• by Jim Shilale , September 15, 2009

The launch of the iPhone changed the way most of us think about the capabilities of mobile phones, but there was at least one group that wasn't surprised. Today's university students have spent the majority of their lives using mobile phones as their primary form of communication, and appreciate the value and convenience they provide on a daily basis. So it's not shocking for them to think that a mobile phone can be used for almost everything, from checking the weather to making a dinner reservation to conducting bank transactions and so much more.

Ninety-seven percent of U.S. college students own a cell phone, and approximately 27 percent of those are smartphones, according to a recent Ball State University Study. This highly engaged group sees text messaging as a natural way to communicate and the mobile Web as an easy way to gather information. College students are such a logical target for mobile applications because they are early adopters of technology, constantly on the go, and rely on mobile content and communication as critical to their daily routines. Students expect to communicate this way, and school administrations need to embrace the importance of the mobile phone and the influence it can wield in a student's life.

New mobile applications are sprouting up daily and include everything from the Friend Finder Loopt application to offshoots of social networking sites like Facebook, to on-the-go news apps from The New York Times and other popular publishers.

It is imperative that colleges and universities around the country include mobile as part of their marketing communications strategy if they want to continue to attract, retain and satisfy students and school supporters.

Show & Tell

You'll be hard-pressed to find any college that has jumped into mobile marketing and mobile messaging with both feet yet. Many are just starting to experiment with mobile, but the results so far have been encouraging.

Stanford University was one of the first to launch an iPhone application, dubbed iStanford. The application allows students to review campus maps, read university news, check grades, add or drop a class, communicate with professors and even access the location of campus shuttles in real time. Students are responding positively, according to University figures which found that the application had been downloaded more than 11,000 times by December 2008.

Another example comes from Illinois State University, which went beyond iPhones to reach any mobile phone with text messaging (which is 97% of phones). During the 2009 basketball season, ISU was looking to create buzz at home games, so an SMS marketing campaign was proposed to engage students and fans. During three games in January, the PA announcer prompted fans to text "REDBIRDS" to a specified shortcode for a chance to win free tickets to future basketball games and the conference championship.

Later in the game, the winner was notified via a text message with instructions for claiming the prize right away on-site. The text-to-win promotion appealed to the audience, offering immediacy and ease of use. More than 3,900 text messages were received from 2,607 fans hoping to win -- a 9.3 percent participation rate. The university was so encouraged by this campaign that it has since chosen to expand its mobile communications strategy campus-wide to reach students, staff, alumni and sports fans.

The University of Dayton is another example of a school expanding from the success of an initial mobile trial. Its mobile strategy originated in the Office of Enrollment, where the team believed that text messaging was a great way to stay top-of-mind with prospective students. By offering a free University-themed ringtone and wallpaper, the office was able to collect opt-in mobile numbers to communicate with prospective students throughout the enrollment season. The success of the program brought attention to text messaging as an effective form of communication to existing students, professors and administrative staff, and the University chose to absorb the costs at a higher level to expand its mobile marketing program.

Making the Grade

Mobile applications simply make sense for university students. The opportunities to reach this market and further enrich their college experiences are virtually endless.

The most popular uses of mobile today fall into these categories: Utility (maps, weather, etc); Information (news, sports scores, etc); and Communication (IM, Facebook, etc). All universities have the opportunity to offer content in each of these categories to meet these needs of various stakeholders.

In addition to the iStanford app, ISU text-to-win promotion and University of Dayton-themed content, other mobile examples include:

- Access to notes, recordings, reading lists and other important learning tools that would be valuable when an illness keeps a student away from class

- Class cancellation notices for off-campus students

- Offering prospective students the ability to sign up for school updates

- Giving sports fans and season ticket holders special offers and discounts at games

- Launching an iPhone application for a college conference, such as the Big 10, ACC or SEC, with schedules, news, videos and live reports

Complete Your Education

Any smart mobile communications strategy will include, at a minimum, a mobile Web site and mobile messaging campaigns. From there, you can move into iPhone app development, mobile ticketing, coupons, QR codes and much more.

With all the complexity surrounding device compatibility and U.S. carrier restrictions, it is strongly recommended to find a mobile solutions agency or vendor to manage the set-up, execution and reporting for all your mobile initiatives. You want to look for a vendor that offers:

A comprehensive suite of applications to eliminate multi-vendor management

Self-service management options to reduce ongoing costs

Global capabilities to extend your reach to foreign students

Real-time reporting to provide insight into your mobile campaigns Excellent client support to reduce headaches

Developing a mobile strategy should not be the sole responsibility of the college IT department. Mobile communications plans can be driven by the admissions, student life associations, athletics, marketing and alumni departments as well, and they can all work in harmony to provide integrated and effective programs that help your school stand out among the rest.