• Yahoo announced that Yahoo Sponsored Search ads now appear on iPhones and Android devices. 

"With this tweak, standard Sponsored Search ads (40-character header, 70-character description, the host URL—you know the drill) will appear on these mobile devices, giving your ads wider appeal and more relevancy to people on the go—potential customers searching for your offerings, whether you’re offering dry cleaning or a dry martini," says Yahoo’s Search Marketing Team.

Advertisers don’t need to do anything extra to ensure that their ads are being served on iPhones and Android devices. They can still target mobile users specifically using Yahoo Mobile Sponsored Search, however.

"You’ve probably noticed that for a lot of consumers, surfing the Web increasingly doesn’t depend upon the PC," says Yahoo.

They’re certainly right about that. The latest info from Nielsen says that web visitors using a mobile device increased 34% year-over-year from 42.5 million in July 2008 to 56.9 million in July 2009. Mobile web use is growing among all age groups, especially women, teens, and seniors.

The fact that mobile web use is growing so significantly across the board indicates the importance of mobile for marketers. That importance will not be declining anytime soon. If you are already a Yahoo Sponsored Search advertiser, the company’s announcement is big news. If you are not, perhaps this will make the service more enticing.

Yahoo announced that Yahoo Sponsored Search ads now appear on iPhones and Android devices. 

"With this tweak, standard Sponsored Search ads (40-character header, 70-character description, the host URL—you know the drill) will appear on these mobile devices, giving your ads wider appeal and more relevancy to people on the go—potential customers searching for your offerings, whether you’re offering dry cleaning or a dry martini," says Yahoo’s Search Marketing Team.

Advertisers don’t need to do anything extra to ensure that their ads are being served on iPhones and Android devices. They can still target mobile users specifically using Yahoo Mobile Sponsored Search, however.

"You’ve probably noticed that for a lot of consumers, surfing the Web increasingly doesn’t depend upon the PC," says Yahoo.

They’re certainly right about that. The latest info from Nielsen says that web visitors using a mobile device increased 34% year-over-year from 42.5 million in July 2008 to 56.9 million in July 2009. Mobile web use is growing among all age groups, especially women, teens, and seniors.

The fact that mobile web use is growing so significantly across the board indicates the importance of mobile for marketers. That importance will not be declining anytime soon. If you are already a Yahoo Sponsored Search advertiser, the company’s announcement is big news. If you are not, perhaps this will make the service more enticing.

Mobile marketing is going to become increasingly hard for businesses to ignore. Just look at how much mobile advertising is already going on.

The key of course (which could really be said of other kinds of marketing), is to not be annoying about it. WebProNews recently interviewed former Yahoo executive and current Chief Revenue Officer of mobile marketing firm Crisp Wireless, Tom Foran, about this.

There are some new guidelines for mobile marketing in the works from none other than the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA), whom I like to think of as kind of like the Interactive Advertising Bureau for mobile marketing. The MMA consists of agencies, advertisers, hand-held device manufacturers, carriers and operators, retailers, software providers and service providers, and other companies focused on marketing with mobile devices.

Sidenote: See our interview with MMA President and CEO Mike Wehrs below:

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The MMA has opened up a public review period for the guidelines, which runs through the end of the month. They new guidelines will be published in September. News updates and additions to the guidelines include:

- The MMA’s new Universal Mobile Advertising Package (UMAP), which provides industry-standard ad units.

- The Mobile Application section has been expanded from North America only to worldwide.

- An expanded MMS section, including new ad units and guidelines.

- An expanded Mobile Video & TV section with new ad units and guidelines.

- An expanded Mobile Applications section with new ad units and guidelines

"The MMA’s Global Mobile Advertising Guidelines are designed to provide the timely, actionable guidance and insights necessary to continue mobile advertising’s phenomenal growth," said Mike Wehrs, MMA president and CEO. "By making each new version of the Global Mobile Advertising Guidelines available for public review, the MMA ensures that this resource meets the needs of the entire mobile advertising ecosystem."

eMarketer estimates that there will be 280.8 million mobile phone subscribers by the end of the  year, while comScore says there will be 29 million smartphone users. Meanwhile, AdMob is getting ready to serve its 100 billionth mobile ad.

If you need any more evidence that mobile advertising is booming, AdMob is getting ready to serve its 100 Billionth ad. The firm notes that this is over 14 times the entire world population (as of 2008), 107 times the distance (in miles) to the sun, and about half to a quarter of the number of stars in the galaxy. Suffice it to say, that’s a lot of mobile advertising. And that’s just from AdMob.

A spokesperson for AdMob tells WebProNews that smartphone shipments worldwide are projected to grow 13% this year. You can expect a lot more mobile advertising to come.

eMarketer estimates that there will be 280.8 million mobile phone subscribers by the end of the  year. comScore says there will be 29 million smartphone users. eMarketer also projects that US mobile advertising spending will reach $760 million in 2009.

