Could mobile users be warming to SMS ads?

Most mobile phone users say they hate the idea of getting advertisements delivered to their phone by text message, but new research from the US suggests that marketers should still think about giving SMS ads a try.

Most mobile phone users say they hate the idea of getting advertisements delivered to their phone by text message, but new research from the US suggests that marketers should still think about giving SMS ads a try.

The New York Times reports that a survey by the Direct Marketing Association found that while just 7% of respondents were interested in receiving ads on their phones, an impressive 24% had responded to an SMS ad.

That sort of response rate is likely to be extremely attractive to marketers, given the relatively low cost of a text message campaign.

“It’s one of the hottest new channels available,” Edward Manzitti, vice president for research at the Direct Marketing Association, told the NYT.

SMS advertising is gaining popularity in Australia, although there are some restrictions on the medium under the spam act.

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