SMS Messaging: How is Your Text Life?

With almost 2 billion global mobile phone users, text messaging is one of the most widely used communication platforms today. Considering that Internet users are hovering around the 1 billion mark, the rapid growth of Short Message Service (SMS) over the past 5 years is very impressive. In 2000, just over 17 billion text messages were sent worldwide. One year later, in 2001, China alone accounted for 18 billion texts! In 2003, the average SMS user in Singapore sent 2,300 text messages! By the middle of 2004, more than 500 billion SMS text messages were sent worldwide. Here are some more interesting facts about text messaging:

• The first text message was sent in December 1992, and SMS was launched commercially for the first time in 1995
• August 2001 was the first month in which over one billion messages were sent in the UK
• The MDA has forecast that 36.5 billion messages will be sent throughout the UK during 2006, with an average of 100 million messages being sent per day
• 53 million UK subscribers were registered as active on UK networks as of the end of September 2004, of which over 70% send text messages
• 683.5 million mobile phone handsets were sold across the world in 2004 (Strategy Analytics), a rise of almost 25% on 2003
• 95% of 16-24 year olds use text messaging regularly, each sending an average of 100 texts per month
• Annual SMS totals: 1999 - 1 billion; 2000 - 6.2 billion; 2001 - 12.2 billion; 2002 - 16.8 billion; 2003 - 20.5 billion; 2004 - 26 billion
• 92 million text messages were sent by Britons on Valentine's Day 2005, compared to the estimated 12 million cards sent
• In December 2004, 2.4 billion text messages were sent in Britain as the traditional Christmas card was dumped in favor of a seasonal text message
• 72% of women v 70 % of men text regularly (source - ICM Research)
• More women than men use picture messaging, while men are bigger users of the mobile Internet (WAP) (source - Enpocket)
• The first local and mayoral electoral vote in the UK by text message took place on 23rd May 2002
• Amongst the top 10 business users of SMS are recruitment agencies, clubs and bars,Iinternet service providers, couriers, hair salons, dentists and charities.(source - Kapow!)
• The peak hours for texting are between 10.30pm and 11.00pm

Asia leads the way with more text messengers than any other region in the world. Europe is second, with users sending 35-50 text messages each month. Interestingly, the average user in the United States sent only 13 text messages per month in 2003, but indications are that text messaging in the US is on the rise, especially with American Idol and other popular television shows using text messaging as a voting and competition entry tool for viewers.

Many marketers and advertisers have already begun to tap into the mobile SMS market, sending group email-to-SMS messages via applications like GroupMail. Although the CAN-Spam Act does provide some protection for mobile phone users, the law is very shady, requiring supplemental protection from existing FCC rules such as Do Not Call lists and other telecommunication privacy standards. Fortunately, Spam is not very prevalent in the mobile phone market to date, and isn't considered a big issue at the moment by most users. That said, legitimate marketers understand the importance of permission and relevance to the user, regardless of the law. Enjoy your text life!