SMS Marketing Trends: The Stats Don’t Lie

Last Updated on 13 May, 2026

Two-way SMS is, hands down, the best way to convert more leads and engage with your clients. Don’t believe us? We’ve got the stats to back it up. Here’s what the leading industry trend stats say about the impact of using SMS marketing for your business.

Key takeaways:

• SMS marketing delivers extremely high engagement, with open rates reaching 98% and responses far outperforming email.
• Consumers prefer fast, two-way texting when communicating with businesses about bookings, questions, and support.
• Personalized SMS campaigns help businesses increase conversions, purchases, and long-term client retention.

Always staying connected

Texting allows you to go above and beyond with instant messages whenever your clients need you. More and more people are texting—and the following stats tell that story.

1. Nearly 95% of all Americans own a mobile phone. (Pew Research Center)
2. 66% of Americans check their phones 160 times a day. (Small Business Trends)
3. 5 billion people receive and send text messages globally. In case you’re wondering—that’s approximately 65% of the world’s population. (SlickText)
4. 62% of consumers have opted in to texts from at least one business in the last year. (SimpleTexting)
5. 85% of consumers want messaging capabilities to be two-way. (Verse.AI)
6. 78% of consumers say that SMS marketing is the fastest way to reach them. (Tantango)
7. In comparison, businesses miss 22% of all incoming calls, and 85% of people who call your business and do not reach you will never call back. (Numa)

More engagement = higher open and response rates

Two-way text messaging is one of the best ways to boost engagement and build long-lasting relationships with clients. These text marketing stats will tell you why:

8. SMS open rates are as high as 98%, compared to just 20% with email. (CampaignMonitor)
9. SMS response rates are 45%, compared to just 6% for emails. (Statista 2019)
10. SMS marketing campaigns generate engagement rates 6-8 times higher than email messages. (Retail Dive)
11. 86% of small business owners who use text messaging say it leads to higher engagement than email.
12. SMS response rates are also 295% higher than phone call response rates. (99 Firms)
13. 90% of all text messages are read within three minutes. (Tatango)
14. At the same time, 83% of millennials open a text within 90 seconds of receiving it. (OpenMarket)
15. 60% of millennials also prefer two-way texting with a company due to convenience, speed, and ease of use. (OpenMarket)

Texting leads to more bookings and client purchases

Hearing a text message chime instills a sense of urgency, which is perfect when sending out a time-sensitive, exclusive SMS offer. As a result, more people are likely to purchase your classes, services, products, or branded apparel. What stats support this?

16. 67% of clients prefer to schedule and manage their appointments with text marketing rather than an email or phone call.
17. As many as 66% of consumers would pay more for a service or product if the business had a mobile messaging channel to communicate. (Visually)
18. 80% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase after a personalized experience—similar to two-way conversational texting from a business. (Epsilon)
19. 75% of consumers love to receive SMS messages with coupons, special offers, or discounts. (SmallBizDaily)
20. 50% of American consumers make direct purchases after they’re sent a branded SMS message with a QR code or discount coupon. (Mobivity)
21. Coupons sent through SMS are redeemed 10 times more than printed coupons. (DSIM)
22. The bottom line is: consumers who receive SMS messages are 40% more likely to convert than consumers who don’t. (Text Better)

SMS for increased retention

Sending SMS messages is a simple and effective way to engage clients and reduce turnover. Whether it’s welcoming new members, following up or answering questions, or updating clients on their loyalty points, texting leads to a satisfied customer base. Here are a few stats to prove it!

23. Just two interactions per month between you and your clients can reduce cancellations by 33%. (RunRepeat)
24. 68% of consumers would prefer to text with a business to address billing questions or concerns. (Visually)
25. 77% of consumers are likely to have a positive perception of a business that uses SMS as a marketing tool. (eRetailers)
26. 48% of consumers prefer to receive loyalty-related messages with SMS. (eMarketer)
27. 97% of businesses communicated with consumers more efficiently after adding text messaging to their communication strategy. (GSMA)

Text Your Way to Stronger Client Relationships

SMS marketing continues to grow because clients want fast, convenient communication. Businesses that use two-way texting build stronger engagement, improve response rates, and create more personalized experiences.

With WellnessLiving, businesses can automate SMS reminders, manage conversations, and track campaign performance in one place. That means less manual work and more meaningful client connections.

Explore WellnessLiving tools designed to help your business grow:

• SMS marketing and Message Center tools
• Marketing automation and lead management
• Client retention and engagement features
• Online booking and scheduling software
• Business reporting and analytics tools

Ultimately, the right SMS strategy helps you stay connected, improve retention, and grow your business more efficiently.

Interested in adding Message Center to your business? Book a free, no-commitment demo today to learn more.