New stats in from Nielsen (see chart below) show just how far out in front teenagers are, when it comes to texting. They send an average of one every ten minutes or so during their waking hours. That’s more than double the number of texts sent by their closest cohort, the 18-24 year olds.

Teens are text-crazy because the format is low cost, offers privacy, and facilitates near real-time connectivity. In the long run, texting helps to normalize expectations of informational instantaneity, always-on contacts, ambient accessibility, and can encourage adoption of abbreviated communication styles (textese).

So what does this trend mean for marketers? If texting is so much a part of everyday communication patterns on the next generation of consumers, does it follow that these users will take mobile text marketing in stride? Not exactly.

Particular kinds of SMS mobile marketing messages are welcome, but for the most part these interruption adverts are viewed as the worst kind of spam. In a nutshell, if the campaign involves saving money or even better, tasty snacks, it’s got a real chance. Some of the most successful mobile text marketing campaigns I’ve reviewed this year targeting teens, tweens and twenty-somethings are offering mobile coupons or short codes for fast food and soda pop. “Ads on my phone? No way! Oh…a coupon at noon for the Subway near my office? Hello!”

Even if you’re not in the food industry, here are three ideas for mobile text marketing with impact:

The opt-in factor is a deal-breaker. Far and wide we hear that the mobile phone is the new loyalty card. “One of the most important elements about using SMS text marketing,” advises Kathy Marlor, ”is that your audience requests to be included by sending a text message to a keyword that you have selected.”

Time and place is everything. Experts encourage advertisers to think about “the mobile path to purchase, which really begins outside the store,” in other words, using geofencing and other LBA services (such as Foursquare) to target the foot traffic of local shoppers in the vicinity. For The North Face brand, georelevant text messaging means, “if they are near a store, customers may receive a message about a new item in the store” or an in-store limited time offer/promotion.

Real value delivers positive buzz. “If the customer gets value out of the text message campaign,” say the experts at OnSMS.com, it is more likely “they will participate again in future promotions and become a good source of positive word-of-mouth.” How to deliver value? Be transparent about costs, for starters, advises the Mobile Marketing Association.

Interested in thinking about other ways that mobile matters to consumers and marketers? Check out my whitepaper.