Advanced Telecom Services and Advanced Mobile is offering two summer internship positions at its Wayne, Pennsylvania offices.  This is a paid internship position with real jobs and a real opportunity to learn more than how to make coffee on our new Keurig coffee maker.  Interns at the company are usually seniors or juniors in college.

Matt Enders was an intern at Advanced Telecom Services and now is president and founder of MGECOM, Inc.

The two internships are:

Marketing Assistant — The successful candidate will work with the Director of Marketing in the following areas:

• search engine optimization
• lead generation
• website development
• social media marketing

The marketing position requires outstanding writing ability to write copy for websites and email newsletters.  Knowledge of internet marketing, blogging, and the ability to work with html or website development tools is a plus.  Love of the internet and mobile is required.

Sales Assistant — The sales assistant will work with small businesses and retailers in using our 84444 text message marketing program in the USA and Canada.  The salesperson will also gain knowledge of our online dating solution and our other mobile marketing products, including Custom QR Codes.

The successful sales candidate will be somebody who wishes to pursue a career in sales after graduation.  He or she should be able to demonstrate that he or she is NOT BE AFRAID TO MAKE COLD CALLS ON THE PHONE.

The Internship Program — Past interns at Advanced Telecom Services and Advanced Mobile have found employment at our company.  In addition, several others have begun companies or begun employment in affiliate marketing, internet marketing, and sales.

Contact:  BobB@advancedtele.com if you are a college student seeking summer employment in the Philadelphia area.

Brownie’s 23 East is a nightclub that caters to the college crowd in the western suburbs of Philadelphia.  Each night, it entertains college students from St. Joseph’s University, Cabrini, and Villanova.

The nightclub uses a custom QR Code from Advanced Telecom Services.  When customers scan the qr code on their smartphones, they go to the mobile microsite that Advanced Telecom Services has built for them.  The microsite for Brownie’s includes information on specials, upcoming bands, and mobile coupons.  It also allows users to Like their Facebook site.

Brownie’s also uses text message marketing to keep its customers informed about what is going on at the nightclub.  Wednesday is a big night for Brownie’s and they regularly send out broadcast text messages on Wednesday afternoons.  To join the Brownie’s text club, text BROWNIES to 84444.

Brownie's 23 East uses a custom qr code, embedded with their logo, to drive customers to its mobile website.

This humorous commercial from Windows Phone shows us just how crazy it is to be a mobile phone user today.

WebFriends, the online dating site of Advanced Telecom Services, is sponsoring a sports talk radio show Spadora on Sports.  WebFriends will be the official sponsor of the Spadora on Sports two hour talk radio show from late December through the end of January.  Online dating shows a usual surge in new profiles at the start of the new year so the sponsorship coincides with that traditional surge.

Spadora on Sports and the WebFriends sponsorship reaches 21 markets including sports talk radio stations in Boston and Chicago. Its male demos are strong and since more women have online dating profiles, WebFriends is looking to increase its male members.

The view of downtown Philadelphia from the offices of CBS-3.  This perch is where Kathy Orr does the weather reports with the city skyline in the background.

Philly Skyline from CBS 3

Sears is running an extensive campaign promoting its toys and games this holiday season.  Large displays can be found in several locations within the King of Prussia Mall near Philadelphia.

The idea is for shoppers to scan the QR Codes and then see the toy in action.  Snap. Shop.

Here’s a picture of one of the QR Codes and the toy.

Sears QR Code display at King Of Prussia Mall

Sears QR Code doll

Deal or No Deal offered a sweepstakes entry via premium sms.

Sweepstakes and contests have long been a popular method of promotion for brands and products.  Sweepstakes and contests often use 900 number entry or entry via premium SMS.

Sweepstakes and contests are some of the most highly regulated of marketing tactics.  Furthermore, sweepstakes are regulated by a complex set of individual state laws that add to the complexity of the already existing national laws.

