Looking for SMS marketing statistics for 2021?

Here are fifty-six need-to-know SMS marketing stats for 2021 with zero accompanying BS.

First off, two quick points about these SMS marketing statistics.

• This is about SMS marketing statistics. SMS, not AI message bots, Facebook messenger, or website live chats. Just texting, plain and simple.
• SMS marketing statistics are not just “nice to know” numbers. They have a connection to life and biz — your life and biz! That’s why we’re upfront about recommending Salesmsg for two way business texting with your customers, leads, and teams.

Let’s get into it.

56 SMS Marketing Stats That Will Make Your Eyes Water and Your Knees Weak

1. 80% of customers use SMS in some way to interact with businesses.

But only a fraction of businesses are using SMS to interact with their customers.

Source: Rebrandly

2. Around the world 23 billion text messages are exchanged each day.

(Sorry, my brain just broke.)

Source: Ericsson

3. 74% of customers prefer to interact with a human via text rather than a chatbot.

Salesmsg was built with this functionality in mind.

Source: G2

4. 59% of customers admit to having visited a store or checking a brand online in response to an SMS marketing message.

Source: Message Media

5. Around 10% of SMS marketing messages are truly spam. Nearly 50% of emails are truly spam.

I’m not intentionally beating up on email. These are just numbers, remember?

Source: DSIM

6. The average response rate for a marketing SMS is 45%. Average response rate for emails is 6%.

Throw in the fact that a lot of marketing emails aren’t even intended to be responded to. They’re just used as a megaphone, not a conversation.

Source: Statista

7. The average CTR of links in SMS marketing messages is 19%. The average CTR of links in emails is 2%.

Oh, hi, email! How’s it going under that bus that we accidentally threw you under?

Source: Statista

8. 25% of all Internet users are mobile-only, making SMS one of their few methods of marketing communication.

Source: G2

9. 90% of leads prefer closing a sales deal via text instead of a conversation on the phone.

I almost chocked on my omelette when I read this, but it’s legit. Of course, it depends on the sale. If you’re closing your acquisition of IBM, you probably don’t want to do it with a “bro heck ya 👍🤩!" over text.

But for more transactional purchases, text is the way to go. You’d be surprised how many leads our man Ben is closing solely over text!

Source: SMS Global

10. 55% of customers receiving appointment reminders via text. 35% of customers prefer email, so yeah.

Source: Flowroute

11. 90% of SMS marketing messages are read in some way.

Even my spouse, who receives billions of SMS marketing messages at least glances at the preview even if she doesn’t open them.

That’s anecdotal, but hey.

Source: SmallBizDaily

12. 84% of customers have already received SMS marketing messages before.

This isn’t some novel concept.

Source: G2

13. 75% of customers feel comfortable receiving SMS messages from companies.

Caveat: These customers only “feel comfortable” if the SMS is opt-in only or permission based.

Source: Marketing Profs

14. SMS marketing messages have a 209% greater response rate than phone, than email, and even than Facebook.

Yes, 209%.

Source: Mobile Xco

15. 95% of all SMS marketing messages that are read and responded to happen with three minutes of delivery.

Holy shiitake. That’s fast.

Source: SMS Global

16. 82% of people say they open every text message they receive.

(Your ex is part of the 18%.)

Source: G2

17. Sending your customers SMS schedule reminders slashes no-shows by 26%

Source: Statista

18. 91% of customers who elect to receive SMS marketing messages consider those messages to be “useful.”

The two choices were “somewhat useful” or “very useful.”

Source: Salesforce

19. 31% of customers respond to SMS marketing surveys, and the average response time is less than six minutes.

Source: Business.com

20. Retail SMS marketing has 6-8x the engagement rate of email marketing.

Engagement was measured on code redemption, data collection, and brand awareness.

Source: Retail Dive

21. For Retail SMS marketing, nearly half (48%) of customers) prefer to receive loyalty messaging via text.

Source: eMarketer

22. In the customer support world, 60% of customer support users want to be able to have text conversations about customer support concerns, questions, etc.

Source: G2

23. 50% of retail customers claim that they have made a direct purchase after receiving an SMS branded text, coupon, or promotional code.

Source: Mobivity

24. Only 20% of businesses send SMS appointment reminders even though 83% of customer prefer SMS.

Source: G2

25. 64% of consumers would prefer that more brands send them text messages.

Source: Text Better

26. 75% of customers are open to receiving special offer SMS from from brands.

Source: Small Biz Daily

27. 75% of customers experience frustration when they can’t respond to a business text message.

Source: Zip Whip

28. 56% of consumers prefer texting businesses rather than calling them.

This is an important one, which is why I’m tossing in a quick comment. While there are those folks that like to talk to a real person on the telephone, that preference depends on the nature of the topic and the age of person. Example, my mom likes to talk and my younger brother likes to text.

By and large, you need to give your customers the option of texting with you, not only talking with you. Makes a big diff.

