Before we attempt to answer the question above, consider the following stats…

1.  According to the CTIA, U.S. mobile subscribers hit the 285 million mark at of the end of 2009. This equates to approximately 91% of the U.S. population now “mobile”.

2. The CTIA also reported that Americans traded 822 billion text messages (5 billion per day) for the second half of 2009, and over 1.5 trillion for the whole year. (WOW)

3.  Portio Research noted that SMS (text-messaging) is still holding steady as the most widely used data application. Text-messaging remains high on the charts as a primary way in which Americans continue to leverage their mobile device. 

4. In March 2010, Experian Simmons reported that 9 out of 10 United States adults today use at least one mobile device.

5. In April 2010, Comscore reported that over 64% of U.S. mobile subscribers used text messaging on their mobile device.

6. In April 2010, Ring Central reported that “Smartphones Changing the Way Business Professionals Work and Live”. In fact, of those surveyed, the majority (79%) of them are now using the mobile devices more than either their office or home phones.

7. In April 2010, Morgan Stanley reported that the mobile web will rule as the primary connection point to the internet by 2015.

8. In July 2010, Pew reported that 95% of mobile users between 18-29 send or receive text messages.

9. Back in July 2010, Pew also confirmed that minority Americans (African Americans & Hispanics) lead the way in their use of mobile data applications.

“Nearly two-thirds of African-Americans (64%) and Latinos (63%) are wireless internet users, and minority Americans are significantly more likely to own a cell phone than their white counterparts (87% of blacks and Hispanics own a cell phone, compared with 80% of whites). Additionally, black and Latino cell phone owners take advantage of a much wider array of their phones’ data functions compared to white cell phone owners. It is important to note that our data for Hispanics represents English-speaking Hispanics only, as our survey did not provide a Spanish-language option.” -Pew

10. In August 2010, Nielsen reported that African-Americans, Hispanics, and women text the most. In a related report released by 3G Americas, it was announced that the number of mobile connections in Latin America have exceeded the 500 million mark.

Now, back to the question: Where are the employers in all of this?

That is a question I have repeatedly asked myself. Unlike 10 years ago, it is now uncommon to see working professionals without a mobile device. The reality is that our mobile is no longer simply a luxury – it’s a necessity. As evidenced by the stats above, our audience is not only global, but very diverse and mobile-savvy.

As employers, we now have a unique opportunity to engage and enhance our company’s brand through the most widely used mass medium on the planet. Of the four mobile marketing tactics (e.g., SMS or text-messaging, mobile web, mobile apps, and mobile advertising), SMS remains the most widely used today. Employers often overlook this basic (yet powerful) function of the mobile phone. While developing mobile apps are a hot topic today – remember that text stills reigns in mobile. Unlike native mobile apps which are usually device specific, the beauty of text-messaging is that it not only offers the greatest reach but it is also simple. Virtually all mobile phones can send and receive text-messages. A well-planned messaging campaign, in tandem with a mobile web solution, can offer candidates a seamless experience as they move from the desktop to the mobile.

Employers, the next time you ask the question of how you can differentiate yourself from your competitors, consider the mobile channel as a way of putting you ahead of the pack. That said, keep in mind, mobile as a standalone solution will not cure your recruiting woes. As with other mass marketing efforts, integration is key. Michael Becker, Mobile Marketing Association’s managing director for North America, said: “Marketing through multiple touch points delivers the greatest impact.” I could not have stated that any better. With the right strategy and tactics in place, mobile may prove to be the missing link that finally completes your online and offline recruiting efforts.

If you are interested in mobile recruiting but not sure where to begin, start by reviewing the basics of how to construct a mobile recruiting campaign. Afterwards, if you still have questions and want to learn more simply leave a comment below or contact me!

