SMS Marketing Trends: The Stats Don’t Lie

Last Updated on 7 April, 2025

SMS (short message service) marketing is the leading digital communication tool for all businesses worldwide. However, in 2018, some digital marketers believed SMS marketing was dead due to the emergence of other messaging tactics at the time. People were paying more attention to other conversational marketing strategies like chatbots.

Well, a lot changed in 2020. Real-time, direct communication became the only way to show your leads and loyal clients that you were there for them during challenging times. The pandemic transformed daily life, and with more of us working from home and screentime up 76%, SMS marketing became a mainstay for business-to-client and client-to-business communications. In fact, 61% of consumers said their texting increased significantly due to COVID-19.

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.

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 phone 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.
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. (ZipWhip)
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)

What the Text? These stats don’t lie—SMS will grow your business

There you have it—27 eye-popping stats. Despite the many stats that show that SMS marketing is effective, 65% of brands still don’t take advantage of it. (MMA Global)

With SMS marketing here to stay, WellnessLiving can help take your text marketing strategy to the next level. Message Center’s two-way messaging capabilities allow you to engage in full end-to-end conversations with new and existing clients with SMS.

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