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Why SMS is More Relevant Than Ever Before - 10 Advantages of Texting

SMS Marketing02/18/2022

Top 10 Advantages of Texting: Why SMS is More Relevant Than Ever Before

SMS Marketing (or Short Message Service) is skyrocketing business’s ability to connect with customers like never before. Gone are the days when sending a text message meant sending a quick message to your friends and family--SMS marketing has evolved into the most powerful marketing tool on the market for businesses in all industries.

Ready to learn why SMS is more relevant today than ever before? We’ll cover the ten main benefits of SMS text messages and show you why it’s a key part of your marketing strategy. Let's dive right in!

The Incredible Growth in Popularity of SMS Texting

As some of you may remember, SMS was HUGE in the 90s. However, this was mainly because there was hardly any competition for a direct cellular messaging service.

The last five or so years have seen a massive upswing in the popularity of SMS as a marketing tool. SMS marketing isn't new by any means, but today it's being perfectly integrated into cohesive and diverse marketing campaigns.

But why the relatively sudden increase in popularity and effectiveness after a few years of texting being under the radar?

Let's take a look at a few reasons:

The Texting Boom

Before phones had full keyboards (known as QWERTY keyboards), there were numbered keypads with letters assigned to each number. Users had to click each number multiple times to write a single letter--so texting via SMS in the early days was certainly not convenient or quick.

Plus, the actual interface of text messages were static, one-dimensional, and essentially immeasurable. It was not an effective place to communicate with customers.

It wasn’t until the mobile phone revolution, spearheaded by Apple and brought to the masses by Android-run devices, brought us fully functional QWERTY keyboards. This made texting more convenient than ever and opened the door for SMS as a communication tool for businesses.

Message Urgency

Most people have email on their phones as well as multiple social media platforms. All of these apps never stop working and sending notifications, which results in people becoming relatively jaded when it comes to the constant buzzing or pop-ups on their phone.

However, text messages are generally considered more urgent and more personal than email or Facebook comments. This makes people pay more attention to SMS messages, and has been a key reason for the massive uptick in the effectiveness of SMS marketing.

The Stats Don't Lie

Ultimately, the main reason why SMS marketing has become so popular is because it works. The numbers don’t lie, and the statistics for SMS marketing are incredible. In particular, the number of messages opened and number of engagements are extremely powerful statistics that should motivate any marketer to harness the power of SMS.

Let’s look at the numbers behind the massive resurgence of SMS texting:

The Numbers Behind the Growth of Text Message Marketing

SMS marketing is a rocket ship and one of the fastest-growing marketing trends for a couple of years. So let's take a look at some of the most relevant texting statistics:

About 96% of marketers claim SMS marketing drives revenue, and 60% found SMS marketing significantly improved revenue.
Over 90% of consumers have shown interest in signing up for notifications from their preferred brands in 2021.
Before Covid-19, 51% of US retailers planned to invest more in SMS marketing, and in 2020 the percentage grew to 56%.
Using texting for B2C customer service is rising, reaching 2.7 trillion in 2020 during the pandemic.
The number of mobile phone users stands at 7.1 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow to 7.4 billion by 2025.
Of the marketers that have not used mobile marketing, around 66% have highly considered or plan to in 2021.
According to adults that received SMS texts, 29% valued notifications about discounts on products and services.
Around 60% of consumers have expressed the desire for customer support through texting.
About 33% of patrons have expressed that the media in a text message is less important than the message's relevance to them, specifically.

SMS Marketing vs. The Competition

On the surface, it may seem like there are a few alternatives to using SMS marketing. After all, consumers use a variety of different apps and platforms to message their friends and communicate with other businesses. However, there are some major problems with some of these messaging mediums. Here are two examples:

Facebook Messenger: Business pages cannot initiate direct messages on most social media platforms. While Messenger functions to facilitate replies and interactions, it’s not an option for mass marketing direct messaging.
Whatsapp: Businesses never send unsolicited WhatsApp messages to current or potential clients. Whatsapp does have a business option, and businesses can text with clients in response to queries and concerns.

Although there are several other social media direct messaging apps and platforms, they all have similar rules of engagement. This means that businesses don't (or can't) use them to send personalized direct messages to clients and potential clients.

There is only one viable contender for SMS when it comes to direct marketing messages--email. However, the facts are the email doesn’t stack up against SMS texting as a communication tool. Here are the two main reasons why:

1. Open Rate

When you’re sending a personal email from a friend or family member, it’s very likely your email will be received or opened. However, when it comes to marketing-related emails, the open rate drops off of a cliff and has an average open rate of about 20%. In comparison, the open rate for SMS messages is 98 or 99%.