"Not that long ago, mobile used to mean simple WAP sites or worse, trying to view a traditional website with a sub-par transcoded experience," says AdMob. "Remember how fun it used to be to squint your eyes to try to read web sites intended for PC viewing as they slowly appeared on your old flip phone?  Mobile websites have come a long way since then and now provide a rich user experience optimized specifically for mobile."

"More and more people are getting smart (with a smartphone) and mobile has become a real medium for advertisers & publishers," Admob says.  "No longer for just early adopters, as smartphones have become mainstream, having a strong presence in the mobile landscape has become essential for both mainstream brands and emerging developers alike."

WebProNews recently interviewed a former Yahoo executive, who is now the Chief Revenue Officer for mobile advertising firm Crisp Wireless. He says we’re going to see nearly all major brands embrace mobile in some fashion this year. According to him, the most successful mobile campaigns recognize what will appeal to consumers while they’re on the go.

WebProNews recently ran an article looking at a study, which indicated that spending on mobile advertising would reach $760 million in 2009 (20% more than last year). A spokesperson with mobile advertising firm Crisp Wireless took notice and set us up with a Q&A with Chief Revenue Officer and former member of Yahoo Search’s Strategic Alliances team, Tom Foran.

It’s looking more and more like mobile marketing will become unavoidable for businesses in the future. As competitors get on board, it’s going to be harder to ignore for a company that doesn’t want to get left in the dust. Have you tried out mobile marketing in any form? Tell us about your results.

People have their mobile devices with them 18 hours a day, as Mike Wehrs, President and CEO of the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) recently told WebProNews. "Why wouldn’t you want to be able to deliver relevant information to them?" he added. "Because if you do it well, it doesn’t become an advertisement. It becomes information that they were looking for anyway."

Following is the Q&A with Tom Foran.

WebProNews: Do you think mobile marketing will become unavoidable for marketers?

Tom Foran: Mobile marketing has matured to be a viable medium for many different types of marketers and brands.  The categories experiencing the most success so far are Entertainment, Automotive and Financial Services.  I believe national retailers will be the next wave, taking advantage of the increasing market share of devices supporting location-based targeting.

WPN: How far off are we from mobile marketing being essential?

TF: In 2009 we are seeing nearly all major brands embrace mobile in some fashion.  After these trailblazers have set the bar, direct response marketers will follow suit.

WPN: I’m told that your company has worked for publishers like Time, CNN Money, and USA Today. What kind of mobile campaigns have these publishers ran? Please tell me a little bit about their results.

TF: Crisp has built a reputation as a leading mobile vendor after working with major media and entertainment companies such as Time, CNN Money, and USA Today to mobilize their web content. Now we are extending these relationships to help premium publishers fully monetize this content via "beyond the banner" mobile advertising. Instead of relegating their inventory as remnant to mobile ad networks, we assist publishers in selling their mobile ad inventory through engaging rich media ad units, ad reporting, advertiser landing sites, and collaborative sales support – all to maximize their mobile revenues.

WPN: What are some do’s and don’ts of mobile advertising?

TF: Successful mobile campaigns recognize what will appeal to consumers while they are mobile. Mobile is not simply a repurposed desktop campaign; it must leverage the utility of the device (e.g. click-to-call, click-to-video, click-to-map a dealer/retail location, click-to-buy on iTunes). The biggest mistake you can make is being too cautious to give it a try. The mobile landscape is uncluttered and generating CTRs and user engagement. Now is the time to be seen on mobile.

WPN: What do you think the most effective form of mobile advertising is?

TF: In our experience so far, rich media "beyond-the-banner" advertising generates the highest levels of engagement with consumers. Our full-screen home page takeover ad, which can be served as content is loading, has seen double-digit CTRs.

WPN: Do you think most consumers want to be marketed to through their mobile devices?

TF: I think whenever you ask consumers if they want to be marketed to on any medium the answer will be no. However, take a look at how many people really install ad blockers online.  It is a tradeoff we become accustomed to. I think if you ask them if they would rather spend $5/mo to access the New York Times on their mobile phone or tolerate some well-targeted, well-executed, non-invasive advertising, I would bet they’d choose the advertising.

WPN: How can a marketer avoid annoying consumers when marketing to them through their mobile device?

TF: The most important factor is relevancy. If an ad is well-targeted and relevant to the consumer, they will not find it annoying. Second, we offer options like frequency-capping and ’skip this ad’ features to ensure a positive user experience.

WPN: What are some trends you see growing in the industry in the present? The future?

