Mobile is more than a communications or information tool, it is a global lifestyle. For businesses, brands and organizations, it is both the present and the future in building connections and relationships with customers and consumers.

In laymen’s terms, mobile engagement is defined as marketing via a mobile device that provides customers with personalized time and location sensitive information that promotes goods and services.

There are a litany of statistics that represent why mobile matters. And it matters more each passing day.

Consider that half of the U.S. population uses a smartphone, and that it was estimated by Cisco that there would be more mobile devices on the planet than people by the end of 2013. This infographic shows that 79 percent of people use their mobile device within the first 15 minutes after waking up, and most smartphone users check their devices 150 times per day. By the end of 2015, there will be more people accessing the Internet via mobile devices than wireless computers.

The numbers that prove how addicted consumers are to their phones are staggering. You should be thoroughly convinced that mobile matters.

The reality is that building great experiences and serving customers through mobile marketing is the pulse of consumer engagement strategies for businesses and brands. So what are some mobile engagement marketing strategies businesses can use?

Real-time interaction.
Current mobile marketing is about real-time interactions that build brand value. A mobile device always knows where it is, and brands can unlock that power with hyper-targeted messages based on opportunity and location. Instant feedback from consumers – what they like, what they found helpful, an instant in-store special – are value that bring them back.

Direct interaction.
The social network market might be saturated, but it is still a growing mobile content activity. Integrating an app or ad campaign within a social network to create conversation is useful for any brand.

Useful interaction.
Getting someone to download an app in the crowded market is great, but giving them a reason to consistently use it is another.  Consumers are overwhelmed with noise, so cut through it with “sticky” apps that keep users coming back. Customizable content – such as a news feed or mobile chat – create a truly personalized experience that offers brand value.

Research shows, mothers are influencing way more than their own families lives.  Whether they are connecting with family and friends on Facebook, adding Pins to their Pinterest board or researching their child’s ailments on WebMD, mothers are changing the way we view the Internet.

They have become the predominant user of social media in the past 3 years.  Leading the pack with most visits to social networks, mothers are more willing to Like and Share a brands page with their online community.  Online Brands have recognized this and have become more interactive by communicating directly with mothers through online conversations.

Brands have also noticed that Mothers rely heavily on product reviews and soundboards.  Mothers are more likely to purchase something that was recommended or reviewed.  Since mothers do the majority of their shopping online, brands have become aware of the importance of tracking their reviews and customer satisfaction.

Mothers are blogging queens.  A mother writes about 1 in 3 blogs you will find on the Internet.  Thanks to their words of wisdom and reviews, brands are able to notice what is trending, and how they can tailor their advertisements to the trends.

Brands have started tailoring their marketing efforts specifically to mothers by establishing an emotional connection with them.  This is done by focusing on what mothers care about.  Moms these days are not only buying groceries, but electronics, cars, and other major purchases.  Brand have recognized these changes and have made campaigns that focus on the needs of a mom in this day and age. With that said, it is worth your while to see how you can get your brand noticed by such a powerful sector of online consumers.

It should go without saying that you need to know how you and your brand are perceived in the digital world. After all, it is a digital world.

Social media platforms have changed the way people interact and voice their opinions online. With billions of people on Facebook and millions more on platforms like Twitter, Instagram, Yelp, Pinterest, and Foursquare, it’s easier than ever for an angry customer to attack your reputation and create a public relations disaster, costing your business money.

The question is this: When someone searches for you or your brand online, what will they find?

Let’s face it, your online reputation can make or break your business. So taking the steps to create an effective strategy to manage, track, and protect your established reputation is simply critical to your success.

So how can you keep your online reputation safe? There are steps you can take to manage your online reputation.

Search for yourself.
Run a full search for your name or brand on search engines and create Google Alerts to receive email alerts whenever your brand is mentioned online.

Monitor social media and utilize tools.
Monitor consumer feedback on review sites (like Yelp or Amazon) and proactively respond to comments. Sites like Reviewtrackers.com and Reputation.com help you track online activity on one dashboard. Utilize platforms like HootSuite and Radian6 to track and respond to all of your mentions across multiple social media platforms.

Buy your domain name.
Buy up the domain names – how many is up to you – that could be associated with your name or brand. Depending on your resources, create some official content that can live here.

