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. However, today, there are 292 million U.S. mobile subscribers. This now means that 93% of the U.S. population is 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…»

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.



In case you missed the event, I co-presented on the topic of mobile recruiting with friend and fellow mobile enthusiast Chris Hoyt (AKA – RecruiterGuy). Oh, and while you are visiting his site, you might want to take a moment to read his most recent post, “What I learned (and taught) at Camp…”. Great stuff as usual. Finally, if you don’t already, I would highly encourage following Chris on Twitter. He’s definitely worth the follow…

Check out the Mobile Recruiting slideshow below…

Enjoy!

While some things remain outside of our control, the good news is that innovation in mobile technology has opened up a new channel for connecting with prospective candidates. Today, it is still a time-consuming process to call candidates individually in order to notify them of new career opportunities. However, thanks to a relatively new service called Pinger that has all changed. A key advantage of Pinger is that it provides users the ability to send a broadcast voice message to thousands of mobile recipients. Let’s say you are a recruiter with a well established candidate pipeline and all you need is a communication vehicle for pushing career updates. Whether it is a small or large audience, Pinger offers a quick method for disseminating a voice broadcast to a target candidate pool.

So, what are the benefits of using Pinger?

* Pinger can broadcast free voice messages to any mobile phone.
* PingerCast: Broadcast rich voice messages directly to thousands of mobile phones!
* Send free text messages to any US mobile phone with Textfree
* Send a picture to any US mobile phone via MMS or even to an email using Picfree
* Voice-Messaging Apps: Last 10 message previews, 1-button listen and more.
* Anyone with a text message-enabled mobile phone can use Pinger Voice Messaging.
* Access and Manage your messages, contacts and Pinger settings online.
* Import contacts from: Yahoo Mail, Gmail, Hotmail, Palm Desktop, Outlook, or any mobile phone.
* Works with almost all carriers and mobile phones.
* Custom Pinger clients available for the iPhone, iPod, Palm Treo and Balckberry devices.

Getting started with Pinger

Pinger Voicemail is available only in the US. It’s very easy to setup a free account. Using your MOBILE phone, simply call 408-916-5008 and Pinger takes care of the heavy lifting.

To cancel the Pinger service, login to your Pinger Social account at http://m.pinger.com and select Options. On this screen select “cancel my account” and closely follow the instructions.

Pinger demo…

* Explore Pinger’s FAQ section to learn more.

See more videos from XtremeRecruiting.tv

Please note, I have not used all of the services listed below but share this as a reference for you to further evaluate.  This list is still a work in progress.

Mobile SMS Solutions & Service Providers:

3jam – group messaging servic e via the web.  Message groups of up to 100. 3Jam offers free and premium service.

4INFO – 4INFO is the largest provider of free text message alerts and information in the United States. 4INFO is about bringing you the information you want, when you want it.

811 – Free SMS site for USA and Canada – unlimited messages.

88444 – 84444.com launches do-it-yourself mobile marketing campaigns from the convenience of your desktop computer.

Africa SMS – Allows to send instant alerts, text and deffered messages to mobile phones around the world from your desktop.

airPoop.com – Offers a free short text messaging and blogging service optimized for mobile phones.

Amethon Mobile Data Solutions – Mobile data solutions provider based in Sydney, Australia. Specialising in WAP and SMS based technologies. Offer outsourced WAP hosting and SMS gateway.

AspSMS – Features text, bulk and binary SMS, also includes delivery notification, operator logos, and ringtones.

Bond Wireless – Provider of global two-way SMS connectivity and applications.

Brand2Hand – Fully automated intelligent web based SMS communication tool. Live two way text campaign manager, Surveys, Competitions, Operator Logos, Ringtones and many other facilities. (online demo)

123bulksms – Bulk SMS messaging services and SMS Gateway connectivity provider.

Bulletin Online – Web tools and programs, broadcast text messaging worldwide, plus subscription based email to SMS.

Channelmobile – offers turnkey solutions for SMS, Bulk SMS, MMS, WAP Push Messaging, WAP Billing Solutions, Mobile Payment Gateways, Mobile Websites (Mobisites), Premium Rate SMS.

