35+ Must-Know SMS Marketing Statistics in 2022

Have you ever wanted to quickly reach out to more people without spending too much?

Not just a few hundred more — I’m talking about getting in touch with several thousand or even millions.

Ever heard of SMS marketing?

It’s cost-effective and mighty powerful — something which these stats prove all too well.

Mind-Blowing SMS Marketing Statistics

• 6.65 billion people have smartphones in 2022.
• 75% of clients want to receive offers via SMS.
• The CTR rate for offer messages is higher by 9.18% compared to any other digital channel.
• SMS has a 98% open rate compared to email marketing.
• 60% of customers read texts within 1-5 minutes after receiving them.
• In 2022, 80% of coupon redemption in the US will happen on mobile phones.

As you can see, SMS marketing has huge potential.

That said, doing it is one thing and doing it right another.

If you want great results, you should keep in mind the SMS Marketing Statistics shared in this post.

So, let’s dive straight into it.

Fascinating Stats

We've already covered video marketing and social media marketing in some depth. When used correctly, SMS marketing can be a game-changer.

1. 41% of consumers would rather receive brand update texts than emails.

(Source: Thrive)

SMS marketing statistics for 2022 reveal that 41% of people would love their favorite brands to send them updates via text. Only 22% would prefer email.

2. 66% of Americans check their phones 160 times on average.

(Source: Small Biz Trends)

Nearly two thirds of people in the US check their phones 160 times. 

There’s more:

US mobile owners are so fond of their devices that 65% sleep with them at night.

45% of survey respondents prefer giving up sex rather than their portable devices.

This, therefore, provides an excellent opportunity for marketers to engage their clients more to scale their businesses.

3. Around 83.72% of the world’s population owns smartphones.

(Source: Bank Mycell)

If you’re wondering whether to dive into text message marketing, this stat will give you some crucial insights. 

83.7% of people in the world own a smartphone. That translates to about 6.65 billion people. 

Not only that, but roughly 7.3 billion people own a phone (both smart and feature phones) that can receive messages. That’s about 92% of the global population.

4. Nine in 10 people open their text messages.

(Source: Mobile Monkey)

If we compare the open rate between email and text marketing, messaging wins by a landslide. Nearly 100% of people that you send SMS are likely to open them. In contrast, only 20% of your email recipients may read them. 

This is why:

Mobile texting uses push notifications, which come as a default setting. So, naturally, clients are likely to open them almost instantly. To read email, clients have to log in to see their inboxes, which may happen once in a long time.

5. Buyers are more likely to open offer messages compared to other types.

(Source: SMS Comparison)

People love it when they get offers. The click-through rate is almost 10% higher compared to messages informing them of new products, confirmation, feedback, etc.  

6. More than 60% of people read their SMS within 5 minutes.

(Source: Simple Texting)

When you want to send out content that requires a fast turnaround, texting is the best way to go. Six in every 10 people will read your message within one to five minutes. According to text messages statistics, only 6% check their notifications within two to four hours. 

7. 80% of couponers will redeem their discounts using mobile devices in 2022.

(Fox West Texas)

80% of people that use coupons plan to recoup them via their mobile devices. Bearing in mind the convenience the devices offer, it’s easy to see why an overwhelming number of people will do so.

8. TStats on texting show that 74% of clients would like a human to respond to their text.

(Source: GlobeNewswire)

Consumers these days prefer ‌conversations with brands over SMS. While most businesses use bot responders, 74% of consumers prefer interacting with people.

9. 45% of potential clients would choose a product or brand after receiving an SMS.

(Source: Slick Test)

According to SMS marketing statistics, the communication method is so powerful that nearly 50% of individuals would consider taking action. People feel businesses that take the time to send them texts are worth engaging. 

General SMS Marketing Statistics

It certainly pays to advertise. And the potential target audience is huge!

10. There will be 7 billion mobile users in the world by 2024.

(Source: Statista)

Predictions show that mobile subscribers will have surpassed the six billion mark by 2024. That is a huge opportunity for brands to push for their products or services through the platform. 

11. There will be 1.2 billion 5G connections by 2025.

(Source: SlickText)

The number of 5G connections will be about 1.2 billion by 2025. This form of connectivity is perfect for text message advertising as it offers fast speeds, low latency, and better immersive reality experiences.

