Email marketing has been around since “you got mail!”. If you just read that and have no idea what that means, realize that it’s been around since before you were born. As with many things, the longer it’s been around, the less effective it becomes
So what’s a business to do when it needs to engage a very large amount of people quickly? Well if you said social marketing, you would be right in that’s what most business owners do; but did you know that the Facebook average organic reach for posts from pages is only 3%. Contrast that with SMS text message marketing where 98 % of SMS marketing messages are read and you’ll begin to realize that this could be the type of marketing your business needs to increase revenue and loyalty.
If the above SMS text marketing statistics surprised you, read on for 35 of the most compelling SMS text marketing statistics of 2020.
SMS Text Marketing is cost-effective and extremely powerful. Dig into the 2020 SMS text marketing statistics below to learn more.
Mind-Blowing SMS Text Marketing Statistics 2020
- While not everyone has a smartphone with internet access, 5 billion people in the world can send and receive SMS messages.
- 75% of consumers are OK with receiving SMS messages from brands (after they’ve opted in).
- SMS messages have an incomparable 98% open rate.
- Text messages have a 209% higher response rate than phone, email, or Facebook.
- 90% of SMS messages are read within 3 minutes of receiving them.
- Consumers redeem SMS-delivered coupons 10 times more than other types of coupons.
Based only on the above 6 SMS text marketing statistics, you can quickly see the huge potential of SMS marketing.
That said, doing it is one thing and doing it right is another.
If you want great results, you should keep in mind the SMS Marketing Statistics shared in this post. Being grounded in the facts about SMS marketing is key to ensuring you’re doing it as effectively as possible.
When used correctly, SMS marketing can be a game-changer for any business by helping to boost sales and boost loyalty.
1. 48.7 million people will choose to receive business SMS messages in 2020
SMS marketing is growing at a significant rate. Compared to 2016, 23% more people will opt-in to receive SMS messages from companies in 2020.
In other words, you’re missing out on a great chance to grow your customer base and engage with them if you don’t invest in text message advertising.
(Source: Mobile Xco)
2. The average American checks their phone 47 times a day.
Americans can’t seem to get enough of their smartphones! Given the high usage, it’s high time marketers started utilizing the power of mobile. And the best part is – Consumers are willing to engage with brands — something which the last statistic also proves.
(Source: Journal of Accountancy)
3. While not everyone has a smartphone with internet access, 5 billion people in the world can send and receive SMS messages.
Smartphones aren’t quite as ubiquitous as most people think. As many as 50% of mobile phone users don’t own a smartphone.
The good news is that text marketing is one of the engagement channels that does’;t require a smartphone. Text message marketing can help you connect with people who are out of the reach of more advanced mobile marketing campaigns, like SMS and MMS marketing.
(Source: TextMagic)
4. 67% of smartphone users in the US like to receive service-based messages from their banks.
(Source: TextMagic)
5. SMS messages have a 209% higher response rate than a phone, email, or Facebook.
Nearly 30% of consumers will respond to your SMS messages — and nearly 50% of responders will make a purchase.
Given these SMS text marketing statistics, the ROI of text message marketing is much higher than both email and social marketing.
(Source: Mobile Xco)
6. SMS messages have an unheard-of 98% open rate.
SMS marketing is quick and easy for business owners to set up and customers love receiving and reading them.
(Source: The Daily Egg)
7. 90% of SMS messages are read within 3 minutes.
SMS Messages are read and read with urgency. Perfect for sending timely communications or short-term promotions.
(Source: Random Facts)
8. Consumers redeem SMS-delivered coupons 10 times more than other types of coupons.
Text messaging marketing statistics show customers are more receptive to coupons delivered via SMS. These coupons help you not only attract customers but also retain them through ongoing engagement.
(Source: EZ Texting)
9. SMS marketing grew by 92% for B2Cs and 197% for B2Bs from 2015 to 2017.
(Source: Rebrandly)
10. In 2019, there were 7.9 billion mobile subscriptions worldwide.
According to Wikipedia, there are 7.7 million people in the world and there are more mobile subscriptions than there are people.
You can reach the world population with SMS text marketing. Let that sink in!
(Source: Ericsson)
11. 23 billion text messages are sent each day worldwide.
Out of the 23 billion text messages sent daily, 6 billion are sent in the US.
In the time it took you to read this, there were 1 million text messages sent. That’s 270,000 each second!
(Source: SMSeagle)
12. American smartphone owners aged 18-24 send around 2,000 text messages per month
If you look at SMS text marketing statistics by age, you’ll find smartphone users aged 18 to 24 text the most. And almost twice as much as those aged 25 – to – 34
(Source: Business Insider)
13. 98% of US smartphone users send text messages regularly.
232 million Americans text on a regular basis. That alone is reason enough to jump on the SMS marketing bandwagon.
(Source: SlickText)
14. SMS open rates are nearly 5 times that of email.
98% of all SMS messages are read, compared to only 20% of emails. In other words, when you send text messages, people actually read them. That’s good for business, right?
(Source: Adobe Blog)
15. Only 10% of SMS marketing messages are spam, compared to nearly 50% of emails.
When’s the last time you checked your spam folder in your email? I’m sure it’s packed with emails you never wanted! Thanks to strict text marketing regulations, only a small percentage of text messages are spam.
Email and text marketing statistics show consumers are less likely to delete SMS messages without reading them than emails.
