Top 60 SMS Marketing Statistics for Marketers [2024]

What is SMS marketing?

SMS mobile marketing, or text advertising, involves texting promotional content to potential customers using a Short Messaging Service (SMS). Texting marketing is effective because you’re able to directly communicate with customers. The best part is that text promotions are cost-effective. 

Text message marketing is extremely popular today because of its ease and effectiveness. Your business will also benefit from text message advertising once you start sending marketing SMS.

Key Stats for SMS Marketers

These are the top messaging marketing stats you should look out for in 2024. After reading these you’ll know exactly how text messaging advertising works. 

SMS Marketing Growth Statistics

1. SMS marketing has a 217% higher success rate 

Businesses that employ business SMS marketing experience a 217.33% higher success rate. This success is attributed to the direct engagement and immediacy of SMS business marketing. 

2. Text messages have a 90% success rate

Sending SMS marketing messages has a 90.09% success rate. This is again attributed to the direct nature of text promotions. Another reason is that you can personalize texting marketing. 

3. 86% of businesses used SMS marketing in 2022

There’s been a 56% increase in SMS marketing messages with around 86% of businesses using it last year. This statistic demonstrates most businesses recognize the importance of SMS marketing. You should too. 

4. 67% of businesses increased their SMS marketing campaign budgets in 2023

67% of businesses are increasing their SMS marketing campaign budgets this year. This statistic is further evidence of the increasing popularity and importance of text message campaigns. 

Additionally, only 4.75% of businesses report reluctance in investing in mobile text marketing. This further demonstrates the confidence businesses have in SMS for marketing. 

5. Healthcare accounts for 49% of SMS opt-ins

Healthcare SMS opt-ins are currently increasing, with 49% of SMS opt-ins being accounted for by healthcare accounting. This is 13% growth since last year. 

This fact reveals that mobile SMS marketing is especially effective in the healthcare industry. 

6. 45% of consumers convert after receiving special offers via text

45% of consumers will make purchases after receiving promotions through text marketing campaigns. This statistic proves that SMS marketing campaigns effectively convince consumers to purchase from you. 

This is again attributed to the personalized and direct nature of SMS marketing. Take advantage of this trend for your business. 

7. SMS marketing increased by 56% in adoption in 2023

55% of companies used SMS marketing business in 2022. This figure blew up to 86% only a year later in 2023. That’s a massive 56% increase in adoption. Clearly, this means that both business owners and marketing managers see the value in investing in SMS sales. 

8. 67% of businesses increased their SMS marketing budgets in 2023

This is due to the high return from SMS sales. Take this as evidence of the confidence placed in SMS text messaging. 

9. The SMS marketing industry will be worth $12.6 billion by 2025

The US SMS marketing market will experience a 20.3% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2019 till 2025. By 2025, the American SMS marketing industry will be worth over $12.6 billion. 

This rapid growth is both because of its marketing effectiveness and the rise of new AI tools that automate SMS marketing. So SMS messaging is easier today than ever before. 

10. 33% of marketers will prioritize mobile loyalty programs in 2024

33% of marketers will use SMS mobile messaging for their loyalty programs in 2024. SMS marketing is extremely effective for sharing loyalty programs. You can use it to share coupons, events, and other benefits. 

11. 96% of marketers report using text messages helped them drive revenue

96% of surveyed marketers claimed that SMS marketing helped them increase revenue. Another 60% stated that it ‘significantly’ or ‘overwhelmingly’ increased their revenue generation. 

12. 46% of finance companies increased their SMS marketing investment in the past 3 years

PWS discovered that businesses across industries increased their SMS marketing budgets in the past 3 years.  Of all industries, half of all finance-related businesses increased their spending. 

42% of retail, 45% of IT, and 36% of manufacturing businesses also increased their SMS marketing expenditure. 

