Will marketing via short message service or SMS marketing still be relevant in 2022 and beyond? Some marketers believe newer and more modern technologies have relegated text message marketing to an “outdated” promotional channel. On the contrary, businesses have a lot to gain from adopting SMS marketing and integrating it into their overall strategy.
In this post, we’ll address these points:
• What is SMS marketing?
• SMS marketing stats and figures
• Relevance of a SMS marketing campaign based on these stats
• What you can look forward to in the SMS marketing realm
As we cover vital SMS marketing stats, we explore why text message marketing is an important channel for any business in 2022. With the help of an SMS marketing agency, several enterprises have combined SMS and email marketing and other forms of digital marketing and seen excellent results. Read on to find out why this strategy could also be beneficial for you.
What Is SMS Marketing?
What is SMS marketing? It’s a transactional or promotional effort using a maximum of 160 characters. An SMS marketing campaign uses short messages sent within five seconds. Many consumers prefer texts to phone calls because they are less intrusive and give the recipient freedom to open messages at their preferred time. What’s more, these messages get opened in as little as 90 seconds (GSMA 2017). If you want to maximize this type of marketing, consider hiring professional SMS marketing services.
Relevance of SMS Marketing in 2022 – and Beyond
SMS will always be a core feature of any mobile service. It’s an effective way to reach out to customers on a personal level while reducing marketing costs, especially when utilizing SMS marketing software.
Its benefits make text messaging a relevant marketing channel in 2022. When used efficiently, you’ll enjoy high conversion rates, increased engagement levels and expanded reach.
Here are SMS marketing statistics 2022 that demonstrate its relevance and effectiveness:
• Research says SMS has a higher click-through rate (19 percent) compared to landing on the first page of Google search engine results page (SERPs), which is at 34.36 percent, email marketing (4 percent), and Facebook (1 percent). (SMS Comparison, 2022)
• 41 percent of consumers prefer receiving brand updates via SMS versus email (22 percent). Meanwhile, 66 percent of consumers prefer receiving text service notifications. (Yotpo, 2020)
• About 80 percent of people worldwide will be using smartphones by 2023. It’s also estimated that there will be 7.52 billion mobile users by 2026. (Ericsson & The Radicati Group, 2022)
• Experts estimate that 72.6 percent of all internet users will strictly be using mobile devices by 2025. (CNBC, 2019)
• Forty-five percent of clients respond to messages from brands they follow. (Slicktext, 2018)
• Americans check their smartphones an average of 160 times daily. (Small Business Trends, 2020)
• Ninety-five percent of text messages tend to be read and responded to within the first three minutes when they’re received. (SMS Comparison, 2021)
Experts project that by the end of 2022, the average mobile advertising spend will reach $336.5 billion (Statista, 2022). In addition, estimates show there will be 3.6 trillion business-related texts sent by 2023. These SMS marketing stats 2022 demonstrate the enduring relevance of SMS marketing in the coming years.
Demographics Figures and Other Related SMS Marketing Stats
Part of building a successful strategy is knowing the right audience. SMS marketing statistics 2022 show that businesses will have more success at reaching out to the younger generation (below age 18) and adults over 24 years old. But other than these age segments, to whom should businesses direct their SMS marketing services and strategies?
Here are demographic-related SMS marketing statistics 2022:
• According to a MediaPost survey, 75 percent of millennials would rather lose their speaking abilities than lose their ability to send texts.
• Sixty-three percent of millennials love the less disruptive nature of text messaging. (Score, 2019)
• Seventy-six percent love the convenience of opening these messages at their time of convenience. (TextMagic, 2019)
• Nineteen percent of millennials say they don’t bother opening voice mail. (Score, 2019)
• Fifty-three percent prefer text over a voice call or video conferencing. (Score, 2019)
• An estimated 11-30 percent increase in engagement is seen by experts when reaching out to millennials, which may involve the use of SMS marketing software. (TextMagic, 2019)
• Surprisingly, SMS marketing stats 2022 show that 68 percent of consumers aged 18 to 24 tend to check their phones 190 times a day, two times more than the national average. (Asurion, 2019)
SMS Marketing Stats 2022 for Business Owners
Interestingly, not many companies are using SMS marketing or combining a SMS marketing campaign combined with other essential strategies like online reputation management, search engine optimization (SEO), content marketing, pay-per-click (PPC) advertising and survey campaign management. Ask any seasoned SMS marketing company – SMS is still vastly underutilized by many marketers today.
