public relations…social media…commmunications…marketing. Repeat.

I’ve said it. Our industry experts have said it. You’ve probably said it too. Mobile marketing is where it’s at this year.  Big name brands get it, too. Starbucks recently launched their new mobile feature that lets consumers conveniently pay for their lattes from their iPhone or iPod touch.

Marketers should love mobile because consumers love it. We see this in the increase in smartphones and mobile activity like text messaging, and email.  A 2010 Pew Internet Research report found that 40 percent of adults use the Internet, email or instant messaging on a mobile phone. This is up from the 32 percent of Americans who did this in 2009. According to a January 2011 study done by Knotice, a direct digital and email marketing company, 13.36 percent of emails are opened by a mobile operating system or device.

Report says 88 percent of marketers are planning to use mobile marketing in 2011, and 75 percent plan an increase spending on mobile initiatives. What else can we expect from mobile this year? Glad you asked.

Courtesy of Ragan.com, Patrick Kerley, senior digital strategist at Levick Strategic Communications, has put together a list of five trends in mobile media:

• Return of the mobile web
• App alternatives
• Tablets
• Payments
• Online/offline blend

So, what are your plans for mobile marketing this year?