The strategic appeal of SMS marketing is easy to understand. It has a wide audience reach. It offers unparalleled immediacy. Last but not the least, it is attractively cost effective as a marketing tool for even small to medium businesses. Having loyal customers opt into a text message marketing campaign shows trust and commitment unmatched by other forms of customer engagement.

But will SMS marketing still make economic sense when numbers are crunched? Let’s take a look at cold, hard statistics to see how SMS marketing measures up against other marketing tools:

·         12% of Facebook posts are read by users

·         20% of email messages are opened

·         29% of tweets are read

·         98% of SMS are read

Even the popular tweet, with its bite-sized servings of information similar to SMS, does not equal a third of the percentage of SMS being read. SMS txt platforms hold a great advantage of actually reaching and engaging users over other forms of marketing tools.

·         The average person checks their mobile phones 150 times a day.

·         Mobile phone users keep their phones within reach for an average of 14 hours every day

The mobile phone is said to be the most personal technology today next to medical devices like hearing aids. This means sending an SMS about a Vodafone promotion for example can effectively reach a user in an average span of 14 hours – every day. That’s a huge window of opportunity compared to other marketing tools.

·         Customers opt out of SMS marketing campaigns less than 5% of the time

·         SMS coupons are 10 times more likely to be redeemed and shared overall as compared to mail or newspaper coupons

·         22% of mobile coupons are shared with at least a friend

Having a coupon in your mobile phone means you can take it with you everywhere you go. A good fit for SMS coupons are instantly actionable offers, like 24-hour expiry promos.

·         22% of mobile coupons are shared with at least a friend

·         75% of people prefer receiving ads via SMS messages

·         15% of users prefer receiving ads via mobile internet

·         10% of people prefer receiving ads via mobile apps platforms

SMS is a more effective medium than either mobile internet or apps for sparking consumer action.

·         The average response time for a text message id 90 seconds.

·         The average response time for an email is 2.5 days.

SMS offers a unique immediacy that few other marketing tools can match.

All statistics are from SlickTtext.com.

As the numbers show, SMS marketing stands out as the single greatest marketing tool at your disposal. Use it well and watch your business and profit grow.