The following stats may help convince you to get started with text marketing:
• Forty-three percent of consumers will text businesses proactively regarding inquiries, ordering products and requesting services. However, only one out of three consumers receive a reply (potentially lost customers). (Zipwhip, 2020)
• Sixty-eight percent of businesses use some form of texting today – and that’s not even a structured and efficient campaign designed by an expert SMS marketing agency. (Zipwhip, 2020)
• Boost your click-through rate by up to 39 percent and increase brand visibility by simply using branded links in your SMS marketing campaigns. (Zipwhip, 2019)
• Eighty percent of consumers prefer tracking orders via SMS. (Aviaro, 2018)
• Only 21 percent of businesses reach out to loyal customers giving them SMS rewards, which will increase customer loyalty. (Access Development, 2016)
• You can reduce missed appointments by 26 percent by simply sending business appointment text reminders to customers. You can use free SMS marketing software to send these reminders. (Aviaro, 2018)
SMS and Email Marketing
When deciding on the better communication channel, the competition falls between SMS and email marketing.
Compared to emails, text messages tend to be more effective. They have a 98 percent open rate compared to 20 percent in emails (SMS Comparison, 2022). Consumers are 4.5 percent more likely to respond (not just read) to your text message than your emails. Also, your customers tend to lead hectic lives, which is why 60 percent of them prefer to receive support through text rather than via email.
Should You Use Free SMS Marketing Software?
Ask any SMS marketing services provider, and they will recommend premium SMS marketing software. The free versions tend to have basic functionality, understandably. But if you’re still testing the waters, free text marketing software is perfect for you. And if you want to get the complete set of features and benefits, we suggest investing in a premium version.
Here is a list of features that you should look for when evaluating SMS software suites:
• Textable landlines
• Automated surveys
• Live inbox
• Customer segmentation
• Personalized SMS campaigns
• Custom workflows
• Custom text templates
• Integrations with customer relationship management systems (CRMs) and other cloud-based platforms
• Analytics
• Social sharing
• Generating custom prospect lists
Not sure which features will suit your business needs? Speak to an experienced SMS marketing company to help you decide.
Important Caveats
There are considerations you should be aware of before implementing SMS marketing:
Cost: Without the right approach, SMS campaigns can become more costly than email campaigns or any other marketing strategy. All text messages go through mobile operators, which charge premium rates and drive costs up.
Consumer privacy: SMS marketing involves opt-in procedures – consumers must consent to you sending them text messages before you can launch your campaign. There should also be an easy way for customers to opt out of your text messaging campaigns. Finally, always provide easy access to all program terms and conditions.
What 2022 Holds for Text Message Marketing
After 2022, researchers say that 92 percent of all people globally will be using at least one mobile phone, with or without an internet connection. Currently, Stats from the Pew Research Center says 15 percent of Americans don’t have internet access – that’s roughly 52.5 million people that you can only reach via SMS. In short, there will be more people you can reach through text messaging than through online marketing channels.
Further, expect SMS to be more personalized than before. Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies that use natural language programming are better equipped to communicate with customers using SMS. They tend to be in charge of sending out reminders, instant replies and FAQs.
Using SMS for customer service and support has also shown to improve customer retention, generate more positive reviews and produce direct referrals from brand advocates.
Come 2022 and the years ahead, entrepreneurs will find more creative ways to use SMS marketing. Getting assistance from a seasoned SMS marketing agency to navigate these exciting changes will significantly benefit your business.
Thrive is an SMS marketing company with more than 16 years of experience helping businesses of all sizes. We are a results-driven marketing agency dedicated to boosting your marketing efforts.
Call 866-434-4748 today to get a free consultation and proposal.
