Millennials use text messaging more than social networks to communicate about brands

Marcelo Ballve | March 10, 2015

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Millennials supposedly live their lives through social networks. But new data shows that text messaging and instant messaging are even more influential than social media for channeling millennials' communications. And that extends to informing others about brands, products, and services.

• Millennials are avid texters, it's the most popular way for them to share information, ahead of social networks: When asked to list how they communicate about products, brands, and services online, 44% of millennial respondents said they use text messaging, according to Prosper Insights & Analytics US survey data recently published by Goldman Sachs. 
• Millennials are just as likely to share information about products and brands on instant-messaging services (38% of respondents) as they are on social networks (also 38%). 
• Use of IM, texts, and social networks to share product and brand information drops off quickly among older generations. For example, only 32% of Gen Xers use texts for sharing product and brand information, and only 19% use IM. 

The popularity of text messaging extends across the board. A higher proportion of millennials surveyed said they use text messaging (49%) routinely just for fun, more than those that said the same of social networks (37%). With Gen X, its the other way around, and social networks are the go-to pastime.