Mobile Users Insights 

13. Instant Impact: 80.5% Text Engagement

80.5% of consumers check text notifications in less than 5 minutes after receiving a text from you. This high response rate further proves how effectively text can capture the attention of audiences. 

14. Gen Z Connectivity: 47% Check Texts Every 10–30 Minutes

Generation Z users check their text messages every 10 to 30 minutes. So focus your SMS text marketing on this demographic since they have the highest likelihood to engage. 

15. Swift Text Engagement: Consumer Responses Within Minutes

More than 30% of users check their texts within 60 seconds of receiving them. Another 80.5% also respond in 5 minutes of receiving texts. Use these facts to swiftly capture attention. 

16. Timely Responses Persist: 13% Check Within 15–30 Minutes

13% of consumers check their text notifications within 15 to 30 minutes of receiving texts. This stat proves that results from your text messaging campaign extend as far as 30 minutes after you send texts. 

17. Immediacy Divide: Texts Garner 77% Replies in 10 Minutes vs. 28% for Emails

77% of users reply to text messages in only 10 minutes. This is especially fast compared with only 28% doing the same for emails. This sheer difference proves how more effective text messages are for grabbing people’s attention than other communication mediums. 

18. The U.S. accounts for 18% of the world’s total mobile capex

18% of the world’s total mobile capital expenditure is from the United States. This is despite Americans only being 4.5% of the global population. That’s good news if you wanna target US customers. 

The US wireless industry is the largest in the world. Domestically, it exceeds the country’s restaurant, insurance, and transport industries. 

19. 64% of SMS subscribers are curious about new texts

64% of consumers report feelings of curiosity towards text messages from a company. Around 27% feel happy, 23% experience excitement, 17% receive anxiety, and only 15% express annoyance. 

These stats reveal that the majority of consumers view text messages positively. So you shouldn’t hesitate to send them. 

20. Most consumers (58%) of customers say texting is the best way to reach them

Almost 60% of consumers believe that texting is the best way for brands to reach them. 64% of consumers also stated that appointment reminders were the most texts they received. 

48% of consumers selected delivery updates as the most important texts, and 29% agreed that discounts were the most important to them. 

21. 97% of Americans own a cellphone of some kind

97% of all Americans own cell phones. Of these, 92% of seniors have a mobile phone, and virtually 100% of all Americans younger than 49 own a smartphone or a cellphone. 

22. Dollar-off discounts are the number one incentive for signing up for an SMS program.

The biggest incentive for consumers to sign up for your SMS programs is dollar-off programs. So offer discounts, exclusive deals, and free gifts to encourage users to sign up. 

23. 51% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase if they receive a text message with images and media.

Audio and visual content dominate in the digital realm, including in text messaging. That’s why 51% of consumers are more likely to purchase through texts that have images and media. 

24. Text messaging has six times the engagement of email.

Most consumers check their texts more often than their email. So text messages have high read counts compared with the flat 20% of emails. 

25. Special offers are the most commonly used type of campaign message

The best text message tactic used by marketers is to create urgency among subscribers. You can do that by adding time limits to your promotions or saying you’re low on stock. That incentivizes readers to act faster. 

SMS Marketing in Business Statistics 

26. Rising Subscriber Base: 71% Embrace Business Texts

71% of consumers subscribed to business text messages last year. This trend shows the growing acceptance and popularity of SMS text marketing. Most consumers prefer texting as a communication channel with brands. 

27. Demand for Interaction: 53% Desire Two-Way Texting

53% of consumers want two-way messaging to engage with businesses. This statistic proves that consumers want an increasingly interactive experience when communicating with brands. So you’ll want to introduce your own two-way SMS strategies to engage consumers. 

28. Email Response Lag: Contrasting Dynamics with Texts

33% of consumers take hours to respond to texts, but they quickly reply to text messages. This proves that sending texts is the fastest way to get consumer responses. 