If you wish to promote a sweepstakes or contest via 900 number or premium SMS, we encourage you to obtain your own legal opinions.  The following information is supplied solely as a guideline and is not intended to offer legal advice.

Consideration — Although the actual definition of consideration varies widely from state to state, consideration generally means that a willing participant is required to make a purchase or pay for access to be eligible to enter a game.  By using a 900 number or premium SMS, there is an inherent consideration involved.

Sweepstakes — A sweepstakes is a legal game that includes a prize and a game of chance.  No consideration is permitted in a legal sweepstakes.

Contest — A contest is a promotional mechanism that includes a prize and is a game of skill.  Consideration is permitted in a contest, but there can be no element of chance at any point in a contest.

Lottery — A lottery is a game that includes a prize, a game of chance, and a consideration.  Federal legislation and State laws govern all lotteries for promotional purposes.  Therefore, you are not able to run a lottery.

So, you may be wondering, how come I see some sweepstakes that do charge people to enter?  That may very well be the case, but it is likely that the sweepstakes is offering some “Alternative Form of Free Entry.”  In other words, if you wish to run a sweepstakes via a 900 number or premium SMS, like Deal or No Deal did, you need also provide a completely free form of entry whereby the free entrants receive the same opportunity to win the prize as those who have paid for the entry.

Again, if you wish to run any type of sweepstakes or contest, you should not take the content herewith as legal advice, as we are not attorneys.  You should consult your own attorney and get the necessary opinion letters prior to running your program.

While most mobile users still prefer to receive coupons via e-mail, there is a growing trend among consumers that wish to receive mobile coupons via text message or via QR Codes.

Met through MatchLink

Matchlink.com is an online dating affiliate website, powered by Match.com, that connects your listeners to the largest database of online singles in the world. Matchlink.com has a simple, yet effective way to increase your radio station’s monthly revenue at zero cost to you.

Simply place our customized banner on your station’s website, link your listeners to an online
personals database powered by Match.com, and receive ongoing revenue from anyone who becomes a paying member of our service.

How It Works

Matchlink requires virtually no work on your part.

1. We design your custom banner ad that matches the look and feel of your station’s site
2. We build a custom Matchlink landing page that also matches the look and feel of your site
3. Place the banner in a prominent place on your site
4. Run radio commercials or liners for the online dating service.
5. Collect 40% of the gross sales every month

Again, all of this requires no investment from you. Should you prefer to create your own banners, just send them to us when you’re finished for a quick review and then you’ll be ready to get up and running.

Generating Revenue

Once you’ve placed the banner ad on your site, your station generates revenue for each person who becomes a paying member of the Matchlink service. Your station will receive 40% of the ongoing monthly spend per user for as long as they remain on Matchlink. The more people who sign up, the larger the monthly revenue your station will earn.

Some of the ways your station can promote Matchlink:

-Banner ads on your station’s home page.  We can design the size of the ads to fit your needs.

-Sidebar, header, or footer links on your station’s site.

-Links to Matchlink on your Facebook or Twitter page.

-On-air promotion. We will provide you with on-air spots if you need them.

Remember, the more you promote the Matchlink product, the more it benefits your station.

Q&A

Q: How long has your company been involved with this type of service?

A: Spark Network Services and Matchlink have been providing NTR to radio stations via dating since 1993.

Contact

Interested in getting this set up? Contact Scott Bronenberg at 610-994-1850 or scottb@advancedtele.com.

An online dating site is a great value-added product for digital newspapers.

If you are still reading the print version of the newspaper, you are likely older, less educated, and less affluent, according to a new study by Pulse Research conducted in September, 2011.

The average age of the online reader of the newspaper is 44 compared to an average age of 51 for print readers.  Of those 30 and under, there are 60% more digital readers than print readers with 61% reading online and just 39% reading the print version.

Income was another category that favored online readers.  Digital readers average $65,480 versus $53,776 for print readers.  Of those earning $100,000 or more, 82% more read the digital version.

Advanced Telecom Services provides an online dating site for digital newspapers.