Brafton has reported that Google's Eric Schmidt declared 2011 the year of mobile, and the new 2010 Mobile Year in Review report from comScore supports his theory and shows that mobile users look for news daily via their devices. Marketers will want to plan mobile campaigns accordingly.

Brafton has reported that Google's Eric Schmidt declared 2011 the year of mobile, and the new 2010 Mobile Year in Review report from comScore supports his theory, showing that mobile users look for news daily via their devices. Marketers will want to plan mobile campaigns accordingly.

According to comScore, smartphone adoption is rapidly on the rise among American consumers, and mobile internet access is growing accordingly. In December 2010, the percentage of mobile users with unlimited data plans rose to 29 percent – up from 21.3 percent the year before. During the same period, smartphone ownership increased from 16.8 percent to 27 percent of the U.S. population.

As more consumers adopt internet-enabled mobile devices, mobile media access is rising. ComScore says that at the end of 2010, nearly half (47 percent) of mobile subscribers browsed the mobile web, accessed apps, downloaded mobile content and participated in other online activities on the go.

Smarpthone users represent a diverse demographic. While 25- to 34-year-olds drive the smartphone market at 27.2 percent, marketers will find they can also reach younger and older crowds via mobile devices. ComScore reports that 18- to 24-year-olds represent a large share of the U.S. smartphone market (16.7 percent), and the 55 and older group account for more than one in 10 users (12.6 percent of the market).

Marketers should take note that social networking, online retail and general reference were among the fastest-growing content categories. Still, more users accessed news information than visited a social site, used an app or accessed their email in 2010, which indicates branded news content can help businesses get an edge. In fact, comScore says about 40,000 consumers accessed news information almost daily via their mobile devices in 2010 – a 52 percent increase over 2009.

With this in mind, marketers may want to plan timely, fresh content campaigns to attract mobile users – and they should be on the lookout for new ways to deliver this content to mobile users. As Brafton has reported, Google recently announced its dedication to mobile search and products, and new marketing opportunities with the search giant may follow.

Katherine Griwert is Brafton's Marketing Director. She's practiced content marketing, SEO and social marketing for over five years, and her enthusiasm for new media has even deeper roots. Katherine holds a degree in American Studies from Boston College, and her writing is featured in a number of web publications.