29. Text Message Enthusiasm: Millennials and Gen Z Lead with Frequency

44% of both millennials and Gen Z check their texts over 10 times a day. Around 17% of millennials even check their texts over 20 times a day. That means you’ll definitely want to invest in SMS text marketing if your target audience includes millennials and Gen Z. 

30. Consumer Engagement: 71% Opt for Business Text Message Opt-Ins

71% of all consumers chose to receive texts from at least one business in 2022. This statistic proves that consumers are increasingly open to receiving text messages from businesses. This makes texting a key communication channel for connecting with audiences. 

31. Gen X Embrace: 75% Opt-In for Business Texts

75% of Gen Xers (41-56 years old) actively choose to receive texts. This may come as a shock, but it’s true. This fact reveals that you can even access older age demographics through SMS marketing texts. 

32. Gender Dynamics in SMS Subscriptions: Women Lead with 76% Opt-In

76% of women actively subscribed to receive texts in 2022. The figure for men was only 65%. This data indicates that women are more likely than men to engage with businesses through text. You’ll benefit massively from this if your consumers are predominantly women. 

33. Strategic Integration: 81% of Businesses Enhance SMS with Marketing Platforms

81% of all businesses that use SMS marketing integrate it with other marketing platforms. Examples include Mailchimp or Salesforce. This proves that you’ll also want to employ a holistic approach to marketing. That way you’ll get the benefit of each channel. 

34. Recent data shows that 61% of marketers still don’t use SMS marketing

61% of marketers don’t yet use SMS marketing, but 73% of businesses intend to increase their text messaging marketing budgets soon. This means you have time to gain an advantage over your competitors. 

35. Only 35% of brands have a formal SMS messaging strategy in place

65% of brands don’t yet have a formal SMS messaging strategy. That means there’s a huge gap in the market you can take advantage of. 

36. 47% of businesses across sizes and industries use mobile messaging

A PWC survey found that 47% of business respondents use mobile messaging. Of this, 39% of SMEs use mobile messaging and 58% of large enterprises also use SMS marketing. 

37. Coca-Cola spends 70% of its mobile marketing budget on SMS services

International giants like Coca-Cola spend around 70% of their mobile marketing budget on SMS. They know that 85% of consumers prefer SMS for customer service. 

38. 44% of firms using text messaging marketing are unfamiliar with the TCPA.

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) protects consumer privacy by restricting telemarketing. It’s a landmark piece of legislation that outlines how companies should perform text messaging marketing, but only 55% of businesses that use SMS marketing know about it. 

SMS Marketing Effectiveness Statistics 

39, Prime Industries for SMS Engagement: Healthcare, Finance, and E-commerce Lead

55% of consumers opt for healthcare SMS. 46% choose to receive banking and retail SMS. You’ll benefit massively if your business operates in any of these industries. 

40. Smart Strategies: 83% of Businesses Blend AI with SMS Marketing

83% of businesses that use SMS marketing use AI tools. This trend underscores the importance of integrating new technology, specifically AI tools, for your SMS marketing campaigns. 

41. Text vs. Email Reply Dynamics: Swift Responses Dominate Texts

45% of consumers reply to text messages between 5 and 10 minutes. And 32% respond within just 1 to 2 minutes. These fast response speeds prove that text remains the best way for businesses to contact consumers. 

42. Top Sectors in SMS Outreach: Healthcare Leads at 55%

55% of consumers are most likely to receive texts in the healthcare sector. This data proves that the effectiveness of consumer engagement varies across industries with healthcare taking the lead. 

43. Customer Service Neutrality: 46% Prioritize Swift Resolution Over Agent Type

46% of consumers prioritize swiftly resolving issues over the type of agent that resolves their problems. So consumers don’t care whether it’s an SMS chatbot or live agent that fixes their problem as long as it gets fixed. 

This proves that your SMS customer service should also prioritize swiftly correcting your customers’ concerns. 

44. Texting Preference: 33% Choose SMS for Quick and Easy Communication

33% of consumers express preferring to text businesses for questions and inquiries instead. This is because of how easy and straightforward texting is when compared with other mediums of communication, like email. 

