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A recent report by Harris Interactive has shown that many teens have replaced texting with talking as their preferred means of communication. Nearly half, 47% to be exact, actually stated that their life would end or be severely worsened if texting was no longer available.  There are quite a few reasons why many teens prefer this mode of communication, including speed, the ability to  multi task, the ability to avoid talking directly, and simply because it is more fun than talking. The fun factor can be seen by the recent advent of a World Series of Texting  that was created recently, an event that the thumbs of the most fervent SMSers.

The study found that nearly 4 out of 5 teens carry a mobile phone, taking the number of hip holstered teens to over 17 million. Over half the respondents of the survey also said that mobile has become a new form of entertainment, an idea that certainly sheds light on the need for mobile marketing, although we certainly must take caution with this approach. The study also found cell phones to have a very personal nature for these users (57% of respondents view mobile as their key to life), so we have to tread lightly as we approach this medium as a marketing outlet.

More than 1 billion text are now sent daily around the globe. SMS has taken off as one of the fastest growing technologies and is being adopted heavily by new users every day. This method of communication has shown that it is not just a flash in the pan, but it seems to plan on sticking around for a while. It is essential that we as marketers take aim to embrace mobile, especially SMS, as a viable means for marketing, but as I said, proceed with caution. We can not afford our text message inbox to suffer the same devastating fate as our email inboxes have fallen victim. The industry and the Mobile Marketing Association have done a good job up to know to protect against SPAM and malicious content, but as this marketing method increases in popularity which it clearly is beginning to do, we must heed the warning of our past.

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