(Source: DSIM)
16. The average person takes 90 seconds to reply to an SMS message — but 90 minutes to respond to an email.
There it is, as clear as day — SMS text messaging is the more effective marketing channel for time-sensitive, participation-heavy events and offers.
(Source: GSMA)
17. SMS marketing campaigns perform 7 times better than email marketing campaigns.
If for some reason, you can pick only one, perhaps it’s time you switched from email to SMS.
If you can do both, it’s about time you gave SMS marketing a priority.
SMS marketing has a wider reach than email marketing. It also enjoys much better open and response rates.
(Source: DSIM)
18. 20% of market leaders plan to use SMS marketing more.
SMS marketing statistics for 2018 show 1 in 5 market leaders want to focus more on leveraging the power of SMS marketing to grow their businesses.
(Source: Rebrandly)
19. 75% of consumers are ОК with receiving SMS messages from brands (after opting in).
Contrary to popular perception, most people aren’t put off by promotional offers sent via text.
This is attributed to two reasons: First, SMS marketing is less intrusive, as it is a permission-based activity.
Second, it highlights the value proposition of an offer more effectively because of the limited space
(Source: LeadsBridge)
20. Only 3 of every 10 consumers receive SMS text messages from businesses they say they want to hear from.
SMS text marketing statistics show 7 in every 10 consumers don’t receive promotional text messages from their favorite brands — even after making it clear they want to hear from them.
(Source: Podium)
21. 6 in every 10 consumers tend to have a positive impression of companies that contact them via text messages.
(Source: Jeeves.Plus)
22. 50% of US consumers make direct purchases after they’re sent an SMS branded text, coupon, or a QR code.
SMS Marketing Statistics show companies that aren’t sending marketing or promotional text messages to their potential businesses might be losing out on substantial revenue.
(Source: mobivity)
23. 9 in every 10 consumers who enroll in an SMS loyalty program benefit from their participation.
Goodbye, loyalty cards; hello, loyalty SMS!
There’s little doubt that such programs can help you improve customer engagement and drive more sales.
(Source: mobivity)
24. Nearly 8 out of 10 people seek an SMS opt-in or some other kind of mobile device service to help them with shopping.
Mobile marketing statistics show 79% of shoppers use their smartphones to assist them with shopping.
This shows well-defined SMS marketing has a huge potential to influence consumers’ purchasing decisions.
(Source: J&C)
25. Using short, branded links in your mobile marketing campaigns can help improve conversions.
It’s no secret that the click-through rate of branded links is higher than that of short, generic links. This is because people in general trust these links more, as they include the names of familiar brands.
(Source: Rebrandly)
26. 80% of people use text messaging for business.
Recent SMS text marketing statistics show people (including your customers) are texting for business purposes all the time.
Contacting businesses through text to schedule appointments, make product inquiries, and other business purposes have become common practice.
(Source: Rebrandly)
27. Consumers who get SMS marketing messages are 40% more likely to convert than those who don’t.
This should settle any doubts that you may still have about the power of SMS marketing.
(Source: Text Better)
28. More than half of consumers prefer contacting customer support through text.
SMS marketing statistics show half of the people would rather text customer support than call if given an option.
(Source: Rebrandly)
29. 64% of consumers think businesses should contact them via text messages more often.
Most consumers feel companies are not communicating through texting as much as they should.
(Source: Text Better)
30. Nearly 6 billion people worldwide will be able to send and receive text messages by 2025.
SMS text marketing statistics show 5.9 billion people worldwide will have access to SMS technology. This means SMS marketing will continue to be just as relevant in the future as it is today (if not more).
(Source: SlickText)
31. 61% of the world’s population will have access to mobile internet by 2025.
This goes to show the future belongs to mobile marketing, of which SMS marketing is an important part.
(Source: SlickText)
Strange SMS Text Message Statistics
Now, this is where things get interesting. And even a bit weird, perhaps.
32. 9 in every 10 people aged 18-25 think toilet texting is cool.
75% of Americans use their smartphones in the bathroom — while 91% of 28 to 35-year-olds have admitted to texting while on the toilet.
(Source: HuffPost India)
33. The first SMS message sent was “Merry Christmas.”
Sema Group Telecoms Test Engineer, Neil Papworth sent this two-word text message to his colleagues on December 3, 1992.
(Source: BBC News)
34. 10% of people under 25 text during sex.
For 1 in every 10 under 25 year-olds, there’s no such thing as a wrong time for texting!
(Source: SciTechBlog)
35. 20% of Smartphone users say they can’t live without texting.
Texting has become a part of everyday life for most people, so much so that 1 in 5 can’t imagine life without it.
(Source: Text Republic)
Final Thoughts on SMS Text Marketing Statistics
SMS marketing is cheaper, has a wider reach, and enjoys a better open and response rate than many other conventional marketing channels, like email.
Still, many companies aren’t taking full advantage.
The latest SMS marketing statistics show 64% of consumers think businesses aren’t contacting them via text messages as much as they should.
Perhaps many of your competitors might be making this mistake, too.
This means a well-defined, persistent SMS marketing campaign can help you gain an automatic edge over the competition.
After reading these SMS text marketing statistics, there’s no reason to wait any longer. Start using SMS Text marketing to help grow your business today. So, what are you waiting for?
Leverage the power of a proven SMS marketing company — now.