Cherple - Free text messages to US cell phones for anyone with an internet connection anywhere in the world. With Cherple you have to download their software and install it on your computer (Windows and Mac version available).

Clickatell (Pty) Ltd. – Provides bulk SMS messaging services and gateway connectivity. Headquarters in Cape Town, South Africa.

ClickSMS – Text messaging service and bulk SMS provider. based in the UK.

ClubTexting – allows your business to build text message marketing campaigns with our easy to use, affordable SMS text messaging software.

Connection Software – Send SMS text messages from a web page, PC or APIs.

Directtexting.com – SMS service for small to mid-size companies. Get a shared short code.

E-Call – SMS service giving an address book, history logbook, group lists, ringtones and screen graphics. Free and Premium versions of the service exist.

Egypt SMS – Corporate SMS solutions, supporting SMPP, EMI/UCP and HTTP with global coverage.

End2End – Mobile data services – Provides solution for M2M, telemetry, telematics, interactive SMS, number portability and mobile internet.

EzTexting – Ez Texting is a Group SMS Text Messaging solution for businesses large and small, groups, and individuals.

Everywhereigo - A self-service mobile solutions provider for individuals and companies seeking to build their own mobile website.

FunMail – MMS consumer and enterprise services for wireless carriers including comics, and greetings.

General Wireless – Provider of mobile messaging solutions based on the SMS, EMS, and MMS standards.

Google SMS – Offers United States local business listings, driving directions, movie showtimes, weather conditions, stock quotes and dictionary definitions on mobile phone.

Her.ph – Intercarrier text messaging gateway between North American wireless phone networks.

HeyWire – HeyWire allows users to text and chat on multiple screens. Start a conversation on your MAC, pick it up where you left off on your iPhone or iPod Touch. Currently in beta for PC & MAC.

iLoop -  iLoop Mobile is the leader in mobile technology and services that make mobile marketing and mobile content delivery fast, easy and compelling.

iMezz – iMezz.com offers global sms text message delivery to consumers and businesses worldwide.

Information Gateway – A wireless applications service provider offering a wide array of innovative products for mobile entertainment and messaging.

Inspirus – Provides SMS solution to Australian businesses.

InvolveMobile – Mobile marketing that is powerful and easy to use, with short code & bulk SMS.

iZigg – iZigg is building the largest worldwide mobile media community where businesses and people can now stay connected through the world’s most recognizable mobile media shortcode- 90210.

Joopz – SMS message from the web. Set up groups of up to 10 and mass-broadcast updates.  Free and premium service offerings available.

Kannel: Open Source WAP and SMS Gateway – Open Source for WAP and SMS Gateway. Sites provides downloads of the software and related documentation.

Loadntxt – Offers two-way text messaging service between the United States and the Philippines.

mBlox – SMS – Two-way services worldwide for entertainment, messaging and media applications; includes revenue collection services.

Mobile Alerts – Allows to send individualized SMS messages globally.

Mobile-Sender SMS – Mobile Sender provide free SMS services to the USA and around the world. Members can send unlimited amount of free messages.

Mobile Storm – Mobile Storm is proven mobile solutions provider with almost a decade of experience. They have delivered 2+ billion messages and executed a million email and mobile marketing campaigns on behalf of thousands of customers.

Mobivity – SMS solutions for users who wish to build their own mobile marketing campaigns.

Mtn Sms – Send SMS messages to MTN’s partner networks throughout the world.

Msg2Send – Msg2Send is a self-service SMS service that offers several tools to help you deliver an effective and efficient marketing campaign. Some of the features available are campaign builder, quick send, auto response, unique contact list management and unsubscribe options.

mResource – mResource provides a robust messaging platform designed to help employers deliver mobile recruitment campaigns. Not only can they help speed up the screening process with through their smart text messaging platform, but they can also provide mobile career site development.  Employers can easily view live results and integrate with existing ATS technology.

MX Telecom – Provider of SMS and MMS solutions, with direct connections to all the major UK carriers.

