SMS text stats say it all

Nearly three decades on from the very first text message and the humble SMS (short message service) is still the No. 1 way to exchange information. The SMS text stats reveal why.

For reach and effectiveness, no other messaging medium comes close to SMS. Almost every mobile phone, smart or otherwise, can natively send and receive texts. Better still, people actually want to connect by text.

Texting's universality seems to represent an unparalleled opportunity for businesses to connect more effectively and more successfully with their customers and their employees. But can we really believe the hype?

Read on to find out why the answer is a resounding yes.

Key trends into SMS messaging

  • Mobile devices now connect 67% of the world's population. That’s over 5 billion unique mobile subscribers with the ability to send and receive text messages [1].

  • By 2025 the number of unique mobile subscribers will reach 5.9 billion [2].

  • 15,220,700 texts are sent every minute of every day [3].

  • 80% of smartphone users check their phones within 15 minutes of waking up [4].

  • 18 to 24-year-olds check their phones at least 86 times a day. The rest of us check our phones 47 times a day [5].

  • The #1 function users access on their phones each day is texting (88%), with email coming in second [6]. And calling doesn't even make the list!

The impact of SMS: by the numbers

  • We open 90% of our text messages within 3 minutes of delivery [7]

  • SMS has a read rate of 98%. This compares to a rate of 22% for email, 29% for tweets, and 12% for Facebook posts [8].

  • 54% of opted-in users respond to business SMS messages [9].

  • Opt-out rates for SMS campaigns are less than 5% [10]

  • 90% of mobile phone users globally want to talk to businesses using messaging. They find it more relevant and timely than either email or voice communications [11]

  • 85% of consumers want to reply to a message from a business or engage in a 2-way conversation [12].

  • 84% of consumers state that service-based messaging positively impacts their choice of one company over another [13].

  • 78% of respondents say a text message is the fastest way to be reached for essential service updates on purchases [14].

  • Companies with effective employee communications deliver a significantly higher total return to shareholders (91%) and a 16% increase in market share [15].

  • 75% of people want offers sent to them via SMS [16].

  • Mobile offers are redeemed ten times more frequently than print offers [17].

  • Sales prospects who are sent text messages convert at a rate 40% higher than those who do not receive a text message [18].