The Ultimate List of SMS Marketing Stats

Don’t make your customers come to you. Instead, bring your messaging directly to them.

The best way to do that is by reaching your customers where they spend most of their time — on their phones. Successful marketing outreach has moved beyond email to now include text messages or SMS.

There’s no better time to start an effective SMS marketing strategy than now. In fact, if you don’t get started quickly, you’re likely to fall behind your competitors.

Don’t believe us? Take a look at some cold, hard facts.

25 Stats That Highlight the Importance of SMS Marketing

1. Studies show that people read their text messages very soon after receiving them. In fact, 34% of people open and read their texts within five minutes of getting them.

2. America is clearly addicted to cell phones, with 97% of Americans owning one.

3. Americans check their phones about once every 10 minutes.

4. Younger Americans — those aged 18 to 24 — check their phone an average of 190 times a day.

5. And it’s not just America. By 2023, it’s estimated that 80% of people worldwide will own a cell phone.

6. 48% of consumers reported that they prefer receiving brand updates via SMS, compared to just 22% for email.

7. People don’t mind being reached by text. 91% of consumers reported that they would opt in for text messages from their favorite brands.

8. To reach younger consumers, you’d better be available on their phones. 75% of Gen Z and millennials shop online using their smartphones.

9. Want to really understand how important cell phones are to younger consumers? 75% of millennials say they would rather lose their ability to speak than to send texts.

10. 63% of millennials say that text messages are less disruptive than other forms of communication.

11. 96% of marketers using SMS reported an increase in revenue.

12. Phones are driving internet traffic. 54% of web traffic comes from mobile devices.

13. 91% of consumers report an interest in signing up for text messages.

14. There’s room for you to stand out. Just 39% of businesses use SMS marketing.

15. And only 21% of businesses are using SMS to deliver rewards to loyal customers.

16. But you’d better hurry. 56% of American retailers plan to increase their SMS marketing budgets.

17. Consumers send more than four times more text messages using their phones than they do emails.

18. Tracking notifications offer big opportunities. 80% of consumers prefer receiving tracking information by SMS.

19. Reach your customers at all hours. 90% of phone users report checking their phones within 30 minutes of waking up.

20. Consumers are four-and-a-half times more likely to reply to text messages than emails.

21. For customer support, more than 50% of consumers say they prefer text messages to phone calls.

22. Ever wonder if your customers are seeing your messages? 98% of SMS messages get opened.

23. Email, on the other hand, only has a 20% open rate.

24. Almost 70% of consumers say they would interact with businesses via text message.

25. 54% of consumers report being frustrated when they are unable to text a business.

Zembula Can Take Your SMS Strategy to the Next Level

With Zembula, you can use your data to create sophisticated, personalized, and even animated SMS messages.

Don’t just send boring text messages like everyone else. Bring your messages to life! Tell a story. Engage with your customers. Animated SMS messages — made easy with Zembula — can help you stand out.