The smartphone has had a profound impact on consumer behaviour, and marketers need to keep aware of how patterns and habits are shifting in order to stay effective. Of the back of the firms new research study, the Mobile Consumer Behaviour Report, Jason Palgrave-Jones, managing director at Textlocal, explores some of the findings, and what they mean for marketers.

Smartphones have an unparalleled ability to streamline and assist our everyday lives, from helping us to wake up and reminding us of important tasks to keeping us up to date with the latest news and celebrity gossip.

It was only in 2015 that Ofcom declared the UK a smartphone society and in our recently published research, the Mobile Consumer Behaviour Report we explore the everyday smartphone antics of users across the UK, asking just how reliant on our devices are we as a nation?

The research revealed that an astounding 67 per cent of women over 30 use their device as their morning alarm compared to a surprisingly less 46 per cent of men under 30. Even more surprising was that only 14 per cent of men under 30 use instant messaging (IM) daily, more women under 30 use IM but still an unexpectedly low 29 per cent.

The most popular smartphone activities across the age groups were also incredibly revealing, with more men and women over 30 checking social media daily at over 30 per cent compared to just 15 per cent of women under 30 and 22 per cent of men of the same age.

The research solidifies the idea that consumers are on their phones and online in real-time thanks to nationwide access to 4G and emerging 5G possibilities. This combined with the fact that smartphone users keep their devices to hand for more than 16 hours a day means that businesses have an unrivalled opportunity to better connect with their mobile-first customer base.

Regardless of age or gender, the findings highlight that we’re relying on our smartphones more than ever. Yet significantly, the Report highlighted that communication remains a primary function for all smartphone users with 98.3 per cent making calls and 74 per cent checking emails on a daily basis. Interestingly, 41 per cent of men over 30, 23 per cent of men under 30 and 41 per cent of women over 30 send more SMS daily than those that use IM.

The research clearly identifies that SMS remains a key channel for consumers across the country and as our reliance on our devices become even more prevalent businesses will be faced with the challenge of further streamlining the digital customer journey.

Jason Palgrave-Jones is managing director of Textlocal. To discover more about the mobile-first mindset, the Mobile Consumer Behaviour Report is available to download for free now.