Statistics on SMS, or text messaging, including information about men and women, teenagers, coupons, and MMS, or multimedia messaging

1. TEXT MESSAGING
BY THE NUMBERS
Published by Ken Vernon
Compiled April 2010
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2. CONNECTIVITY
52: Percentage of Americans who send text messages.
76.4: Percentage of US cell phone subscribers use text messaging.
72: Percentage of all teens who are text-messagers.
51: Percentage of all teens who were text-messagers in 2006.
40: Percentage of women who describe themselves as 'mainly texter'.
30: Percentage of men who describe themselves as 'mainly texter'.
80: Percentage of all ages who said they thought they would get a quicker response from a text
than from an email or voicemail.
More than 822 billion: Number of text messages sent and received on carriers networks
during the last half of 2009 (That's almost 5 billion per day).
Around 9.3 Billion: Number of MMS (multi-media messages) messages reported for the last
half of 2008.
More than 24.2 Billion: The number of MMS messages reported for the last half of 2009.
TEENS
2/3: Number of teen texters who say they are more likely to use their cell phones to text their
friends than talk to them to them by cell phone.
50: Percentage of teens send 50 or more text messages per day.
80: Average number of texts teen girls send per day.
30: Average number of texts teen boys send per day.
26: Percentage of U.S. teens ages 16-17 who admit to have texted while driving.
15: Percentage of teens who say they have received a sexually suggestive nude or nearly nude
image of someone they know by text.
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3. ENGAGEMENT
42: Percentage of 18-34 year olds with cell phones who said they were interested in receiving
alerts on their cell phones from places they frequent.
33: Percentage of 35-44 year olds with cell phones who said they were interested in receiving
alerts on their cell phones from places they frequent.
26: Percentage of all consumers who use text messaging who say they have opted in to receive
text message marketing messages.
25: Percentage of women who engage in TV voting via text.
14: Percentage of men who engage in TV voting via text.
22: Percentage of U.S. cell phone owners who donated to Haiti earthquake relief who did so via
text message.
SOURCES:
Per Research: Teens, Cell Phones and Texting
Qwasi: 5 Billion Text Messages Sent/Received Each Month in the US. Mobile Messaging
Continues to Show Enormous Uptake in SMS and MMS
Carol Flammer: Cell Phones, Texting and Your Customers
MMA: Text Messaging Provides U.S. Consumers with a Convenient, Secure &
Immediate Way to Help Haitian Earthquake Victims & Charities
Goomzee: Mobile Marketing Trends
TMCnet: Twenty-six Percent of Text Message Users Have Opted to Recieve Marketing
Messages
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4. ABOUT DEFAKTO:
Defakto is a full-service digital marketing agency based on the core principal that what
we offer and produce should always be a reflection of What’s Best for Your Brand™.
The Defakto difference is an understanding of the full social graph of your customer
and the 360 degree view of brand touch points. The ultimate goal is beyond the sale.
The ultimate goal is creating customers that create new customers.
Defaktogroup.com
Everywhereallthetime.com
gilbert.salazar@defaktogroup.com
ken.vernon@defaktogroup.com
© Defakto LLC. All rights reserved. www.defaktogroup.com