However, significant differences exist between e-mail and direct wireless marketing. Attempting to replicate your most successful e-mail campaign on a wireless device will likely fail miserably since the context in which the messages are read and the customer response mechanisms can be so vastly different. Wireless marketing needs to complement the desktop version of the Web, but avoid duplicating it focusing instead on the immediacy inherent in mobile interactivity. Unlike e-mail messaging, the direct wireless marketing messages must include content and offers that are specifically relevant to the mobile environment. If an individual is reading a message on their wireless device, they are away from their desk and content should reflect this context.
Tiny displays are common in most cellular phones today.
Message content should be optimized for the limited displays found in most wireless devices. Many of the more than 115 million cell phone subscribers in the United States have phones with 110-character text message limits. In order to use the precious space most effectively, personalization will be key. According to Accenture, only 15 percent of consumers who own a cell phone or another portable electronic device are using it to connect to the Web. If these users are the intended audience for a direct wireless marketing message, keep in mind that access speeds are slow, displays are constrained, and navigation is cumbersome.