PhindMe.net (Recently acquired by Movitas) – A private labeled, easy to use technology that provides service organizations everything they need to mobile-enable their clients.

Pinger – Textfree lets iPhone and iPod touch owners send free text messages to any US mobile phone. Replies come free too!

Powered SMS – Allowing bulk sms via web to mobile, https covering worldwide network.
Promo2cell – Allows bulk SMS messages.

PSWin – SMS Gateway provider with global coverage. Advanced web-based service for setting up two-way SMS services and group messaging.

Qittle – Qittle helps businesses create, customize and manage a mobile marketing initiative.

Quios – Text messaging and news delivery to mobile devices.

Recruit2Mobile – Mobile Marketing/SMS Solution Provider for small to large companies.

Red Fish Media – Red Fish Media is a top tier provider of Mobile Marketing services and SMS applications.

Red Oxygen – Tools to send and receive SMS messages from Outlook, Lotus Notes and Microsoft Windows, or to integrate messaging capability into other applications.

Roam Secure – Offers an emergency communications service over SMS networks to handheld devices. Also offer email to SMS service.

SendaFreeSMS – Send Free SMS to any UK mobile using free TXTs services found online.

SendsmsNow – Send free sms to many countries including USA, Canada, India, Pakistan, Europe (not the UK), Figi, Kazakhstan, Kenya and other African countries.

Simplewire – Simplewire is a wireless messaging infrastructure and software provider.

2sms – Provides business text messaging service, allowing to communicate with people via mobile phone, direct from computer.

SmartReply – SmartReply is North America’s largest mobile marketing and mobile advertising provider, with the most comprehensive multi-channel solutions in the industry.

SMS-24 SMS Gateway – Offering fast and reliable worldwide SMS delivery at low cost, including pictures, logos and ringtones.

SMS Storm – Provides software for desktop sms service with no internet connection, just need mobile and pc.

SMS.ac – Global community system offering SMS and multimedia messaging services. Service includes an initial free message quota but does levy charges for sending messages to your phone introducing you to other users.

SMSalias – Send and receive short messages to mobile phones around the world from desktop.

SMSFax – Provide worldwide SMS bulk messaging tools and connectivity.

smsGeezer – Send SMS text messages from the web, email, a downloadable program, or Excel.

SMSWhiz – South African – bulk SMS aggregator. Multiple gateways. Delivery advertised globally.

sms2world – Provides you with a cost-free newsticker in the Internet, whose content you can easily update by means of SMS from your own cell-phone.

SumoText – mobile solutions provider for both individual users, as well as enterprise customers.

Tatango - connects all groups, organizations and businesses with their communities through text messaging.

Telsis Limited – Supplier of products and solutions for enhanced voice and video telecommunications services. England

Text2Land – Offers users the ability to send sms to landline phones.

Text For Free – Offers anonymous text messaging with no usage limits.

TextingForward – TextingForward provides clients with mobile marketing solutions using SMS technology.

TextMarks – TextMarks is an early stage company focused on making text messaging more powerful and more accessible. We empower individuals and organizations to “text message enable” their information and their web pages — and to do so in a matter of minutes.

TreasureMyText is an online SMS storage system.

TrueSenses – Swiss provider of SMS and MMS covering Europe, USA and Australia. Various interfaces supported.

Trumpia – Text messaging that fully integrates with your various social networks, IM, and email.

txt4biz – Professional text message solutions and bespoke software solutions for customised SMS.

TxtHire – Based out of South Africa, TxtHire specializes in providing “mobile recruitment” solutions for employers around the globe.

TxtImpact – TxtImpact offers SMS Gateway services such text message delivery using SMS gateway APIs. They offer both HTTP and SMPP interface for sending and receiving messages to and from US and worldwide carriers.

Wiana SMS mesh gateway – Send text messages for free to any bluetooth mobile connected to the meshAP network.

Wire2Air – makes it easy to stay connected with your customers, clientele or mobile organization.

Have a mobile site or service you would like added?

