The Mobile Marketing Blog - TellMyCell

More and More Research Tells Us Millennials Can’t Do Without Text

Many recent studies into the preferences and habits of millennials found that they are more engaged with mobile technology than any other group. They also delivered some important insights about the ways in which millennials use smartphones.

Some 500 young people, surveyed by Retale, responded to a series of questions about mobile usage; the research found that 94% of millennials regularly use geo-location technology, and 84% say they act on push notifications. Nearly two thirds use their smartphones to look for coupons or discounts for immediate use, while a third use them to research product information for later purchase.

Whatever they use their mobile device for, the very presence of the device on or near their person is non-negotiable. Zogby reports that 87% of millennials are never without their phone, and 80% start their day by reaching for their device.

Another piece of research - from the OpenMarket - reveals that 76% of millennials would rather sacrifice phone calls than text messaging, citing convenience as the reason. But most interesting to mobile marketers is the fact that millennials would rather receive text messages for business transactions, including payment and appointment reminders, and special promotions. 

Furthermore, a Gallup poll surveyed 18 to 29 year olds and found monthly texting rates have more than doubled in the last two years.

And still the number of phone calls made by this demographic continues to decline. According to the Zogby research, 4/5 of young people spend at least two hours per day on their phone. Yet hardly any of them use it to make calls. For older generations, this may be hard to understand, but there are a few factors at play:

 

• Many young people view phone calls as intrusive and presumptuous, putting expectations on the recipient of the call to drop everything they’re doing and pay attention to the caller. Texting eliminates this problem because it doesn’t require a real-time response. 
• Privacy is not something millennials care too much about. They’ve been giving up personal details and consent regarding how their data is shared since they can remember, all in exchange for the convenience of increasingly sophisticated technology. The notion that you would mind companies knowing what you’re talking about is an alien one, and thus no bar to sending reams of your most personal information into the digital ether.
• Texting does away with a lot of the niceties of a phone call, while maximizing the useful information. If you need to simply find out where you’re meeting people for a night out, an address can be stated in a text message - a message that’s also a hyperlink to the map of the location which you can plan the best route to with GPS, all while checking out the menu as you walk. If a millennial texts such a request to their friend, a phone call returned would be annoying!

 

This understanding of what phones are for is so radically different to what baby boomers and - for their childhood at least - Gen Y-ers used them for, it can be difficult to get your head around. But seeing the smartphone from the perspective of young people will help you craft a more effective mobile marketing campaign. Hope we’ve helped!

Can Mobile Technology Revolutionize Healthcare?

One of the hottest topics to hit the campaign trail this year is healthcare. Both Democrats and the GOP have spent time discussing the sustainability of President Obama’s universal healthcare system (Affordable Care Act), spurring much political debate along the way. However, what you haven’t heard any of the presidential candidates talk about is mobile technology, and how smartphones could be the key to revolutionizing our crippled healthcare system. 

 

A Booming Industry 

This year, at the Mobile World Conference and South by Southwest Interactive Conference, people were talking about mobile technology and healthcare—and they weren’t just talking about new jogging apps and calorie calculators. More than 100,000 mobile health apps are in app stores worldwide; it is estimated that by 2017, these apps will reach a combined total value of $26 billion. If apps are any indication of smartphone users’ interests, it’s clear that healthcare and wellness are fast becoming a priority in the online mobile space. 

Improving healthcare in the mobile age isn’t just about people and their phones; it’s about streamlining cumbersome administrative costs and adding much-needed transparency to insurance. This is where a lot of the current debate stems from—financial missteps that have cost the American public its peace of mind. However, these worries might soon have a solution. 

 

Better Technology, Improved Treatment 

One of the greatest challenges faced by our healthcare system today is the lack of resources we have to treat one of our largest aging populations: baby boomers. These individuals will need better access to healthcare, and they’re going to need more of it, as they get older. Mobile technology could greatly reduce the strain of this burden by offering patients more access to their physicians, as well as reducing administrative costs with automated reminders for appointments, prescription refills, emergency services and more, all available via text. 

Reducing administrative costs will also be achieved by streamlining communications among patients, providers, and insurance companies. Digitalized communications, as well as electronic records, will reduce the time it takes to receive services. Electronic healthcare records will also allow physicians to offer more personalized care. Increased data and analytics can provide contextual clues about patient behavior that doctors have never had access to. This is especially true in developing areas of the world, where healthcare is often limited. 

Saving Lives 

Advancements in mobile technology, including Near Field Communication (NFC), iBeacon technology, and geo targeting are tools that we can use at home and abroad to improve healthcare on a global scare. Take text messaging, for example: SMS has already been used in several studies to help manage the treatment of diseases like diabetes. It’s also helped patients kick bad habits like smoking and combat maternal and child mortality rates in countries like Rwanda. We may take SMS text for granted, but when healthcare is severely lacking, it could be the only lifeline available. 

This is a reality that Penn State Associate Professor Richard Lomotley knows all to well. In 2015, Lomotley lost a family member living in rural Ghana to a snakebite. 

“It shouldn’t happen when information about symptoms and emergency instructions [is] only a fingertip away,” said Lomotley. 

But it does happen, all the time. 

Mobile technology is going to give us the tools we need to revolutionize the medical industry, in ways we can’t yet predict. From wearable technology and better user experiences, to real-time monitoring of sick patients, mobile technology should be at the center of the political discussion. 

 

Clear Majority of Millennials Respond to Push Notifications

A recent study into the preferences of millennials found that, unsurprisingly, they are the most highly engaged group when it comes to mobile technology. The research provides yet more evidence that any forward-thinking marketing campaign must take this demographic seriously. 

Among the key findings:

 

• 94% of millennials regularly use apps with geo-location technology, with both Android and Apple users equally keen on such tools
• A majority of millennials (84%) say they act on push notifications, with men responding at a slightly higher rate than women, and more iPhone users (92%) responding to push notifications than Android owners
• In terms of the kinds of information millennials are looking for, 61% like coupons or discounts for immediate use; 35% prefer to receive the latest product information; only 16% of respondents said they used mobile devices for ‘in-store guidance’

 

The 500 millennials surveyed also described the circumstances in which they would not respond to a push notification. The most common reasons were: lack of relevance (39%); intrusiveness (34%); receiving too many notifications (25%) and a lack of attractive deals.

As esoteric as they can appear, these studies provide crucial information to the modern business. Millennials now outnumber baby boomers, and their buying power is at an all-time high. Even with a slower economy and higher cost of living than their parents enjoyed, one can reasonably expect millennials to continue increasing their financial clout. Right now, the median income for those at the younger end of the demographic (ie born in the 90s) is around $25,000; thirtysomethings towards the top of the range earn double that. With 23% having a bachelor’s degree or higher, millennials are the most highly educated generation in history. 

The study - conducted by Retale - is just one fraction of the market research honing in on millennials, and how to predict and capitalize on their preferences and habits. Research from Zogby corroborates the suggestion that millennials are more wedded to their mobile device than any other group, with 87% reporting that their phone ‘never leaves their side’ and 80% claiming the first thing they do in the morning is to reach for their smartphone. Around 78% said they spend at least two hours per day on their phone.