Japan, the US, and China will have the highest number of 5G connections.

12. 75% of people aged 44 and below like contacting businesses via text.

(Source: Startup Bonsai)

There’s a time when SMSing was a reserve of the young and vibrant. 

The older generation would wonder how the youngsters could type at 200 words per minute!

Now said younglings are in their forties. They’re still doing it and have passed the habit to their kids.

And 3/4 of the age group prefers to reach out to companies through SMS, according to texting statistics by age. 

13. Millennials and Baby Boomers spend about 5 to 6 hours on their mobile phones. 

(Source: WP Manage Ninja)

That's basically half a day. The slightest notification sound will have users instantly check their phones. It makes sense for businesses to harness this opportunity to market. 

Texting vs Email – Who’s Winning the Big Marketing Battle?

If you have to choose one, which would you pick?

Did you just say SMS?

Well done! As the next stat shows, it enjoys a much better open rate than email.

14. 88% of people use their phones mostly for texting.

(Source: Slick Text)

Nearly 90% of survey respondents disclosed that the number one use of their portable gadgets was sending and receiving texts. And these people can SMS whilst performing other duties. 

15. Nearly ¾ of clients would prefer to make reservations by SMS.

(Source: Slick Text)

Sending a text is so much easier than logging into a website just to make or edit reservation details. It’s no wonder that over 60% of clients prefer to use this method, according to SMS marketing statistics. 

Businesses that take bookings should incorporate phone messaging to accommodate more clients. That will reduce the number of no-shows as well as make it easier for customers. 

16. 62% of businesses said that the biggest advantage of SMS is quick delivery.

(Source: Simple Texting)

If you want your clients to get your message fast, SMS is the best option. According to SMS marketing stats, more than 50% of marketers and business owners trust its lightning speed. Most give the mode of communication a higher priority because it brings the results they want pronto. 

SMS Marketing Is the Next Big Thing in Mobile Marketing

SMS marketing has a wider reach than email marketing. It also enjoys much better open and response rates.

Given these advantages, it’s no surprise more companies plan to go the SMS way.

17. BFCM’S (Black Friday Cyber Monday) SMS revenue in 2021 was $1.1 million.

(Source: Hustler Marketing)

According to SMS marketing statistics, businesses that invested in advertising via text messaging during BFCM garnered over $1.1 billion collectively. This mode of communication contributed about 30% of all stores’ income during the period.

18. Over 3/4s of clients want businesses to send them offers using SMS. 

(Source: SMS Comparison)

Who doesn’t like a nice offer?

SMS marketing statistics for 2022 show that nearly 80% of consumers like receiving offers via text. So next time, don’t forget to notify your clients about upcoming sales or discounts via mobile messaging. The majority of your recipients will be pleased that you sent them. 

19. Only 30% of consumers receive SMS text messages from businesses they patronize.

(Source: Podium)

SMS marketing stats show 7 in every 10 consumers don’t receive promotional text messages from their favorite brands — even after making it clear they want to hear from them.

20. 45% of clients respond to branded messages.

(Source: Slick Text)

Almost half of your potential customers will respond to your messages if you include your company name. Corporate or business texts usually have about 11 characters, and brands send them in bulk.

With your organization’s name, it's easier for potential customers to tell apart spam. Instead of using unknown numbers, this is a sure way to get people to be comfortable enough to not only open them but to write you back. 

21. Only 13% of organizations let consumers respond to SMS.

(Source: Learning Hub)

Lots of businesses send texts to clients, but they’re often accompanied by wordings like ‘’Do Not Reply” or “Do Not respond.”

Now, they could be missing a lot.

According to stats on texting, nearly 15% of customers that receive such messages would love to respond. Perhaps they'd like to ask questions like ”How can I make an order” or offer feedback that could help you improve your product or service.

22. 9 in every 10 consumers who enroll in an SMS loyalty program benefit from their participation.

(Source: Mobivity)

Goodbye, loyalty cards; hello, loyalty SMS!

There’s little doubt that such programs can help you improve customer engagement and drive more sales.

23. 41.3% of businesses have seen an increase in opt-in messages.

(Source: Startupbonsai)

More customers are going for opt-in SMSes, and about 41.3% of brands have witnessed this. This communication type gives your audience the liberty to accept or decline your messages. That way, you don’t keep texting clients that aren’t interested.