Feel free to provide your suggested site and I will be happy to add to this reference guide.  Start by visiting the “contact page” and make sure to leave a comment…»

Thanks for stopping by and come again soon!

Mobile adoption in the U.S. has experienced phenomenal growth. According to CTIA‘s President and CEO Steve Largent, the U.S. wireless industry reached 270 million total subscribers at the end of 2008. While that number alone is already quite impressive, what I find even more amazing is the fact that U.S. subscribers have sent 1 trillion text messages (yes, that’s TRILLION with a “T”) in 2008, which triples the previous year’s SMS traffic. Worldwide, SMS is being used by 3 billion wireless subscribers and is now the most widely used data application on the planet. So, is it really any surprise that SMS (A.K.A. “text-messaging”) has become such a widely used tool within the U.S.?

Mobile Marketing & SMS

If you have followed my blog in the past, then you have likely seen my posts on why I believe mobile-marketing matters, as well as why SMS in recruiting can be key to engaging a target audience. Suffice to say, I’m a big fan of SMS but I also realize that there are still many within our industry that still don’t quite “get” mobile. It is often a confusing topic, which is why I wrote my earlier post on Mobile Recruiting 101.

In general, mobile marketing is a broad term that simply refers to the use marketing over a mobile device. Mobile campaigns may include contests, coupon-give away, info-alerts, job-alerts, mCommerce, movie promos, ringtone give-away, etc. We frequently see mobile and SMS linked because it’s medium by which many of the promos above are offered. SMS services run off a short code, which is typically a 5 or 6 digit number (either shared or dedicated). For example, last year BMW kicked-off a mobile campaign using a keyword and short code to encourage consumers to learn more about the BMW X6. Consumers were prompted to text the keyword “BMW” to 67463 (short code). The result? BMW fans were provided a link that (once clicked) redirected them to BMW’s mobile-optimized site showcasing the X6. Leveraging a mobile through SMS is becoming a common practice for many forward-thinking companies (e.g., Nike, Coke-Cola, Microsoft, etc.) all carry their own version of a short code. That said, SMS is not the only channel for connecting with a target audience. We see Multimedia Message Service (MMS) as another channel for engaging consumers. However, compared to the 3 billion global SMS users, there are only 1.35 billion global MMS users so we will table the MMS discussion for a later post.

Mobile Marketing Success Stories

Two key events have contributed to the popularity of mobile-SMS in the U.S.:

1. American Idol Voting for your favorite singer was made simple (and interactive) by simply placing your vote via text message. American Idol set an SMS record in 2008 when over 78 million viewers responded by “texting” in their votes.

2. Presidential Race in 2008 Most notably, President Obama set a world SMS record when he alerted approximately 2.9 million opt-in subscribers during the announcement of Joe Biden as his VP selection. Followers joined by texting “OBAMA” to 62262 and they were immediately provided real-time status updates. Obama was even named Mobile Marketer of the Year for running one of the most successful mobile campaigns in history.

With 270+ million U.S. subscribers, and 1 trillion text messages sent last year, SMS is clearly a communication channel that we cannot and should not overlook. Kim Dushinski, author of The Mobile Marketing Handbook, cited that companies should think about allocating 5-10% of their digital marketing budget towards mobile marketing efforts. Bottom-line, it’s time to get creative in how we engage prospective talent through this unique channel.

Upcoming Mobile Recruiting Webinar: April 23rd

If you are interested in learning more about how mobile integrates with recruiting, I will be delivering a webinar on Thursday, April 23rd. The event is being hosted by Shally Steckerl from Arbita ACES. You can get more details by visiting the registration link here.

Ok, so I know what you are thinking: Mobile (SMS) is just for the youth market, right? Well, while that may have been the case a few years ago, we are now witnessing a growing trend that reveals otherwise. Today, of the 262 million total U.S. wireless subscribers, more than 138 million users now send and receive text messages. 72% of those between 25-49 use text messaging, and 53% of texters are 35 years-old and up.

While it is easy to get excited about the trends in mobile, it’s important to understand the basics before embarking on any mobile recruitment strategy. What follows is a quick primer that I have put together to hopefully addresses some of the fundamental questions.

