Community Service Now you can take your ads to specific communities of mobile phone users.

Social networking is popular. Cell phones are popular. Electronic advertising is popular. So why not put all three together? AirG has done just that. With 85 mobile operators and media companies onboard, AirG powers mobile social networking and already has more than 10 million unique users worldwide. AirG's mobile communities are available on 90 percent of cell phones in the U.S., and users spend an average of 59 minutes a day on the service. Those are the kinds of numbers that can make advertisers salivate.

Using social networks and mobile communities offers an opportunity to target very specific classes of users.AirG is able to tailor ad campaigns based on criteria such as location, area code, age, gender and income level. Ads can take the shape of traditional banners or click-to-call promotions that connect the user directly to a business. A localized focus can help growing businesses get the most out of their advertising budgets.

Targeting mobile communities is part of a larger movement toward advertising on mobile phones. It may take awhile for smaller businesses to embrace this sort of marketing, but the growth of mobile social networks and the advertising opportunities they offer could become big lures over the next few years.