Glenn Gutmacher, Vice President for Arbita’s Consulting & Education Services (ACES) division, recently pinged me regarding a great article posted by Liz  Myers at Adobe.  In her post, Liz cites a recent Gartner report in which they predicted that “mobile web use will outpace desktop browsing by 2013″.   If you are an avid mobile enthusiast and follow the trends then you will agree that Gartner’s prediction is not far off from becoming a reality.  Although Liz’s article was written primarily for mobile developers, she presents some fantastic information that I believe is equally relevant for any organization considering a mobile recruiting strategy.

Here is a recap of the six important characteristics offered through mobile:

1.  Mobile devices are deeply personal. The phone is something that belongs to just one individual. It’s private, personal, and likely to be carried with you everywhere you go. We like to customize our phones and they have become a symbol of social status. The phone I carry, and the content I have, become part of my personal brand.

2.  Mobile devices are hyper-social. The phone holds all of your contacts and allows you to do much more with them. Basic communications include voice calling, text messaging (sending a message of 140 characters or less. SMS or Short Message Service was the first Twitter), multimedia messaging (sending video or photos along with text messages), and e-mail. Beyond the basics, you may want to consider online presence, physical proximity, or relationship strength, to allow for more “contextual communications.”

3.  Mobile devices are location-aware. Even if you don’t know exactly where you are, your phone does! It can also help you discover what is located nearby, get directions, or even interpret what is right in front of you. If your friends opt-in, you can display their present location. This is one of the most powerful features of mobile devices and one that, until recently, was reserved for native applications. However, the most recent versions of Fireworks, Chrome, and the Android browser, now have location APIs as well.

4.  Mobile devices promote quick focused usage. Assuming that one is on the move, I will stop to navigate my phone when I need a vital bit of information like my shopping list, current traffic, flight arrival times, stock prices, or recent messages. The exception to this is entertainment. More and more, mobiles fill those empty spaces when we’re standing in line, waiting, or sitting for long idle periods — we reach for our phones to watch our favorite podcasts, scan tweets, listen to music, or immerse ourselves in a good film.

5.  Mobile devices are sometimes connected. When planning your mobile offering, it’s important to develop for both the online and offline scenarios. Sometimes your users will be riding the subway, on a plane, traveling abroad or otherwise unable to connect to the Internet, their home network, or both. Although unlimited data plans do exist, they’re not as prevalent as you may think. So if you want to avoid costly phone bills you need to consider how users will engage with your content when they’re offline.

6.  Mobile devices support a spontaneous lifestyle. Carrying all of your PIM (personal information management) data means you can respond to events as they unfold and share new data in real time. For example, if traffic is blocked, I can meet my party at a different restaurant. If I’m standing in line at the cinema and tickets sell out, I can quickly locate an alternative and have my friends meet me there.

[Source: Liz Myers , Adobe: "Getting Started with Mobile"]

Liz presents some pretty compelling points about mobile. You don’t have to be a mobile app developer to realize that mobile media and communication offers a huge advantage. Today’s technology now enables each of us to easily tap the mobile channel for engaging our target audience, anytime and anywhere. Integrating a mobile solution into recruitment doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s within reach. The key is to start by understanding the basics of building a mobile campaign and keep it simple.

Developing a mobile strategy is fast becoming a necessity. If you’re still trying to determine whether mobile is a fad or the future, consider this:

“Mobile is in fact, the fastest-growing Trillion-dollar industry in the economic history of mankind. That is why Google, Apple, Microsoft, Intel, Dell etc are all interested to get in. The fastest-growing Trillion-dollar industry ever.”

[Source: Tomi Ahonen, Mobile Consultant & Best Selling Author]

Are you or your organization positioned to take advantage of the mobile recruitment channel? There are a lot of options today. Mobile app, mobile web, mobile messaging, mobile barcode, mobile social, and the list goes on. Interested in building a mobile recruiting solution but still not sure how or where to start? Contact me and let’s talk…

Live Text-Message Demo…

With the help of my friends over at mResource, I was able to provide a live text-message demo. Webinar attendees participating from the U.S. were prompted to send a text-message with the keyword “SHOWME” to 90206. This simple demo helped to illustrate how easily text-messaging could be used to segment and pre-screen a target audience. The example included some simple questions, a call-to-action, and a redirect to a mobile-optimized landing page. If you are curious on how to piece this type of campaign together, make sure to read my post entitled:  “Mobile Recruiting: The Basics of Building a Campaign”…»

If you missed the ERE-sponsored webinar, you may now easily view the slides below, or download the presentation here.

