just so tragic. 

Smartphone app launched to help asylum seekers in Dresden.

WhatsApp For Web Finally Works For iPhone Users. Give your iPhone away. Android peeps have had this for ages. 

So long square photos? Instagram adds portrait and landscape options. This is the type of change I fear.

* I know there is no Dismaland connection.

MobileMagic: The of course we can edition...

Massive but really useful market review from Phonepay Plus, the UK regulator for mobile payments.

And in a similar vein. The Ofcom The Communications Market 2015 report. Always a winner!

Uber's Phantom Cabs. Uber is having you on.

Tanzania's free SMS health campaign helps pregnant women, new mothers. Hanna C sent me this, it’s a fab use of SMS.

Facebook in Q2: Mobile Accounts for 76% of Total Ad Revenue. Incredible. It wasn’t that long ago that the percentage was a BIG FAT ZERO.

A Defining Question in an iPhone Age: Live for the Moment or Record It? Ask yourself.

12 Nonprofit Call-to-Action Twitter Images to Study and Learn From. We all know that social is mobile and mobile is social right? So let’s do it better then.

A tiny bit of us. Diabetes UK launches mobile membership service.

And we had a little bit to do with this at work. Tho of course I don’t support any single individual candidate. Nope. Not me.