Key Insights
Essential data points from our research
SMS messages have a whopping 98% open rate
Check open rates for SMS can be as high as 45%
90% of SMS messages are read within 3 minutes of being received
75% of consumers are comfortable ignoring notifications from apps but check personal texts
58% of consumers say they have tried to reply to a missed call via text
64% of consumers think businesses should use SMS messages more often to communicate with them
SMS marketing generates a 209% higher response rate than phone, email, or Facebook
29% of targeted SMS marketing recipients click on links in messages they receive
48% of Internet users consider SMS the most effective channel for currency alerts
39% of businesses use some form of text messaging to communicate with their customers
61% of marketers planned to increase their SMS marketing budgets in 2022
The global SMS marketing market size was valued at USD 65 billion in 2020
Welcome messages via SMS have an average open rate of 98.5%
67% of consumers have used a chat or text platform to contact customer service
Using SMS for appointment reminders reduces no-show rates by up to 40%
Consumer Habits & Preferences
- 175% of consumers are comfortable ignoring notifications from apps but check personal texts
- 258% of consumers say they have tried to reply to a missed call via text
- 364% of consumers think businesses should use SMS messages more often to communicate with them
- 454% of consumers would like to receive marketing promotions via SMS
- 575% of consumers want to receive offers via SMS
- 669% of consumers prefer meaningful customer support via SMS over calling
- 791% of customers are interested in signing up for texts
- 860% of consumers want to be able to text businesses back for customer support
- 948% of consumers prefer direct SMS updates from brands over email updates
- 1077% of consumers have a positive perception of companies that use text messaging
- 1144% of consumers would rather receive product details and other marketing info through text than any other channel
- 1267% of people would rather text with a business about appointments and scheduling than by email or phone
- 13Millennials are considered the most text-dependent generation, with 83% opening texts within 90 seconds
- 1466% of consumers subscribe to mobile messaging from at least one retailer
- 1559% of users say that a text message has led them to visit a store or business
- 16Consumers are 2x more likely to prefer SMS over phone calls for appointment confirmations
- 1780% of people use text messaging for business
- 1885% of mobile device users prefer a central message inbox over individual apps
- 19Over 50% of consumers check their phones within 10 minutes of waking up
- 2063% of smartphone users keep their phone with them for all but one hour of their waking day
Interpretation
These stats show consumers treat texts as the modern town square: they ignore app noise but open personal SMS almost immediately, want and respond to brands via text for offers, support, scheduling and updates, and are far more likely to visit stores and view companies that text them positively, which means businesses that ignore SMS are essentially whispering in a crowded stadium.
Market Growth & Adoption
- 139% of businesses use some form of text messaging to communicate with their customers
- 261% of marketers planned to increase their SMS marketing budgets in 2022
- 3The global SMS marketing market size was valued at USD 65 billion in 2020
- 43.5 billion people worldwide have access to SMS messaging capabilities
- 5By 2025, 80% of customer service organizations will abandon native mobile apps in favor of messaging
- 643% of business owners who do not use SMS plan to adopt it within the next 12 months
- 7SMS marketing spending is expected to grow by 20% annually through 2025
- 854% of retailers are currently using SMS marketing as part of their strategy
- 9There is a 50% year-over-year growth in B2B SMS usage
- 10Mobile commerce sales, often driven by SMS, are projected to reach $534 billion by 2024
- 1173% of marketers say SMS is a vital part of their mobile strategy
- 12The use of automated business text messaging increased by 20% compared to previous years
- 13Only 30% of consumers receive texts from companies they patronize, indicating a market gap
- 14SMS is the fastest-growing marketing channel, outpacing email and social media ads
- 1596% of marketers using text messaging say it has helped them drive more revenue
- 1653% of marketers are using SMS to support their email marketing programs
- 17US advertisers spent an estimated $32.6 billion on mobile messaging in 2021
- 1888% of organizations now have an SMS marketing strategy in place
- 19Smartphone penetration is over 80% in developed markets, fueling SMS reach
- 2042% of millennials check their text messages 10 or more times per day, driving ad adoption
Interpretation
With 3.5 billion people reachable, a $65 billion base growing roughly 20% a year, most marketers boosting budgets and 96% reporting revenue gains as customer service shifts to messaging, SMS has quietly become the fastest growing, high ROI channel businesses are racing to adopt while only 30% of consumers currently receive texts from companies, leaving a glaring and lucrative opportunity for those who act now.
