In a time before smartphones, texting and social media, the landline reigned supreme. All communication – if it didn't happen in face-to-face conversation – would be conducted on a landline telephone. Sales and marketing relied on plugged-in phones and the system worked for a number of years. But as technology evolves and communication shifts to a mobile atmosphere, the landline is becoming less and less popular.

The National Health Interview Study recently released the results of its bi-annual survey conducted to determine how people call for emergency services. The results showed that landline telephones are one of the least used tools and exemplified why landline conversation is a dying practice and why modern methods such as SMS messaging are growing.

The survey asked respondents to indicate if they used a landline as their primary communication service, if they used a combination of a mobile and landline phone or if they only used a cell phone. In key demographics, over half of the respondents said that they only use mobile.

According to the results, 59.6 percent of respondents aged 25 through 29 don't use a landline and 50.9 percent of those between the ages of 30 and 34 had the same policy. The older the demographic, the less likely respondents were to completely ditch their traditional phones, as only 8.5 percent of senior citizens are only mobile users. However, it should be noted that in every single age group, the number of those getting rid of their landline completely rose from the first half of 2011.

"Not surprisingly, it's younger folks who have made the major transition to no landline abodes," says an article in the online publication Tech Goes Strong.

As previously mentioned in this blog, it's crucial to target younger demographics for mobile marketing campaigns because they are the most active users. Companies that send SMS marketing messages to teens can increase their chances of obtaining a lifelong customer. Swift SMS Gateway offers the tools businesses need to launch successful SMS marketing campaigns.