24. Users are 4.5 likely to respond to a text than to an email.

(Source: Learning Hub)

When it comes to texting vs email response rates, the former performs better. People are four times likely to reply to your SMS marketing efforts compared to email. 

25. 40% of women are texters.

(Source: Rebrandly)

Recent text message marketing stats show people (including your customers) are texting for business purposes all the time.

Contacting businesses through text to schedule appointments, make product inquiries, and other business purposes have become common practice.

Given this, it’s time you asked yourself:

“Am I taking full advantage of mobile technology?”

26. 25% of women use SMS to vote for television shows.

(Source: Marketing Dive)

TV voting is a hit with the ladies.

A 1/4 of survey participants said that they often do it. Only 10% of the men did so. Brands can benefit by putting more female-centric shows to garner even more female voters.

27. 60% of consumers want to reach support via messaging.

(Source: Learning Hub)

Over 50% of your clients want to reach client support via SMS. It looks like few people are willing to make calls or send emails. 

28. 83% of consumers would like to receive booking appointments via text.

(Source: Learning Hub)

If you’re worried that, you’ll be invading your customers’ space by sending a mobile message, worry no more. According to stats on texting, over 80% of them actually want you to do so.

29. 10,000+ people used Giant Eagle’s SMS initiative to find out how they could get goods without getting into the store.

(Source: The Wall Street Journal)

As you may know, the supermarket chain was very transparent in notifying its client regarding stores with staff who tested positive for COVID. Instead of closing down the entire business, the company devised a way for customers to pick up their products on the curb without getting into the store.

That method was via texting. 

The proof is in the pudding, ladies and gentlemen.

If more than 10,000 consumers signed up and used this avenue according to text messages statistics, then there’s a lot of potentials.  

30. SMS subscribers could reach 8 billion by 2023. 

(Source: SMS Eagle)

SMS will continue to expand in the marketing field in the next few years. By 2023, subscribers will be 8.998+ billion.

Latest Developments

There’s no doubt SMS marketing is a powerful marketing tool — but will it remain just as effective in the future, too? Let’s find out.

31. Nearly 6 billion people worldwide will be able to send and receive text messages by 2025.

(Source: SlickText)

Stats on text message marketing show 5.9 billion people worldwide will have access to SMS technology. This means SMS marketing will continue to be just as relevant in the future as it is today (if not more).

32. 61% of the world’s population will have access to mobile internet by 2025.

(Source: SlickText)

This goes to show the future belongs to mobile marketing, of which SMS marketing is an important part.

Fun Facts

Now this is where things get interesting. And even a bit weird, perhaps.

33. 32% of American consumers spend more time on their phones than with their spouses.

(Source: Small Biz Trends)

Partner or phone?

A ¼ of survey respondents admitted that phone usage takes up more time than they spend with their other halves. 

Hmmm…. Looks like phones are getting a lot of human attention.

34. 73% of individuals in the United States of America admit to using a phone in the toilet.

(Source: Small Biz Trends)

Clearly, people and their phones are inseparable. In a survey, ¾ s of the participants said they operate their devices even in the loo!

35. The first SMS message sent was “Merry Christmas.”

(Source: G2)

An engineer called Neil Papworth sent this two-word text message to his Vodafone colleagues on December 3, 1992.

36. Adults spend about 23 hours a week texting.

(Source: Simple Texting)

That’s a full day and a night, y'all!

Or close to three 8-hour days.

Imagine how much money brands would make by utilizing the text message marketing channels even more?

37. 43% of customers proactively text a business.

(Source: Learning Hub)

Texting has become a part of everyday life for most people, so much so that 1 in 5 can’t imagine life without it.

Wrapping Up

SMS marketing is cheaper, has a wider reach, and enjoys a better open and response rate than many other conventional marketing channels, like email.

Still, many companies aren’t taking full advantage.

The latest SMS marketing statistics show 64% of consumers think businesses aren’t contacting them via text messages as much as they should.

Perhaps many of your competitors might be making this mistake, too.

This means a well-defined, persistent SMS marketing campaign can help you gain an automatic edge over the competition.

So, what are you waiting for?

Leverage the power of SMS marketing — now.