SMS services company Esendex has launched BlogIt, a free service that enables bloggers to update their blogs from their mobile phones via SMS. Most blog update services are email- or web-based. Blogit enables bloggers to post entries via text message or email, opening up the ability for blogs to be updated using almost any mobile phone.
According to research from BlogPulse, of the 70 million plus blogs that are tracked across the globe, only around 1% are updated each day. Esendex describes BlogIt as a simple-to-use tool that makes mobile blogging a reality, helping bloggers keep their sites fresh without having to wait for access to a PC.
One of the first trialists for BlogIt is Bowes Wine, an independent online wine retailer. Owners Caspar and Victoria Bowes replaced their online newsletter with a blog in November 2007 and now use BlogIt to keep their website up to date while on tasting trips and tours.
BlogIt is ideal for Bowes Wine, as it helps us keep the site up to date with the minimum of fuss, says Caspar. Naturally, our passion is tracking down the best wines we can find, which means were not always at a PC. BlogIt solves this problem and keeps us engaged with our readers and customers.
BlogIt works with Blogger, Typepad, WordPress and any blog that can support email posting or the MetaWeblog or Blogger APIs. To use the service, you first need to sign up with Esendex via the companys website and register your blog details. Then when you want to post, just text the copy to 07786 204255. You can choose during the sign-up process to post BlogIt entries immediately, or save them to your Drafts folder.
At this point in time, BlogIt does not support Categories, so if a post has to be assigned to a particular category in order to appear on the front page of your blog, it wont appear until you can get to a PC and assign a category to it. (This somewhat scuppered our plans to file a short version of this story via SMS yesterday and then follow up with this longer one today, but never mind.)
But Esendex Managing Director Adam Bird told Mobile Marketing that this is a feature that several trialists had been asking for, and that it would be given priority in the development of the next release, adding that Esendexs typical release cycle is monthly.
As soon as we hear that category support has been added, we will let you know.