Hands up if you’re going to Media Trust’s Go Mobile conference.
Matt Collins wrote a great blog this week on 5 ways charities should go mobile which contains lots of useful tips. It’s a subject close to my heart as I’ve blogged before about why charities may be missing out on opportunities to make the most of mobile. I’m a firm believer that charities must embrace mobile urgently if they haven’t already done so.
The Go Mobile conference looks great and I was interested to read about the closing keynote from Dan Calladine, Head of Media Futures at Carat Global Management , in which he will urge charities to ‘look … beyond distinctions of ‘mobile internet,’ and ‘mobile users.’’
This really struck a chord with me. I think that mobile is often talked about as if it is a completely separate channel, rather than one of many. Let’s look at how we all use mobile. I suspect that, like you, from morning to night, my mobile rarely leaves my side. It is completely integrated into my life. And I expect my experiences with it to be seamless. If I look at an email newsletter on my phone and click on a link, I am surprised if the site is not optimised for mobile. I expect to get SMS reminders about GP appointments and deliveries. I often watch TV whilst tweeting about it.
I’d recommend that any charities looking to make the most of mobile start with the very personal relationship which we all have with our phones. I can’t be the only one who says of my phone ‘it’s got my whole life on it.’ Charities have amazing and powerful stories to tell. Whether it’s through fundraising via SMS, text updates for supporters or mobile optimised content, mobile offers charities a unique opportunity to truly connect with people. It’s the ‘do- anything’ platform. How exciting is that?