Expert is defined as having authoritative knowledge or skill in a particular area.  Ninja is loosely defined as a skilled warrior, simply the best of the best.  It is said that bullets dodge ninjas and that in an average living room there are 1,242 objects ninjas could use to kill you, including the room itself.

I digress.  The question is which would you rather be considered; A Mobile Marketing Expert or A Mobile Marketing Ninja?

I prefer the latter but either way, I can help you with this.  The world of mobile is rapidly expanding at a rate almost equal to that of the known universe.  For this reason, the simple change velocity makes things like becoming an expert or ninja seem unattainable.  If you feel this way STOP.  The speed at which technology is evolving is creating niche expertise demand in many sectors, especially mobile!  We are talking about an industry that for all intensive purposes began in the US in 2007.  That means the playing field is pretty level.  At best the guy with more experience than you has 5 years on you.

Every major market in America has room for at least 10 mobile marketing experts.  Smaller markets outside the Nielson top 20 probably have room for 3-5 mobile marketing ninjas and itsy bitsy towns across the USA need at least two mobile marketing experts to create competition.  Kinda like having a Lowes and Home Depot across the street from one another, they create market and feed off each other.

So know you know there is room for you to do this and the best competition is only 5 years ahead of you, now how do you become an expert?

Start by interviewing vendors and asking lots of questions.  SMS providers, SMS aggregators, Mobile Ad Networks, Mobile Site Tools providers etc.  They have a ton of knowledge that they love to share with anyone that will listen and potentially buy from them.  Take notes, it will be like drinking from a fire hose.  You can go back and sift through it later.

Secondly subscribe to, participate in, and read the industry authority blogs and forums.  I recommend Mobile Marketer Daily, MMA Smartbrief, Mobile Marketing Watch and if I am going to recommend a Mobile Marketing Ninja to follow it would be Derek Johnson at the Tatango Blog, the kid knows his stuff and does a great job in sharing his knowledge and positioning himself as a thought leading ninja.

Then set up some Google Alerts for keywords like: “Mobile Marketing” “SMS Marketing” and “Mobile Friendly”.  This way, each day your email inbox is filled with the latest that Google finds regarding these topics.

Finally take Kim Dushanski’s Mobile Marketing Boot Camp course.  This will be several hundred dollars very well spent.  Kim has courses for those who are considering getting into mobile marketing and advanced courses for selling mobile marketing as a service.

Learn from doing.  Get out and find some businesses that need help and don’t know where to start.  Remember, some definitions of expert is merely knowing more about a topic than I. Implement mobile strategies for your customers.  Measure the ROI and the response.  Create mobile marketing case studies to show your new prospects.  Rinse and repeat.

Most importantly be passionate.  Become knowledgeable and proclaim the Gospel of Mobile every where you go.  I use the term Gospel because Gospel means “Good News” and there has never been better news to marketers than the ability to engage their customers one on one 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If you want to become a ninja, then begin by downloading some of our white papers.  Register for our Wisdom Center and get on the phone with one of our mobile marketing ninja masters today.