5 SMS (text messaging) advertising myths

By Susan Marshall, MediaPost Online

iPhone apps and WAP (mobile Internet) sites, often overshadow SMS (text messaging), as sexier ways to reach mobile phone users. But SMS is fast, effective and provokes action especially in teens and young adults. In fact, a new study from Local Mobile Search says SMS advertising generates response rates two to ten times higher than Internet display ads.

"While much of the ad industry is focused on the iPhone and other smartphones because of the buzz and excitement surrounding these devices, they currently represent only 15% or 16% of total handsets in the U.S.," says the report authored by Opus Senior Analyst Greg Sterling.

But, everyone is texting, especially the under-25 crowd. According to Nielsen Research, teens and young adults say they send almost 3,000 text messages per month compared to making only about 200 calls. That's astounding. So, with that kind of reach, why do some advertisers and marketers tend to ignore it for iPhone apps and mobile web sites?

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