Click here to view more presentations from Michael Marlatt…».

Watch the recorded version of the Mobile Recruiting webinar:

* Interested in leveraging text-messaging and the mobile web as part of your recruitment marketing strategy? Visit mResource to learn more…»

Margo’s question:

“What was the single most important take away for the #SHRM conference where you were presenting on April 26th?”

The single most important take away?  Wow, now that’s a tough one.  Margo’s question is very timely and deserves more than a simple one word response. With 91% of Americans now mobile subscribers, there’s no better time to discuss how mobile plays into HR & recruiting.

Here are FIVE TIPS for any employer considering a “mobile recruitment” solution:

Tip #1: Think Strategy before Tactics.

While we can agree having the right technology is important, an organization should first ask the all too familiar question:  What keeps you up at night?  Understanding the key “pain points” in your recruitment efforts is critical.  Next, ask WHAT do you hope to accomplish by deploying a mobile solution?  Will it help by filling a particular gap in your recruitment efforts?  As much as I like to talk about mobile, the reality is that maybe mobile is not the right solution for what you are trying to accomplish.  Clarifying the basics needs up front and having a clear goal will ultimately determine a number of other “tactical” considerations.  Avoid a cookie-cutter approach.  Like any other mass marketing effort, develop a customized solution that is in line with the needs of your organization and target audience.

Tip #2: Selecting a Mobile Platform/Provider.

Once a clear strategy & objective has been determined, it will be much easier to proceed with selecting the “right” mobile provider.  When selecting a provider to host your mobile recruitment campaign, you should take time to consider whether they offer the level of service you need in order to properly execute your desired campaign.  For example, let’s say you’re interested in deploying an SMS (text-message) campaign and also need a mobile web presence.  Your initial goal may be focused on building a network of prospect talent via the mobile channel that your company can later engage. Your company might be interested in sending SMS/text-messages related to employment surveys, job alerts, career event info, or other company related updates, etc.  To do this, you will clearly want to identify an organization with a proven track record of delivering SMS solutions. The good news is that there are many providers out there that offer SMS services with flexible two-way text-messaging capabilities.  In addition, many of these companies are typically able to help create a mobile optimized web site, which (in my opinion) is a must have for any employer.

Clearly, determining the tactical part will be much easier if you first understand what you want and hope to accomplish. Avoid the temptation of trying to run before you walk. For now, stay away from trying to integrate trendy technologies such as QR codes, Bluecasting, GPS, etc. While I fully expect providers of such services to disagree with me, my advice is keep it simple and consider your broader audience. When building your talent network, you don’t want to inadvertently isolate your audience based on the technology you select. Start with the end in mind before spending countless hours trying to figure out which is the “sexiest” mobile technology to deploy, or who is the best provider to manage your campaign.

Tip # 3. Develop a Mobile Web Presence

Creating a mobile web presence is important.  Based on your “call to action” (i.e., what you are asking your audience to do during your mobile campaign) – you will ideally want to redirect users to a final landing page.  That landing page could be a mobile version of a company’s site (or a mobile app) that might include a brief “how to engage us” form, a specific job to view, a “click to call” number, or other relevant information a company wishes to display.  While this may sound a bit complicated, just remember, you do not (and should not) have to go it alone.  Keep in mind, there are companies that can help you build and launch your SMS campaign.  Some companies, such as Jobing, are equipped to create a fully functional mobile web version of your career portal.  If you prefer the mobile app route, you should consider AllTheTopBannanas (a company founded by Dave Martin).  Dave’s company is based out of the UK and has a strong track record of rapidly building out “a fully branded iPhone application for your business“.  In addition, they are scheduled to be on Android by the end of May then Blackberry by the end of June.  Definitely keep your eye on this company as you will likely hear more of them soon.

