For example, in the launch phase of one of the services currently rolling out, eight forums have already evolved organically into more than 150 interest groups. User pull Most of today's 2G mobile services are 'push' oriented, such as information on demand. However, information is actually some way down the list of most people's main wants. First, they want friendship, communication and the excitement and fun that comes from shared interests and passions. This is the focus of mobile communities and it introduces a strong user 'purl' dimension, to the extent that once initiated, usage grows organically.
Membership grows in two major ways.
In addition, the more loyal a member is, the more he or she will adopt evangelising behaviour. One of the operators currently introducing the service analysed a sample user population to investigate this attribute. In terms of its impact on SMS traffic, each user is, on average, sending approximately three messages a day. Almost 90 per cent of this traffic is purely incremental, i.e. in addition to a user's average SMS traffic before the service started. The service is also proving particularly attractive to young people who, as a category of mobile subscribers, have already latched onto the benefits of SMS because of its convenience, spontaneity and exciting 'sub-cultural' qualities.