SMS-based mobile marketing will target 37.2 million Brits in 2017

When it comes to mobile marketing, there is a lot of room for growth among UK businesses, according to a new report from Textlocal.

The report, based on a poll of 1,000 users, says Britain has roughly 80 million active mobile users, but just 50 percent of businesses are using SMS for marketing.

However, that is about to change. SMS-based mobile marketing is expected to rise, from 37.2 million customers this year, to 48.7 million before we reach 2020.

If this trend continues, SMS marketing is set to become the fastest growing marketing channel in the UK.

Ofcom’s numbers are saying that 93 percent of the UK’s population has a mobile phone, and the majority has it on them for more than 16 hours a day.

The study also points just how potent this channel can be -- 98 percent of branded, or business-related SMS messages are opened, and 90 per cent get read within the first three minutes.

Textlocal managing director Jason Palgrave-Jones said: "By their very nature, mobile phones are to hand and provide an unrivaled platform for brands to communicate directly with their audiences.  These are exciting times for those involved in the mobile industry as the benefits to businesses and consumers are realized."

Direct Marketing Association managing director of the medium Rachel Aldighieri added: "The medium [SMS] is already widely used for sending marketing messages, however as technologies grow we expect to see an exponential rise in its use amongst businesses and consumers."

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