Today's college students and recent graduates have taken the use of cell phones well beyond the way they were originally designed. In short, they're using the devices less and less as phones and more and more as information sharing devices. That distinction is incredibly significant as a phone can only take you so far in improving your productivity. But a personal communication / information sharing device has no productivity limits.

Art Koff of RetiredBrains.com recently emailed to me an article pointing out just how dramatic this distinction has become. For example, the proportion of U.S. mobile subscribers who access social networks on their cell phones nearly tripled to 9.6 percent over a year ago, according to eMarketer. Furthermore, by 2012, more than 800 million users worldwide will participate in social networks via their mobile device, up from 82 million in 2007.

To be sure, the absolute number of users remains relatively small but by 2012 the 20 percent of mobile social networking users "will have a disproportionate impact on marketing, media and mobile communications because creating and sharing digital content (user-generated and professional) forms much of the social networking experience." Consider that 15.6 percent of mobile users already use their phones to search the Web for local products and services, compared to 9.8 percent a year ago. And 14.3 percent searched outside their local area, up from 6.4 percent. Some 8.4 percent have watched a music video or other type of Internet video on mobile devices -- nearly double the 4.4 percent a year ago.

If your organization does not yet have a strategy in place to reach Gen Y via their mobile devices, you're already behind the curve and need to catch-up quickly. Some options are:

1. Watch our free webinar on the Best Practices for Boosting Your Brand On-Campus Through the Use of Cell Phone Text Messaging (SMS) Campaigns -- How to use targeted cell phone text messaging (SMS) campaigns to hire college students for internships and recent graduates and alumni for entry level jobs and other career opportunities. In our 48 minute webinar, we discuss what text messaging is, who receives ads on via text messaging, best practices for sending recruitment advertising via SMS, and some success stories.

2. Join me on Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 12-1pm EST / 11am-12pm CST as I deliver the webinar, Lessons from the 2008 Presidential Campaign: Utilizing Mobile Communication to Reach Candidates and Engage Employees. Since the days of the AOL, "You've Got Mail," savvy recruiters have utilized email technology to reach current and prospective employees. But is email a dinosaur? Take a look at what Barack Obama's campaign did to recruit their target audience-- and recruit voters. They had a dedicated page for mobile content with wallpapers, ringtones and even an SMS alert service that tells you about local events, updates, and other tidbits to keep you involved and immersed in Obama. Can you do the same for your company through the utilization of mobile technology? Your workforce is global, virtual and tech savvy-- shouldn't your human capital department reflect these trends? Join us to learn the latest, and the future of, mobile technology. We'll decipher the terminology, the costs, and the potential benefits. We'll learn how a little knowledge can keep your company ahead of the curve-- and attract and retain the best and the brightest in the talent wars. Sponsored by Taleo.

3. Join me on Thursday, January 15, 2009 at 1pm EST / 12pm CST, as I deliver the webinar, How Employers Should Use Cell Phone Text Messaging to Recruit College Students. Only a decade ago most people didn't have cell phone and only a few years ago most users of cell phones hadn't even heard of text messaging. The rapid acceptance of cell phones and text messaging by all segments of the population is dwarfed how integral they are to the lives of today's college students and recent graduates. Quite simply, if you want to communicate efficiently and effectively with Gen Y, you need to be able and willing to communicate via text messaging. In this fast-paced, humorous, 60-minute presentation, you and your team will learn what the most effective top criteria for determining whether targeted cell phone text messaging campaigns are right for your organization, how they fit within your recruitment marketing mix, and creative approaches that break through the clutter and instantly grab the attention of today's entering workforce. This webinar will be held in conjunction with the Midwest Association of Colleges and Employers. The entire fee of $75 for MwACE members and $150 for non-members will go to MwACE. The registration deadline is January 8th.