Tip #4: Time, Place, & Relevancy

My friend Mike Galyen said it best:  Time, Place, Relevancy is key with mobile.  And, you know what? He is spot on.  I could write an entire blog on this topic alone; however, suffice to say it’s important that we keep the audience in mind when developing a mobile  campaign.  If we fail to deliver information to our target audience with the proper context of time, place, and relevancy in mind, we will not likely see the level of return (or engagement) we expect.  Why is that?  Well, if you are running a mobile campaign targeted at attracting sales professionals, you clearly would not want to send text-alerts related to software development, project management jobs, etc. Keep it relevant and you’ll keep them engaged.

Oh, and remember this…

There are no short-cuts in mobile marketing. Everybody starts at ground zero when building a mobile network.  With mobile marketing, the success can often be attributed to the fact that it is 100% permission-based.  Mobile phone spam is illegal. Shally Steckerl (at Arbita), produced a very easy to understand post for recruiters on the topic of SMS-spam. There are strict regulations that govern the practice of mobile marketing and the fines for sending commercial text spam are often very severe. A single violation can potentially set you back $11K! So what’s the point? There are no quick fixes or short-cuts when deploying an SMS campaign. It requires planning, patience, and hard work. We all start from scratch and build our mobile network one “opt-in” at a time. If a prospect candidate is opting into your mobile “talent” network it’s because they want to engage with your organization.  We all know that the mobile is a personal device so it’s important we don’t abuse this channel.  Candidates want to engage with your organization and are waiting for you to communicate with them. By keeping the delivery of your content relevant, you are far more likely to engage the candidates successfully and retain their interest long-term.

Tip #5: Remember to Integrate

Mix it up!  Although mobile SMS is the most widely used DATA application on the planet, mobile as a standalone solution will not work. Consider fully integrating your mobile campaign across a wide variety of media channels (e.g., print, radio, tv, internet, etc).

Need real examples?

American Idol

Back in 2005, American Idol gave viewers the option to SMS (text) in their vote when selecting a favorite singer.  Amazingly, 41.5 million responded to this “call-to-action” and voted via SMS.  In 2006, the number of votes via text-messaging totaled 120 million.  The integration of SMS (text-messaging) with live TV was a success and certainly a history-making event.  They nailed the time, place, and relevancy concepts – hence the amazing results.

Obama Campaign

The Obama camp experienced great success in their use of SMS to communicate and engage their opt-in followers.  This was especially evident when Obama announced his VP selection via SMS. An estimated 2.9 million text messages were sent, which is the single largest mobile marketing event in history.

Although both examples above are above the norm, you don’t need to have a large budget to advertise your mobile campaign.  Think viral.  Start by advertising across the standard online channels such as a company careers site, a Linkedin page or group, a Facebook fan page, your company Twitter site or Youtube channel, podcast, etc.  Of course, don’t forget to rally the recruiting team and educate them on the mobile campaign.  Each Recruiter can also serve as an ambassador by advertising the mobile campaign on their signature, Linkedin/Facebook profile, personal tweets, etc.  If you are attending a professional conference as a speaker, make sure to add your SMS campaign to your presentation signature (front or last page).  Include the URL to your mobile site, or point them to where they can download your company’s mobile (careers) app.  Bottom line, advertise and promote wherever possible.  The idea here is to be creative and don’t allow budget to be a constraint.

Final thoughts…

I realize this is way more detail than Margo had requested; however, I provided the deep-dive to help others who did not have an opportunity to review “Recruiting on the Run” or sit in on the SHRM-Mobile Recruiting presentation.  There’s so much more that could be said on each of the topics presented above.  However, I hope the high level provides a starting point for those who are considering a mobile option as a compliment to their recruitment efforts.

