According to a report by Transparency Market Research (TMR), SMS advertising accounts for over 90 percent of total mobile marketing revenue.
TMR said that SMS has many advantages over other marketing methods, one of which is that it allows users to view and respond to messages quickly and unobtrusively without any privacy issues, leading to a near-perfect open rate.
While 90 percent seems high, it will likely only continue to grow as smartphone penetration increases. TMR reports that 90 percent of adults in the U.S. own cell phones, with about 60 percent using smartphones. Another firm, the Mobile Marketing Association, says that the number of smartphones in the U.S. will increase to 80 percent in the near future.
"With consumers carrying mobile devices wherever they go, it has become crucial for marketers to target this large consumer base with mobile advertisements and promotions," TMR wrote in its report. "A mobile advertising platform firm provides services to marketers that allow them to send these advertisements to consumers using mobile devices. Each distinct mobile advertising platform contains opportunities for marketers to deliver their message to a broad range of consumers."
TMR said that advertisers in this space will maintain a focus on performance, with an increase in both spending and return on investment likely. They continue, saying that location based advertising will be a growing trend, tapping into the GPS positioning features of most smartphones, enhancing ad effectiveness.
SMS marketing offers the highest open and conversion rates across any marketing channel. Implementing a text message marketing strategy can engage customers by acknowledging special occasions throughout the year. Swift SMS Gateway offers the SMS API and gateway needed to launch an effective text message campaign across North America.