Is it finally here? Can we trust that the official break has happened and we are not going to have to…
Break out the winter clothes again? Some of you probably thought my initial reference was for the market. No worries, the market is good. It is the weather that has been extremely difficult and unpredictable, especially for those in the Midwest. Why is that important? Because the weather is a key factor in consumer behavior and has a direct impact on our businesses. The weather and mobile are not that different when you compare the two. According to Comscore, 61 percent of all smartphone users check the weather every day on their phone.
Like the weather, the mobile industry is extremely unpredictable and now directly affects consumer behavior. The mass adoption of mobile technology has created a new human dependency on mobile devices. This dependency has caused an evolution in human behavior, giving birth to a new type of consumer: The mobile consumer. The world has not seen this type of change since the advent of the automobile. This new type of consumer is more aggressive and less patient. They are a more knowledgeable and powerful consumer that is affected by their current environment as they are able to transition between the physical and digital world seamlessly. In essence, the smartphone has transformed 6 of the 7 billion humans on our planet into New Yorkers.
This massive change in human behavior, as well as the fast paced nature of the industry, has made it difficult to keep up with the latest and greatest business practices and mobile technology. Two months ago, we did not have a Facebook phone. With an abundance of information at your fingertips, it has become too difficult to decipher what is valuable, which source is accurate and where to go to learn more. Luckily, there are events like CTIA that are dedicated to the mobile industry, keeping you up-to-date on everything mobile.
I have been in the mobile space before the introduction of the iPhone and so has the CTIA. Over the years, CTIA has proven to be a true one-stop shop event for the mobile marketplace. With 40,000 mobile professionals and over 7,500 unique companies represented, everybody who is anybody in the mobile industry should be there. You will find that you learn more in those few jam packed days than you will learn sitting in your office.
It’s not often or easy to gather such a large crowd of mobile professionals and thought leaders in the industry, so when the opportunity presents itself, it’s so important to get involved. Being held in Las Vegas, CTIA 2013 is this year’s must attend event with 28 sessions and 4 outstanding keynote speakers. I will be attending this year’s event and I personally recommend it to anyone who wants to ensure success in their real estate practice for the next five years. For all our loyal readers, we have secured a 20 percent discount off registration prices. When you go to register http://www.ctia2013.com/registration, use the following promo code: LIM20.
It is the mobile consumer who is going to be buying and selling homes over the next five years. This is a demographic that you need to understand if you want to be successful. Finally, we have one place we can go to gather that education we need on the Mobile Consumer.
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John Lim is the CEO of Mobile Card Cast. He can be reached at John@lifeinmobile.com.