Let’s face it, our mobile device is with us 24×7, always within arms reach, and rarely ever shared. Regardless of what device you favor, one thing is certain:  the mobile device connects us all and is the one piece of technology that we never seem to be without.  With all the buzz around mobile apps, it’s important we don’t forget one of the most basic (yet powerful functions) of the mobile device – SMS (text-messaging).

Let’s first define SMS (text messaging)…

According to the CTIA:

SMS (Short Message Service) is a text-only message delivery system on mobile phone networks. As a compliment to voice calls, text messages travel through the wireless service provider’s network, routed and delivered much like a voice call. The messaging server for SMS or text messaging routes all messages to the appropriate mobile phone or application based on the number in the destination address.

SMS:  Some amazing SMS stats…

- On July 23rd 2010, SMS will celebrate its 18th birthday.

- SMS (text message) user base in 2009:  3.6 Billion

- By the end of 2010, it is estimated that we will finally reach 4B active users of SMS text messaging.

- Worldwide, 4.5 Trillion SMS text messages were sent in 2009.

- SMS usage is expected to grow by 22% in 2010, to – 5.5 Trillion total SMS text messages sent globally.

- The big driver in the SMS traffic now is North America, as Americans finally joined the SMS texting bandwagon along with the rest of the world.

- 94% read rate for SMS (75% read immediately), 15-20% response rate vs 1% for traditional media

And, did you know…

-4.6 Billion actual mobile phones are expected to be in use by the end of 2010

-60 countries have already reached 100% mobile phone penetration rates (incl. Brazil, France, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and Turkey)

- Italy, Israel, Hong Kong, Russia etc are all at 150% mobile phone penetration

- Europe has surpassed 125% mobile phone penetration rate

- Worldwide email user base: 1.4 Billion

- Worldwide Internet user base: 1.7 Billion  (including those who access at internet cafe’s and those who use the internet on their mobile phones).

- Worldwide PC user base: 1.2 Billion

Stat Source: Tomi Ahonen, Communities-Dominate

So what’s the point?

With the amazing apps being produced for the Android, and iPhone, it’s very easy to be enamored by all the slick new mobile applications flooding the market.  However, let’s not forgot that SMS is still the most widely used DATA application on the planet and an extremely powerful channel for connecting and engaging our target audience.  While many mobile users may not yet have a smart phone, or even mobile internet access, virtually every mobile device has SMS (text-messaging) capability.  If you are a company planning on integrating mobile as part your overall interactive marketing strategy (and have a limited budget/resources), consider creating an SMS campaign and tie that into your mobile web site.  Most importantly, remember that it doesn’t have to be complicated to be effective.

As a side note, on April 26th, I will be co-presenting at SHRM in Orlando-FL to further elaborate on this topic (along with my good friend Chris Hoyt-AKA @TheRecruiterGuy).  If you have plans to attend SHRM this month, please make sure to look me up and say hello.



Back in July 2009, I first blogged about an AR mobile app called Augmented ID. Initially conceived by a Swedish design company called TAT, Augmented ID uses mobile face detection to “recognize” individuals, what social networks they’re connected to, as well as other personal information they are willing to share. If you’re wondering whether this app reveals too much personal data, don’t be. The app requires both participants to use the mobile application in order to work. Users have the option of setting specific limitations on what can or cannot be viewed.

Today, the new and improved “Augmented ID” is known as Recognizr. Although the mobile app is not yet available for wide-spread use, Recognizr is expected to be available within the next couple of months. I don’t know about you, but I’m certainly looking forward to taking this app for a test drive!

Want to see Recognizr in action? Check out this video…




» Click here to get additional TAT news and updates.

You guessed it, these are three most carried items that we never seem to leave home without. But, how did we get to this point?

Let’s pause and rewind…

The first commercially automated cellular network (the 1G generation) was launched in Japan by NTT in 1979.  Fast forward 30+ years and we are now living in an era where “mobile as the 7th mass media” is dominating all other channels (e.g., print, recording, cinema, TV, internet, etc).  In less than 30 years, we have gone from Motorola’s 1lb “brick phone” to smart phone devices that can now do virtually anything you can imagine, and then some.  It’s the dawn of a new era and there’s no sign of slowing down.

