Mobile marketing agency 5th Finger, which has run more than 5,000 campaigns, has released its list of nine mobile marketing best practices for 2009.

Considering that more than 23 percent of all U.S. mobile subscribers -- 58 million consumers -- were exposed to advertising on their phones this past November -- per Nielsen Mobile -- marketers and advertisers should work to reach consumers via multiple channels, including SMS, email, social networks and even video games.

"It's been the year of mobile for like five years, but what's going to be different in 2009 is a perfect storm -- for the first time there are 3G networks, and the prices of all-you-can-eat data plans and Web-enabled handsets are coming down," said Conrad Lisco, creative director for 5th Finger, San Francisco.

"Marketers getting excited, because as mobile technology advances and prices come down, more people will be able to have high-impact interactions with brands beyond just text messaging," he said.

As consumers multi-task on multiple channels, 5th Finger offers the following nine tips for marketers wanting to change their approach to mobility planning in 2009:

Make progress
As marketers jump on the mobile bandwagon, they must understand the difference between objective-based mobile marketing and "just doing lots of stuff."

Decide how the brand should behave in the mobile world given what the brand stands for and how its consumers engage with media and technology.

Think about mobile as a means to capture data, generate leads, drive brand advocacy, build brand communities and deepen brand engagement.

Use utility
Novelty isn't enough. Consumers are going to demand more from marketers to pay attention and participate.

5th Finger predicts that the demand for mobile applications will continue to grow.

"Applications are the future of this business," Mr. Lisco said. "If you look at the success of the [Apple] App Store, it's not just about gaming, there are many useful apps, apps that add value to daily life.

"It's less about novelty and more about utility," he said. "LBS allows me to find something faster."

Think "mobilizing" updates and alerts, sending mobile coupons and tapping into location-based services.

Give generously
Validate and reinforce the purchase decision by delivering exclusive or engaging content.

"The notion of branded generosity is important," Mr. Lisco said. "If a brand gives me an app that makes my day easier, better, smarter, all of a sudden I have an affinity for that brand."

Remember that content considerations for mobile are different than other media channels, so keep it punchy and contextually correct.

Stay relevant
Treat mobile messaging as a two-way communication stream and engage consumers in an ongoing dialogue to create trust and affinity.

Be explicit
Think about objectives, segments and relevance before setting out. This pursuit helps to create salient connections with consumers.

Minimize risk
Even with the most rigorous processes and creative thinking, achieving real results often comes down to an experienced campaign management team.

The team tests the mechanics and user experience to limit risk and ensure that the mobile experience is user-friendly.

Maximize opportunities
Every point of interaction with a brand is a media opportunity. Think about mobile holistically as opposed to a one-off and create opportunities by leveraging all available channels, including on-pack, events and television.

Use mobile to drive consumers to and from various parts of the media mix and then drive them to bricks-and-mortar retail locations.

Monitor and optimize
Keep your eye on the results for the duration of the campaign and look for opportunities to shift media, tweak messages and hone activity levels.

Think outside the screen
Consider Massive's use of text messaging as a way to drive engagement, interaction and measurement of its in-game advertising inventory.

Players don't want to have to quit their game just to visit a brand's Web site, so they can easily pause the game, grab their mobile phone and then kick off the engagement.

5th Finger notes that run-of-site sponsorships are gaining popularity on the mobile Internet.

"Letting brands take over a site for a day and sponsor content specifically designed for an advertiser, you'll see more of that on mobile," Mr. Lisco said. "The same models you've been seeing in the digital world will start to cross over more and more into mobile.

"It has to be more contextually correct for the mobile space, more relevant for the mobile space," he said. "It's not just about translating the computer experience to mobile phones."

5th Finger cites research that more people in the U.S. are texting than are talking. In fact, the United States now surpasses Britain in terms of mobile Internet usage.

The company also says that home Internet usage continues to go down in the U.S. in terms of total home users, while people accessing the mobile Internet continues to increase.

"Brands need to think of marketing as a mentality, as opposed to a process," Mr. Lisco said. "Consumers are going to start to demand more from mobile marketers in order to play ball and participate in campaigns.

"Brands need to diversify the experience, integrate the experience with other forms of media," he said. "Mobile is a way to extend traditional media, and consumers are demanding a mobile component, which drives them in and out of other media."