Open Rates & Engagement
- 1SMS messages have a whopping 98% open rate
- 2Check open rates for SMS can be as high as 45%
- 390% of SMS messages are read within 3 minutes of being received
- 4The average click-through rate (CTR) for SMS marketing is 19%
- 5SMS marketing campaigns perform 7 times better than email marketing campaigns in terms of engagement
- 6About 50% of campaigns are successful because of the direct nature of SMS
- 7Users are 4.5 times more likely to reply to an SMS than an email
- 8It takes the average person 90 seconds to respond to a text message
- 9Click-through rates for SMS are 10-15% higher than email marketing
- 1082% of text messages are read within 5 minutes
- 11Brands that use SMS see a 20% increase in customer engagement
- 1231% of consumers respond to SMS surveys, with an average response time of less than 6 minutes
- 13Text messages typically generate a high response rate of 45%
- 14Less than 1% of text messages are considered spam by users, contributing to high read rates
- 15Read receipts are enabled by 33% of mobile users, increasing perceived pressure to reply
- 16The average user looks at their phone 150 times a day, driving high SMS visibility
- 1770% of customers say SMS is a good way for businesses to get their attention
- 18SMS notification delivery failure rates are generally less than 5%
- 1962% of businesses report that the speed of delivery is the biggest benefit of SMS
- 20Nearly 9 out of 10 people read the texts they receive from brands
Interpretation
Think of SMS as a direct tap on the shoulder: 98% of messages get opened, most within minutes, and they drive far higher clicks, replies, and overall engagement than email while feeling immediate, low‑spam, and reliably effective for brands.
ROI & Effectiveness
- 1SMS marketing generates a 209% higher response rate than phone, email, or Facebook
- 229% of targeted SMS marketing recipients click on links in messages they receive
- 348% of Internet users consider SMS the most effective channel for currency alerts
- 4SMS helps reduce missed appointments by 26%, increasing operational ROI
- 5Coupons delivered via SMS have redemption rates 10 times higher than those of printed coupons
- 6Ecommerce marketers see an average ROI of $71 for every dollar spent on SMS marketing
- 7SMS adds to an average conversion rate increase of 45% for brands engaging customers
- 816% of abandoned cart notifications sent via SMS result in a purchase
- 9SMS marketing has a conversion rate of approximately 29%
- 10Customers who receive SMS marketing messages are 40% more likely to convert than those who don't
- 11Including a link in an SMS can increase website traffic by 50% immediately after sending
- 12Text messaging has a 6-8 times higher engagement rate than email marketing
- 13A follow-up text can increase conversion rates of email campaigns by 20-30%
- 14Businesses using SMS see a 15% lower cost of customer acquisition
- 15High-volume SMS senders report a 30% reduction in customer support call volume
- 16Real estate agents using SMS increase lead conversion by 100%
- 17Financial institutions using SMS for fraud alerts see a 40% reduction in fraud losses
- 18Restaurants using SMS for waitlists turn tables 15% faster
- 19Cross-channel campaigns that include SMS are 47% more effective than single-channel campaigns
- 20Brands sending 3 or more texts post-purchase see a 15% higher repurchase rate
Interpretation
Think of SMS as marketing’s espresso shot: it wakes customers instantly and consistently outperforms calls, email and social with far higher response and conversion rates and massive ROI, while cutting missed appointments, fraud losses, support calls and acquisition costs, supercharging coupon redemptions, abandoned cart recoveries and website traffic, speeding restaurant turnover and doubling some real estate lead conversions, and making cross-channel campaigns measurably more effective.
Strategy & Use Cases
- 1Welcome messages via SMS have an average open rate of 98.5%
- 267% of consumers have used a chat or text platform to contact customer service
- 3Using SMS for appointment reminders reduces no-show rates by up to 40%
- 477% of consumers are likely to have a positive perception of a brand that keeps them informed via text about order status
- 530% of SMS marketing subscribers sign up specifically to gain access to exclusive content
- 6Loyalty program members who receive SMS updates spend 20% more
- 7Implementing two-factor authentication via SMS improves user trust perception by 70%
- 856% of brands use SMS to announce limited-time sales to create urgency
- 9Personalized SMS messages are 4x more likely to convert than generic blasts
- 1020-30% of customers will click a "Track my Package" link sent via SMS
- 11Collecting customer feedback via SMS yields a 30% higher response volume than email
- 12Birthday SMS offers generate a 481% higher transaction rate than other promotional texts
- 1380% of financial service companies use SMS for identity verification
- 14Geofencing combined with SMS increases foot traffic by 20%
- 1541% of brands use SMS to send company news or updates
- 16SMS drip campaigns can increase customer retention rates by 15%
- 17Using SMS for internal employee communication improves response times by 30%
- 18Flash sale notifications via SMS generate 50% of orders within the first hour
- 1960% of nonprofits use SMS to engage donors and volunteers
- 20Integrating SMS with CRM data allows for segmentation that boosts engagement by 40%
Interpretation
Think of SMS as your brand’s smartest concierge: with a 98.5% open rate, personalized texts converting four times better than generic blasts and clear lifts in attendance, trust, spending, clicks, and retention, timely and targeted SMS programs turn informed customers into repeat buyers and urgent moments into immediate revenue.
