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So…as a nonprofit (or strategic partner to one),

what should you do about the fact that mobile is here and not going away?

Well, if you agree with one of these Top 12 Takeaways from the 2011 Cause Marketing Forum Conference, then you will start putting a plan together in the near future.

“Mobile is the next cause frontier:  Some campaigns are dipping their toe in mobile waters to better understand the opportunity.  Mobile was widely recognized as a vast frontier of opportunity for cause marketers. Mobile is how most consumers are finding and engaging with the world they care about, and causes need to understand how their target audience uses mobile and deliver content and opportunities through platforms that make sense for them.”  –Source: Waggener Edstrom's blog post on 3BLmedia.com

To help you get started…

Convio recently published “A Guide to the Mobile Web – Best Practices for Nonprofits.”  If you haven’t already seen this, I suggest you check it out now, or at least go ahead and download it and add it to that ridiculously long to-do list you’ve got going.  In this publication, Convio does a great job of explaining why and how nonprofits should be thinking about mobile.  And, they practically spoon feed you the the big picture of options for how to approach the venture.  (I loooOOOove spoon-feeding when it comes to new technologies/platforms!!!) 

Here’s Convio’s TOC:

And here are a few highlights to further entice you TO Take a Look:

• Convio suggests beginning planning for a mobile web presence after crossing the 5% threshold of visits to your regular website from mobile operating systems (check your Google Analytics metrics).

• In this guide, Convio simplifies the many “flavors” of mobile presence strategies into 6 easy to understand summaries to help you get a handle on the most effective approach for your particular situation.  For example:

• The “What Does It Take To Design and Build a Mobile Website” section offers some great practical information regarding the back-end, including breaking down the key components of the process.  Convio will definitely make some friends as a result of this section.  

Now that I’ve browbeat you into at least considering including the mobile channel in your engagement strategies, how about a little inspiration?  Here’s a link to 33 nonprofit mobile websites to help get your creativity flowing, one of which is the World Wildlife Fund.  Enjoy!

Still thirsty for more?  Here are some additional articles to peruse [on your smartphone]:

HOW TO: Launch a Mobile Campaign for Non-Profits (Mashable)

Technology Trends for Nonprofits in 2011 (NTEN)

Is the Humble Text Message a Cause Marketing Star? (Selfish Giving)

Mobile Moms are Waiting for Your Cause to Call (Selfish Giving)

I’ll leave you with a 10/19/11 Tweet by Ken Burbary, VP, Group Director at Digitas, that illustrates the scale of the mobile marketplace*:

85% of the world's population is covered by commercial wireless signals, giving mobile reach greater than electricity (80%) #trends

OK, time to go pick up my new iPhone 4s, see you there!

*Don’t automatically believe everything people tweet?  Here’s a more official mobile web source.

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About For Momentum Staff Blogger Trisha Stezzi

Trisha Stezzi, Creative & Digital Director, Account Services
For Momentum
Trisha's insights are informed by 15+ years of creating and implementing custom cause marketing partnerships for major corporate and nonprofit brands combined with her passion for innovation, creativity and love of social media. Read more posts by Trisha here.