Mobile Marketing: Basic Q&A

Q: What is SMS?

A: SMS is an acronym for short message service. SMS is often referred to as text messaging.

Q: What is MMS?

A: MMS is an acronym for multimedia messaging service. MMS messages are typically mobile messages that contain some combination of text, images, audio, or video.

Q: What is the standard length of an SMS (text message)?

A: SMS/text messages are usually limited to 160 characters, with spaces.

Q: What are the two questions that need to be asked prior to executing a mobile recruiting strategy?

A #1. What are the key goals and how can mobile help to achieve the objectives?
A #2. Who is my target audience and what is most important to that audience?

* Identifying the objectives and target audience are both critical to understand in order to craft the most effective marketing program to achieve the desired outcome.

Q: What is a Common Short Code (CSC)?

A: Common Short Codes are short numeric codes to which SMS or MMS can be sent from a mobile phone. Short codes are commonly 5-6 digits, and can be “vanity” codes (which no other company can use) or shared codes (used by many companies). The short codes facilitate an interactive mobile experience between the consumer and host company. See mobile marketing examples by Sprite and Coca-Cola. For more details, visit the Common Short Code Administration (CSCA).

Q: What are the five most common modes of communication available on a mobile device?

The five modes include:

1. Voice
2. SMS (Short Message Service – A.K.A. text messaging)
3. Web (WAP=Wireless Application Protocol, or Mobile Web)
4. Applications (think of any device (i.e., iPhone) that can leverage mobile apps)
5. Email (Not always available to all mobile users.)

* Of the five modes of mobile, SMS/text-messaging is the most widely used data application on the planet.

Q: How popular is text messaging?

A: Consumers today are using text messaging more than ever. Worldwide, there are 4 billion mobile subscribers with 3 billion currently using text-messaging.  In the U.S., there are over 262 million wireless subscribers and 138 million using text messaging.  In Q2 of 2008, a Nielsen Mobile study revealed that in the U.S. there are now more text messages being sent and received vs. phone calls.  See more stats here.

Q: What is a keyword and how is it used?

A: Keywords allow your consumers to interact with your mobile programs. For example: “Text HEWDIVERSITY to 77950“ allows potential candidates to “opt-in” and receive job alerts from Hewitt Associates.  To start, users are prompted to send a text message with the keyword “HEWDIVERSITY” to the short code 77950. In this example, the keyword ‘HEWDIVERSITY’ is tied to an auto-response that confirms the opt-in subscription, as well as a “call to action” message.

Q: Why would any company want to engage in recruiting through mobile marketing?

A: Let’s face it: Technology is changing the way we all communicate at all levels. Our target audience has become increasingly “mobile” and no longer simply sitting at a desk waiting for our call or email.  The mobile device is personal and next to the wallet, purse, or keys, it is the one thing we each carry with us. As working professionals, we are often on-the-go, traveling, in meetings, attending conferences, training, out to lunch, vacation, and so on.  With over 262 million U.S. wireless subscribers, we need to consider ways in which we can increase the odds of connecting with our target audience. As some would say, ‘fish where the fish are’… Click here to read: ‘Mobile Recruiting: Why Run SMS Campaigns?

Q: What is WAP?

A: WAP is an acronym for wireless application protocol and is commonly referred to as the mobile web. WAP sites are mobile versions of a websites, typically optimized for mobile devices.

Many mobile-optimized sites today are using the ‘.Mobi’ extension. More and more companies today are staking their claim in the dotMobi space, which is evident by the fact that dotMobi sites actually experienced a seven fold increase last year. As a standard practice, mobile-sites should not be a “web-version” of your site on a mobile device, but a “MOBILE-optimized” version made for mobile. It should also (ideally) automatically detect whenever someone is visiting a site through a mobile browser. You can get more information on dotMobi, as well as “best practice” development tips by visiting MobiThinking.com.

dotMobi site example: CloudRecruiting.mobi (*Note: From any mobile browser, type either ‘CloudRecruiting.net’ or ‘CloudRecruiting.mobi’ to view site.)

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