News

You send HOW MANY texts?

The answer is "14,528" - if you were asking the 13 year old California schoolgirl highlighted by Jeff Orr in his blog this week. That was 14,528 in one month.

Fortunately (Orr noted) the 140-page bill (her father can produce this to prove the figure) is is not accompanied by a huge bottom line payment request; his daughter has unlimited texts on her plan.

Enough, however, is enough - and she is now barred from sending texts after the end-of-day family meal - presumably, being encouraged to either do homework, or actually go and meet her friends in person.

Orr is a consultant employed by ABI Research, and used the story to plug some research on SMS usage. Texting, he suggests, is an opportunity for mobile marketing:

In November, 2007 and December, 2008, ABI Research conducted online surveys with more than 1000 U.S. mobile phone users between the ages of 14 and 59 to gauge their use of text messaging on their mobile phones and their receptiveness towards mobile marketing among other things.

The surveys indicate that frequent text messaging is becoming more common among all mobile phone users. In 2007, 35% of all respondents reported that they use text messaging on their phones at least once a day, while a significantly higher 47% do so in 2008 results.

Not surprisingly, this varies by age. Significantly higher percents of younger respondents engage in daily texting vs. their older counterparts. In the 2008 survey, 68% of those under the age of 35 report that they text at least once a day, with over three-quarters (77%) of those under 25 texting daily.

And, he adds: "Several more interesting trends related to mobile marketing are appearing."

More from ABI in the Mobile Content section of their web site.