There are several reasons for this massive difference in open rates:

Emails have automated rules and folders, which often mean that marketing-related emails are not received in the primary inbox. However, text messages always land exactly where they're supposed to.
The preview option for emails also means that emails are briefly browsed on mobile phones--then ignored and destined to be eventually deleted. SMS messages, on the other hand, are not received in the same way on mobile phones and are therefore clicked and viewed at much higher rates.
Emails are longer message formats. In general, the chances of a recipient going through a long-winded marketing email--instead of a concise and punchy text--are slim to none.

2. Broader and Faster Reach

It's extremely quick and easy to respond to a marketing-related SMS message. Often, users only have to text “Yes” or “No”--and you're in. Emails, however, take longer to both read and respond.

People also spend more time on their mobile phones than on their laptops or computers. Although email is often viewed on mobile devices, most users don’t respond or take action on their phones.

Now that you have an understanding of the growth of SMS marketing and it’s comparison to other communication platforms, let’s dig in to the ten most significant benefits of SMS texting as a marketing tool.

The Top 10 Benefits of SMS Texting as a Marketing Tool

1. No Internet Required

It may seem like a strange concept in 2022, but there is at least one thing that doesn't require an internet connection! SMS is facilitated by cellular networks, available wherever an internet connection is and in places that aren't connected.

In areas where internet coverage is low or in households and areas with limited access to data, SMSs will always reach the target audience. There are also many instances where data connectivity problems create issues with receiving emails and other data-based messaging, but SMS remains the most reliable.

2. Highly Personalized

Texting is generally a more relaxed and informal messaging platform. Maybe it's the limited characters or the instant receipt, but you can be a lot less formal and more personal with texting than you can with email.

The limited space also encourages a direct approach. There's no need for a subject line and an intro; it's just a quick, direct, and highly effective personal message that does exactly what it needs to do.

3. Immediate and Trackable Results

SMS marketing platforms facilitate the fastest and most trackable SMS text engagements. The analytics available today allow businesses to create targeted campaigns, send out bespoke messages, and get feedback faster than any other direct marketing communication platform.

You're able to see bounces, engagements, and responses instantly on interactive dashboards that put you in complete control. Campaigns can be fine-tuned and altered based on these results, and the speed of the feedback helps engage in real-time with clients.

4. The Price is Right!

One of the most significant considerations for marketing is ROI (return on investment). When you consider the power of texting in comparison with other messaging platforms, you might think SMS marketing is expensive.

However, that couldn't be further from the truth. SMS marketing solutions are incredibly affordable, and there are a variety of pricing packages to choose from. Ultimately, SMS marketing is the clear frontrunning when it comes to ROI.

5. Open Rates and Engagement

As described above, the open rate and number of engagements on SMS messages compared to emails is astounding. It’s one of the most substantial reasons for marketers to focus their direct marketing messaging campaigns on SMS.

Let's take a look at three fascinating stats.

The average click-through rate for SMS marketing is 19.3% compared to 4.2% of all emails that result in clicks.
The average open rate for text message marketing campaigns is 98%, compared to 20% for email marketing campaigns.
SMS text messages also have a reply rate of up to 45%, which is head and shoulders above email and any other direct marketing message platform.

6. Return on Investment (ROI)

The ROI on SMS marketing is unprecedented. The combination of the highest open and response rates with the affordable cost of SMS provides you with the best ROI of all marketing channels.

7. Instant & Direct

SMS texting is sent faster and more accurately than any other messaging platform. Messages are instant--no waiting for permissions, firewalls, or any other security protocols to grant permission. They're also more accurate because they aren't sent to spam folders or rejected like emails are.

When you have access to the most accurate skiptracing tools and the highest deliverability rates in the industry, your contact details are accurate and relevant, which means you get the right messages to the right people with very little waste.

8. Flexibility & Integration

Texting is flexible and adaptable and can integrate with any marketing campaign. No matter what your target market size or budget, there is a scalable and flexible text messaging solution for you.

The flexibility is essentially to do with how businesses can respond to clients and change the messaging as needed based on campaigns and target markets. SMS marketing fits into any campaign and can be molded to suit specific needs and goals.

9. Conversion Rates

Open rates and engagement rates are powerful, but what actually generates profit is conversion. SMS conversion rates average around 8.22% compared to Email with 1.73%.

This means that SMS texting campaigns can be up to four times more effective than email campaigns to secure a customer.

10. Ease of Use

The vast majority of these benefits relate to the success of SMS marketing campaigns. Still, there is another huge benefit for the business here--SMS marketing platforms and dashboards offer ease of use and very high functionality.

Extremely practical, highly personalized, and easy to use - What's not to love?

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