Back to present day,…

“Mobile is in fact, the fastest-growing Trillion-dollar industry in the economic history of mankind. That is why Google, Apple, Microsoft, Intel, Dell etc are all interested to get in. The fastest-growing Trillion-dollar industry ever.”

- Tomi Ahonen, Mobile Consultant & Best Selling Author

Mobile devices have become the single most important carried accessory people cannot seem to live without.  Are you surprised?  According to a poll conducted by Synovate in 2009, most people would rather lose their wallets than their mobile device.  In another independent survey, 40% of respondents said they would rather lose their wallet than mobile phone.  With mobile adoption advancing at unprecedented rates, it’s difficult not to notice the changes taking place around us. In the not so distant future, you may even be able to leave your wallet and keys behind. In many countries, mobile devices are already being used as a payment system, where the use of SMS (text-messaging) is the mechanism for authorizing purchases. We have witnessed the mobile channel being used quite successfully through the “Text ‘Haiti’ to 90999 to donate $10” campaign.  According to mGive, the world has contributed over $37 million via text message donations for Haiti. This is beyond a mobile fad – it’s simply amazing.

Technology (in moderation) can be a wonderful thing.  With such a powerful device in the palm of virtually every working professional, I often wonder why we (employers/recruiters) are not doing more to leverage this technology within our industry. As with most “new” things, I suspect it’s fear of the unknown. However, I’d like to know what you think.

Do you view mobile as a fad or the future?

Moving forward, I plan on spending much more time focusing my discussions around the mobile space, i.e., mobile recruiting, mobile marketing & SMS, mobile site optimization, and other mobile-related technologies, etc. I invite you to spend a little time browsing the site. Who knows, you may find something that interests you.

Need help building a mobile recruiting solution, site, or want me to speak at your conference? If so, feel free to email me. However, if you simply want to connect to me, there are many ways to do so. Here’s a good place to start…

See you in the cloud!

If you are intrigued (as much as I am) by the trends in mobile media and communication, then you will want to follow Mocom2020. You may also want to follow them on Twitter Try following @Mocom2020.

Earlier this year, I talked about the creative way in which Editoras Online integrated QR technology and Twitter to create a stunning viral-marketing campaign.  Now, Google fans across the country may soon have an opportunity to interact with QR technology through Google’s latest endeavor called Favorite Places.

What is “Favorite Places”?  Well,  according to Google:

Over 100,000 businesses were identified as Favorite Places. The list was determined based on the popularity of a business’ Local Business Center listing, as determined by how many times Google users looked for more information about a business, requested driving directions to get there, and more. Google users “decided” based on their actions, and we sent the decals.

What exactly does this mean for the average consumer?

The good…

It means that the most popular (i.e., searched) businesses across the U.S. may soon be equipped with a window decal containing a unique bar code, known as a QR code.  So, what’s the big deal?  Well, a major benefit of integrating QR codes into print ads is convenience.  QR technology is all about pointing and scanning, which eliminates the need to type in lengthy URLs.   Bottom line, it’s simply a faster way to deliver relevant content to a mobile device (e.g., reviews, ratings, special promotions, or store coupons if a particular business is offering one).

The bad…

Unlike the ubiquitous nature (and advantage) of using SMS, QR codes reach a limited audience.  For now, users with smart phones that have good quality cameras, and have previously located, downloaded and installed the QR software will get the desired results. There are many free and paid QR readers available on the market.  Some of the newer mobile devices have QR readers installed or bundled as part of another application.

Want to add a QR reader to your mobile device? Here are some common QR readers to consider:

» 2dSENSE» Barcode Scanner
» Beetagg
» Kaywa Reader
» Neoreader
» QRApp
» QuickMark
» ScanLife

Google’s move towards integrating QR codes is yet another example of how mobile technology can be used in everyday real-life scenarios. Although QR technology may not appear as “hip” as image recogition, it’s still a valuable technology that we should not overlook.