Now Even Businesses Are Text Messaging

According to research from Nielsen Mobile, the typical US cell phone subscriber sends and receives more text messages than telephone calls. During the second quarter of 2008, the average mobile user placed or received 204 phone calls per month. In contrast, the number of text messages sent or received per month was 357. This is a 450% increase over the number of text messages during the same period in 2006.

Eighteen to twenty-four year olds were the most nimble-fingered with an average of 790 text messages per month. The older generation isn't being left behind though with 26% of 25-34 year olds texting and 27% of 35-54 year olds using this new technology. So what are all these people texting about?

While the younger generation may be texting about the latest episode of the Bachelor, the older generation uses text messaging for a variety of purposes. On the humanitarian side, texting is being used to raise funds during natural disasters and provide emergency alerts in schools and colleges. The Red Cross raised more than $100,000 during the Hurricane Katrina disaster through text messaging. The University of Texas at Austin uses SMS to alert 67,000 students, faculty and staff of upcoming ice storms.

Other uses include businesses communications, customer service and personalized marketing and advertising. American Airlines uses text messages to alert travelers of delayed flights and gate changes. B & H Photo, which sells digital photography and video equipment, allows you to text your order number and receive a message with your its tracking details. Banks have been using text messaging for a while, letting you get your balance or notifying you when your balance reaches a certain level. P&G ran a promotion for its Crest whitening toothpaste based on an Irresistability IQ test . Consumers responded to dating questions via SMS and their answers were judged resulting in a final score and an ad for Crest toothpaste.

A study by Enpocket Insight found that permission-based mobile marketing was 50 percent more effective than TV and 130 percent more effective than radio. The "Starbucks Summer Pursuit" challenged consumers to decipher a series of text message clues and players submitted their answers via mobile phone in the form of a picture or text message. Even coupons are now being sent via text message.