One of the most common misconceptions business owners have is that the cell phone “phenomenon” is restricted to teenagers and young adults. If their product or service does not directly target this particular market, they figure, it’s a waste of time to investigate text marketing.

Statistics indicate something else entirely.

For instance, the Pew Research Center breaks it down like so (data reflects a US audience)…

Age 18—34: 95% of this demographic owns a cell phone. Age 35—46: 92% of this demographic owns a cell phone. Age 47—56: 86% of this demographic owns a cell phone. Age 57—65: 84% of this demographic owns a cell phone. Age 66—74: 68% of this demographic owns a cell phone.

Above the age of 75 this number drops again, but this shouldn’t be a problem unless your business caters exclusively to octogenarians (folks between 80-90 years old). If that’s the case, maybe text marketing isn’t for you… yet.

For everyone else… well, despite the perception that cell phones are a teenage “thing”, they are most clearly not.

Better yet, the Pew Research Center also reports that 80% of all Americans have used a cell phone to send or receive text messages (Canadian statistics are very similar).

Other research bodies have shown even higher numbers.

Bottom line?

SMS/Text message marketing is effective across all demographics!