Mo7 Mobile Interactive Marketing was the sole text messaging provider for the 2007 Army Navy Football game in Baltimore, MD. The Army used in-stadium LED board messaging, as well as display ads in the Game Program and a pre-game flyer program to drive opt-ins. Texters were told they could receive $2,000 for referring a recruit, plus given a url to an Army web site where they could learn more about the referral program.

Who Is Surfing the Mobile Web?

Research on mobile web demographics is still in its infancy, but the picture is slowly emerging like a Polaroid being waved in the air. And the picture bodes well for traditional TV advertisers who have been frustrated by diminishing audiences of young adults.

Nielsen recently reported that 25% of 18-34 year olds used mobile web technology earlier this year. That number, it's assumed, is larger now. And it outpaces, by a wide margin, all other demos.

Among the 12+ population, only 14% used the mobile web. What's surprising is that virtually the same number of teens (15%) reported mobile web use.

And the skew is decidedly male (55%). Not overwhelming, but significant.

What's not apparent is how these people accessed the mobile web. Did they go through their carrier's deck? Did they log onto a site on their own? Or did they click on an SMS-delivered link as part of a text promotion?

The details will emerge as to the best way to facilitate mobile web engagement. But for now, the signs are very encouraging. Especially for advertising who are seeing their target 18-34 demo slip out the back door and leave traditional media sitting alone at the table.

Mo7 Mobile Rules of Engagement: Wrap up

[This is the final installment of this week's series on Engagement. Previous posts are listed below.]

Mobile has tremendous power to engage. Think through your mobile campaign from the perspective of the consumer.

People who use mobile to access your marketing expect to unleash an immediate chain reaction. Make sure it happens for them.

They're letting you into a very personal area of their lives. Feel priviledged. And reward them for it. Make it feel good for them. Whether you're delivering info, access or an instant win, make sure they're gratified by the experience.

The last thing using your cell phone should be is the first thing it often is: difficult! So make it simple. Think it through from the consumer's perspective. Simplicity, ease and convenience will yield results.

Apply our “Mobile Rules of Engagement,” and you’re bound to increase engagement...and ROI with your mobile campaigns.

Mobile Rule of Engagement #3: Convenience

[Part 3 in this week's series on "Engagement." See below for previous posts in this series.]

We are, after all, marketing to people on the go. So keep it simple. In fact, our company’s slogan is: “Mobile marketing made simple.”

Long ago, we recognized that CMOs and marketing directors didn’t have time to adequately deal with all of the intricacies of mobile. They barely had time to manage their mainstream marketing channels. They’re so busy that we needed to make it turnkey.

Mobile consumers are just as busy, so simplify. For instance, we tell clients to provide easy to take action-steps in every communication. And include a WAP link that is barebones, so it downloads quickly to the consumer’s cell phone.

We use drop-down menus whenever possible, to reduce the need for typing. And we try to surround the end-user with multiple response channels that are all just a click away and simple to navigate.

Mobile Rule of Engagement #2: Gratification

[Part 2 in this week's series on "Engagement." See below for previous posts in this series.]

The key to mobile, like any marketing, is gauging the level of reward necessary to motivate the consumer to do what you’re asking. If you’re asking for someone to merely text in, the reward can be relatively small. But if you’re asking them to click through to a .mobi site and enter their personal information, you better make it worth their while.

Fortunately, mobile lends itself very well to this process. A strategy that we employ quite effectively is something we call “escalating incentives.” Basically, you start with a small, but relevant, incentive to get consumers to respond. Then you gradually up the ante with larger incentives as you move them to your final goal, which is usually opting-in by giving their personal data.

It works because the user feels rewarded at every turn, so they’re encouraged to move forward with you. They also feel secure. You’ve proven yourself. Now they’re comfortable taking the next step.

Mobile Rule of Engagement #1: Immediacy

[Part 1 in this week's series on "Engagement." See below for the introduction to this series.]

A key element of mobile is access from anywhere at anytime. So your mobile campaign must leverage the value of immediacy: not only in access but also in gratification for the user.

Mobile absolutely must have an element of instant gratification because mobile is marketing, but on 5 cups of espresso. The whole process is speeded up and compressed into just a few moments. So the potential payoff is enhanced. But so is the expectation from the user.

That’s why we counsel clients to keep campaigns simple and direct. Make a clear offer, provide a simple method to obtain it, and deliver on it immediately. Keeping it simple makes it easy to present value to the user with every action they take.

Mo7 Mobile Rules of Engagement

At the moment, it’s hip to apply the term “engaging” to mobile marketing as if all you need to do is do add mobile and you will magically engage consumers. Sorry. It’s not quite that simple.

Mobile certainly does tilt the engagement scale in your favor (you are, after all, leveraging the most personal communications device that people use). But you still have to work to make engagement happen with consumers. The good news is that you can do that by building on the attributes of mobile that make is so unique.

All this week, we will be discussing the elements that we use every day to capitalize on the natural capabilities of mobile to create successful opt-in campaigns. We call them our “Mo7 Mobile Rules of Engagement:”

Mobile Rule #1 -- Immediacy (Give it to them NOW!)
Mobile Rule #2 -- Gratification (Make them feel good NOW!!)
Mobile Rule #3 -- Convenience (Make it simple NOW!!!)

Each day we'll show you how you can use each of these elements to build stronger opt-in mobile strategies and grow your business.