TF: I see a growing seriousness around mobile advertising. This correlates into serious campaign funding and a close look at campaign metrics. The onslaught of the iPhone and other large screen devices have opened up the industry in ways nothing else could. Now, not only do advertisers have the real estate to advertise, they can do so in a much more effective manner.

WPN: If there’s anything else you’d like to say regarding the mobile advertising industry, please feel free to do so.

TF: We see premium publishers moving away from dependence upon mobile ad networks to embracing direct mobile ad sales.  Ad networks dominated the first inning of mobile advertising. Now the tide is turning, at least among premium publishers. In the future, ad networks will continue to service remnant inventory and long-tail publishers.

Wrapping Up

I would like to thank Mr. Foran for answering our questions, and providing his insight into the growing industry of mobile marketing. What are your thoughts? Do you think mobile marketing will become unavoidable for businesses? Comment here.

A recent study showed that spending for mobile advertising was expected to reach over $760 million in 2009. That’s about 20% more than last year. Do you dedicate any portion of your budget to mobile marketing? Let WebProNews readers know.

Mike McDonald recently cited these numbers when he told us why we should be marketing via mobile. It seems that marketers are going to have little choice but to market via mobile in the future as devices get smarter, and become must-have items for more people.

People have their mobile devices with them 18 hours a day, Mike Wehrs, President and CEO of the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) recently told WebProNews. "Why wouldn’t you want to be able to deliver relevant information to them?" he added. "Because if you do it well, it doesn’t become an advertisement. It becomes information that they were looking for anyway."

The MMA has now released the latest version (pdf) of its US Consumer Best Practices Guidelines for Cross-carrier mobile content services. These are essentially the guidelines for services like text messaging (SMS), multimedia messaging (MMS), shortcode programs, Interactive Voice Response (IVR), and the mobile web.

This is the first version of the guidelines that consolidates best practices for the four major US wireless service providers: Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile. The MMA calls it a milestone toward continued growth of mobile marketing.

Marketers and anybody dealing with the mobile industry should really check out the lengthy document (pdf). Here are some guidelines from it, although they really don’t begin to scratch the surface of the amount of information found within the actual document.

"The latest MMA Consumer Best Practices Guidelines are an industry milestone toward meeting the ecosystem’s need for a concise yet comprehensive set of rules at a time when rapid growth increases the challenge of following multiple playbooks," says Wehrs. "By providing a single, industry-standard reference, the new guidelines free carriers, technology companies, brands, media companies and consumer advocates to focus on protecting consumers, providing the optimal user experience and continuing the mobile channel’s growth."

This week, the MMA also announced its new global board members. For an interesting video interview with Wehrs on mobile marketing, check this out.

Are you doing any mobile marketing yet? Tell us how it’s going. 

Today the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) announced new members of its global board of directors and officers. If you are unfamiliar with the MMA, it is an organization that is made up of agencies, advertisers, hand-held device manufacturers, carriers and operators, retailers, software providers and service providers, and other companies focused on the marketing with mobile devices.

Recently, WebProNews interviewed the MMA’s President and CEO Mike Wehrs. Wehrs talked about growth in in mobile marketing, and the benefits of the medium.

More WebProNews Videos

People have their mobile devices with them 18 hours a day, as Wehrs said. "Why wouldn’t you want to be able to deliver relevant information to them?" he asked. "Because if you do it well, it doesn’t become an advertisement. It becomes information that they were looking for anyway."

The Global Board is made up of elected Executive Committee members from each region who will work together with the wider membership and MMA staff to "manage and steer the Mobile Marketing Association; continuing to advance its international leadership on the key issues that affect the industry."

The Global Board will be chaired by Federico Pisani Massamormile, and will be supported by Global Vice-Chairperson Michael Becker and Wehrs among others.

"The MMA is a premier industry association which discusses, plans and works cooperatively with its entire membership to resolve key industry issues, to share perspectives and case studies across the different geographic regions, to promote technology, processes and practices innovation, and, ultimately, to boost the growth of mobile marketing and advertising worldwide. I am greatly honored to be in a position to help shape its initiatives, drive its international growth and advance its industry leadership," says Massamormile.

"Global industry collaboration is essential for the success of mobile marketing and to ensure the best experience for the consumer. Our member and board contribution to this collaborative process is incredibly important, offering real-world expertise and experience," said  Wehrs.

The Full list of Board Members is as follows:

 Global

    * Chair: Maria Mandel, Executive Director of Digital Innovation, Ogilvy Interactive
    * Vice Chair: Michael Becker, VP, Mobile Strategies, iLoop Mobile
    * Treasurer: Louis Gump, VP Mobile, CNN
    * Secretary: Paul Palmieri, President & CEO, Millennial Media
    * Chair Emeritus: Tom Daly, Group Manager, Strategy & Planning, The Coca-Cola Company
    * MMA: Mike Wehrs, President & CEO (also MMA rep to Global Board)