45. Unified Success: 91% Acknowledge Higher Conversion Rates with Integrated SMS Campaigns

91% of marketers state that integrating SMS marketing into their marketing campaigns increases their conversion rates. This detail reveals how employing a multi-channel approach is the best way to maximize returns from SMS marketing. 

46. Engagement Triumph: 60% of Businesses Prioritize SMS for High Engagement

60% of businesses opt for text marketing because it produces the best engagement. This high engagement is because of how simple texting is. Consumers invest minimal effort. They just click a link and are taken to your online store or website. 

47. SMS Marketing Appeal: Key Factors Driving Adoption

53% of businesses choose SMS marketing because of its high open and click-through rates. Another 43% value the fast two-way interaction through texts. And another 28% choose text marketing because they market to younger customers. 

48. SMS marketers generate $71 for every dollar spent

Businesses in the retail and eCommerce industries generate $71 in return for every $1 spent on their SMS marketing campaigns. These same businesses also receive around 20.5% of their total online revenue from SMS. 

49. 77% of consumers have a positive perception of companies that keep them informed

64% of US retail customers prefer receiving texts over voice calls. Of these same customers, around 81% reported frustration from phone calls. For those reasons, 77% of consumers positively view companies that keep them informed via SMS. 

50. 90% of customers have gained value from SMS loyalty programs

90% of customers derive benefits from participating in SMS loyalty programs. 75% of the same customers also report preferring to receive special offers through SMS. 

Global Mobile Texting Trends  

51. Most consumers prefer texts to social media 

Consumers prioritize text messages over all other apps on their smartphones, including social media. This fact reveals that consumers devote unparalleled attention to texts. For a business that means it’s the best possible marketing channel. 

52. 81% of businesses use AI for SMS marketing campaigns

81% of businesses in 2023 adopted AI tools, including ChatGPT, to improve their SMS marketing campaigns. These tools help businesses by improving messaging quality and automating engagement with customers. 

53. Consumers check text messages more frequently than emails

32% of consumers check their text messages between 6 to 10 times a day. Whereas 46% of consumers check their emails only between 1 to 5 times a day. This proves that consumers prioritize text over email. 

54. 78% of consumers prioritize text messages over other media 

78% of consumers state they prioritize checking text messages over all other activities. This even includes social media, music, emails, and news applications. 

55. Most consumers want two-way interactions

53% of consumers want two-way communication with businesses on text. Interestingly, Gen Xers and women are the most enthusiastic groups for two-way communication with businesses on text. 

56. Consumers have different SMS frequency preferences

53% of consumers who receive SMS from businesses prefer receiving texts every other week. 36% express preferring weekly texts. This data indicates that businesses should strategically send SMS messages according to customer preferences. 

57. 83% of businesses use AI in SMS marketing

83% of business owners use AI tools in their SMS marketing strategies due to the benefits of AI tools. 

58. Most businesses use ChatGPT for creating SMS content

81% of businesses that use SMS marketing specifically use ChatGPT for creating SMS content. ChatGPT aids brands in creating high-quality texts. 

59. 57% of businesses use SMS Chatbots for surveys and 50% for reminders

57% of businesses use SMS chatbots for customer surveys. Another 50% also use AI chatbots for appointment and reservation reminders. This fact proves the power of AI for different types of SMS content. 

60. Marketers most commonly automate greeting messages

Most marketers set the tone for communications with customers by automating greeting messages. Other popular messages for automating include cart abandonment and browse abandonment reminders. 

The Final Beep

SMS marketing is one of the best ways to grab new customers in today’s day. Most people have smartphones. Most people prioritize text messages over all other apps. And most people prefer responding to texts over emails and other communications. 

That makes SMS marketing one of the best ways to increase your conversions today. The best way forward for your business is to use the insights we’ve provided for your campaign.