Text Messaging Catching On in America
by Anthony Wayne
Editor -- Cool Ringtones Blog
Philadelphia Once considered a teenage fad, text messaging popularity in the United States is rising dramatically. According to The Wall Street Journal, 4.7 billion text messages we are
sent in the USA in December, 2004 compared to 2.1 billion in December, 2003.
In fact, writing
messaging is entering all aspects of our society, even relationships. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that nine percent of singles have even admitted to breaking up with their significant others via writing
communication
. Thirty percent of writing
users said that theyve continued an argument by writing
message; probably part of the identical
group that ultimately contributed to the break ups.
The applications for text messaging promotions are also increasing just as quickly. Major League Baseball offers a writing
communication
service that enables its fans to catch up on the latest news and results of their most beloved team. There are also custom cell phone wallpapers of team logos and unique actual game recorded play-by-play ringtones in the professional baseball offering. Live 8, which sponsored the single biggest writing
messaging promotion in history, garnered 26 million texts last month supporting increased government aid to poor African countries. The opportunities for promoters appear to only be limited by ones imagination.
One of the more interesting applications that weve seen is one being sold to radio stations by Chicago-based Spark Network Services. Spark, which got its beginning by offering 900-number based radio voice personal datelines, is now selling a suite of writing
messaging products called PromoTXTRadio. The text messaging products allow radio stations to offer votelines, sweepstakes, song dedications, station play lists, traffic reports, and breaking news via writing
message. It even allows radio stations to offer their station jingles to be played as cell phone ringtones.
Still, Americans have a long way to go to catch their Asian brethren when it comes to the growing phenomenon of writing
messaging. CTIA-The Wireless Association, estimates that the average Chinese cell phone user sent 651 text messages last year compared to just 203 for US wireless users.
C U L8r.