29. 67% of customers prefer setting appointments and scheduling via text than on the phone.

Source: Zip Whip

By the way, automating the scheduling process is always an option, and totally something that you can do with SMS.

30. 59% of customers want just SMS — not some app or some special platform.

This is huge. Keep things as simple as possible — SMS. No more. No less.

SMS is direct. By forcing people to use a special platform or app, you’re going to needlessly loose people along the way. No bueno.

Source: GSMA

31. 77% of customers will like you better if you offer SMS.

The survey-language is “positive perception.” Overall, brands with SMS capability are viewed more favorably by customers.

Source: eRetailers

32. 80% of customers want to track shipped orders via text.

Source: Statista

33. 83% of millennials open text messages within 90 seconds of receiving them.

Source: OpenMarket

34. 75% of millennials prefer text messages when it comes to deliveries, promos, surveys, and similar information from brands.

Yes, another millennial stat. Millennial are the generation that we love to hate, and I’m a millennial, so there’s that. Still, we’re buying your stuff and signing up for updates, so give us what we want. (That sounds entitled, does it not? How apropos.)

Source: Open Market

35. Spam rates for SMS are 10% compared with 49% for email.

SMS is consumers' most-preferred communication channel.

It’s 2x higher than email, app notifications, and direct mail.

• SMS: 48%
• Email: 22%
• App notifications: 20%
• Direct mail: 8%

Source: DSIM and Statista via MobileMonkey

36. Text messages have a 98% open rate.

Take that email open rates.

37. Customers respond, on average, in 90 seconds to a text message.

The comparative metric of email response rates? 90 minutes.

Ouch.

Source: SMS Comparison

38. The average American checks their phone 47 times a day.

I don’t know who these people are, but I think I’ve already checked my phone 4 thousand times today.

This isn't strictly an SMS marketing statistic, but it sure has relevancy.

Source: Journal of Accountancy

39. Prospects who receive SMS marketing messages have a 40% greater likelihood of converting compared with a control group of prospects who do not receive SMS marketing message.

Source: Vibes

40. The redemption rate of SMS coupons is 10x higher than printed coupons.

Save the trees, please.

Source: DSIM

41. A whopping 64% of US customers professed an openness to receiving service-based messages from retailers.

Source: Mobivity

42. 60% of customers want to be able to reply to SMS marketing messages.

Using Sales Message, they can.

Boom.

Source: G2

43. In the travel, restaurant, and food delivery industries, 55% of US consumers would like to receive service-based SMS messages.

Source: Mobivity

44. On the marketing side, 83% of marketers who have SMS marketing said it was either “very effective” or “effective.”

If you’re a marketer, these are your industry peers. Line ten of 'em and eight of them will say “Ooh, effective.”

(And then a third of the next person in line will say that, too.)

Source: Salesforce

45. If you use a shortened URL in your SMS marketing message, you can boost conversions by 34%.

Source: MobileMonkey

46. 96% of marketers who have used welcome SMS marketing messages consider them to be “very effective” or “somewhat effective.”

Source: Salesforce

47. 77% of all surveyed consumers state that they have at some pointed opted into SMS marketing messages for coupons or deals.

Source: Exact Target

48. 70% of customers seeking customer support prefer SMS for troubleshooting.

Source: GSMA

49. 70% of consumers consider SMS to be a “great way” for businesses to get their attention.

As SMS marketing statistics go, this is a snap-your-head-up and pay attention number. Seriously, it’s like people want to be marketed to on SMS!

(Pro Tip: They do.)

Source: G2

50. 68% of those needing customer service for billing issues prefer to use SMS.

Source: GSMA

51. 71% of customer support users claim that their experience was effective.

Source: MMA Global

52. 43% of all customers have proactively texted a businesses.

This SMS marketing statistic means that the customer has reached out to the business without first being contacted by said business.

Source: G2

53. 97% of customer service departments consider their customer service process to be more efficient after using SMS.

Source: GSMA

54. 39% of all business use texting in some form to communicate with their customers.

Source: ZipWhip

55. An estimated 85% of all interactions between brands and customers is handled with no speaking.

Source: Gartner

56. More than 5 billion people globally can send and receive SMS marketing messages.

That SMS marketing statistic is a jaw-dropper. But it gets better. That number is expected to hit 6 billion in less than four years from now.

Source: Statista, MobileMonkey, SlickText

Key Takeaways

Sick of reading about SMS marketing statistics? We get it.

Now is the time to end your perusal of SMS marketing statistics and do some SMS marketing yourself.

• Ensuring that your customers opt-in is essential. Don’t skip this super important step. There’s something called the TCPA or Telephone Consumer Protection Act 47 U.S.C. § 227 and it’s as legalish as it sounds.
• Customers want to text with your business. Yes, yours.
• SMS marketing messaging darn works, darnit.
• Start texting with your customers today. Like now.

Start messaging your customers now.