Optimize your presence on social media.
Join social media networks and complete the profiles to optimize your presence and show up high in online searches. Review all of the privacy settings, and customize the URL of each profile with your full name or brand instead of the generic and lengthy URL. Connect all of your digital platforms to strengthen your presence.

Adopt branded hashtags.
Many major brands have created hashtags that users use to identify their brand. It not only helps your brand stand out, but it helps you track mentions. Leverage branded hashtags so users can easily mention you.

Keep private things private.
Don’t put anything online – anywhere – that you wouldn’t want the world to see. Don’t rely on privacy settings to restrict things to friends and family. Monitor what others are posting about you and remove identification tags if necessary. Create private and public social profiles to keep the two worlds separate.

Inevitably, many of us will have to speak in public. Some of us much more often than others, whether it comes via conducting a meeting, giving a presentation, leading a small group or speaking to a large crowd.

You might be the nervous type, or you might feel completely comfortable. But everyone should know that to be an effective public speaker, body language matters. After all, the visual given to the audience is you. The business world is full of lists of things that you should and shouldn’t do when it comes to public speaking; the essential focal point is to replicate the natural and authentic state you would have during a one-on-one conversation.

The most effective public speakers use authority, energy and audience awareness to influence their crowd, the three main themes which influence these seven helpful tips:

• Remember facial expressions. Not only do they augment the meaning of your words, they help the audience feel comfortable. Start with a simple smile.
  
  
• Impact of eye contact. Don’t worry about the amount of eye contact, think about its effect. People will naturally pay attention and become engaged when they feel connected.
  
  
• Bring your energy.  Is it as simple as not being boring? Get invested in your topic and show the audience you actually care about whatever it is you’re talking about.
  
  
• Be aware of gestures. Vary your gestures, keep them small, and don’t be repetitive. Your gestures should be a natural compliment to your voice to help keep your audience’s attention.
  
  
• Use space and movement. Occupy the space you have and project power by standing and moving. Showing you are comfortable projects confidence. Use open gestures  and movement to accompany your words.
  
  
• Simple as breathing. Don’t forget to breathe, which keeps you relaxed. Allow yourself to pause and breathe slowly for effect or when answering questions. Stay open and keep your back straight.
  
  
• Think of your voice as an instrument. The five traits of a powerful voice are breathing, articulation, downward inflection, pauses and projection. Think about meaning and intention while using your voice.
  

Really, there is an app for just about everything. But sometimes that can also be the problem.

Let’s face it: The application marketplace is one crowded arena. Running a business can leave you stretched for organization, time, or just peace of mind, and it can be difficult to sift through the noise to find apps that can truly make running your business easier.

So here’s a list of 10 business apps that you should add to make your business activities simpler and more effective.

Evernote – Evernote is immensely popular and does a little bit of everything. Along with plenty of third-party add-on apps, it lets you take notes (including audio), clip web pages, store images, and then share them across devices.

CloudOn – While several apps can run Microsoft Office on a number of devices, CloudOn is free and supports many of its advanced features. It is designed to work on touch devices.

Mileage Tracker – There’s no easier way to track business mileage than on a mobile device, and Mileage Tracker does that automatically via GPS, along with your expenses and itinerary.

YouSendIt – A comprehensive app that allows you to access documents, presentations and video from anywhere, send or share files to shared folders, and even sign documents all while syncing to other devices.

Expensify – Another app that lets you track receipts, Expensify is both free and simple. You can take photos of receipts, categorize expenses, and sync to QuickBooks online.

EZ Balances II – For tracking needs beyond just expenses, EZ Balances II allows businesses to organize spending by tracking budgets, travel expenses, cash accounts and credit cards and then email reports.

Bump – All about accessibility and organization, Bump shares contacts, calendars, files and photos from one phone to another, and does it for free. Use it to trade contact information instead of business cards.

Tripit – Just forward all of your travel information – flights, car reservations, hotels, meetings – and Tripit organizes it into one clean agenda that is sharable.

SignNow – SignNow allows you to sign documents electronically, which is ideal for business needs on-the-go like finishing or approving contractual agreements, while also reducing the risk of losing valuable paperwork.

Applause – There is indeed an app for everything, including one to help find the best apps. Applause measures user satisfaction and app quality to help connect you with the latest apps you need.