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SMS Marketing Statistics 2025: 94+ Stats & Insights [Expert Analysis]
- November 15, 2025
- 2:32 pm
Table of Contents
SMS Usage & Adoption
97% of businesses say SMS marketing helps them communicate more effectively with customers.
82% of SMBs plan to increase SMS usage in 2025.
74% of enterprise brands say SMS is now a core marketing channel.
SMS adoption has grown 25% YoY since 2022.
68% of ecommerce brands use SMS for promotions.
59% of service businesses rely on SMS for appointments.
44% of B2B companies now use SMS in their sales funnels.
34% of marketers say SMS delivers the highest ROI of any channel.
63% of marketers added SMS to their stack in the last two years.
SMS is the world’s second most-used communication channel, behind email.
78% of B2C brands use SMS for real-time alerts.
48% of nonprofits use SMS for fundraising reminders.
56% of retail brands rely on SMS for flash sales.
41% of brands plan to replace some email campaigns with SMS.
89% of marketers say SMS is “essential” for mobile-first funnels.
SMS Open Rate & Engagement
SMS open rates average 98%.
90% of SMS messages are opened within 3 minutes.
Average SMS click-through rate is 19%.
In ecommerce campaigns, CTR rises to 26%.
Personalized SMS messages see a 35% higher engagement rate.
Time-sensitive SMS (flash sales) get 28% CTR on average.
SMS messages are 4.5× more likely to be opened than emails.
SMS read rates are 40% higher than push notifications.
58% of customers read brand SMS messages “immediately.”
SMS response rates average 45%, compared to email’s 6%.
Two-way SMS engagement increased 17% last year.
SMS with emojis boosts engagement by 12%.
SMS with a CTA button link increases CTR by 34%.
Promotional SMS sent during weekends have 18% higher CTR.
Abandoned cart SMS messages see 21% CTR.
Loyalty reward SMS has a 29% CTR.
Geo-targeted SMS campaigns see 31% CTR.
SMS with discount codes reach 40–60% redemption rates.
83% of consumers say SMS reminders help them avoid missing deals.
SMS reminders decrease no-shows by 22%.
SMS Conversion Rates
Average SMS conversion rate is 8.5%.
Ecommerce SMS flows convert at 12–18%.
Abandoned cart SMS converts at 13.8% on average.
Limited-time SMS offers convert 2× higher than email.
Personalized SMS drives 16% conversion rates.
SMS with first-name personalization improves conversion by 19%.
SMS follow-up after an email boosts conversions by 27%.
SMS-only coupon codes convert 11%.
Retail SMS campaigns convert 14%.
Hospitality SMS promotions convert 9%.
Service appointment SMS follow-up converts 17% into bookings.
B2B SMS callbacks convert 6% into qualified calls.
SMS upsell campaigns convert 10%.
SMS win-back campaigns convert 7%.
Event reminder SMS boosts attendance by 24%.
Subscription renewal SMS increases renewals by 18%.
SMS post-purchase flows increase repeat purchases by 11%.
SMS time-of-day optimization improves conversions by 22%.
Shoppers are 3× more likely to redeem SMS-only deals.
SMS outperforms Facebook retargeting by 31% in conversions.
SMS ROI, Revenue & Economics
SMS marketing delivers an average ROI of 32×.
Top-performing brands see up to 45× ROI.
SMS generates 10–20% of total ecommerce revenue for most DTC brands.
Brands sending weekly SMS see 21% more revenue than monthly senders.
SMS cart recovery generates up to $5.60 per message sent.
SMS costs 3–5× less than paid social for conversions.
SMS costs only 1–3 cents per message on average.
The average customer spends 22% more when engaged via SMS.
SMS boosts AOV by 9%.
64% of SMS revenue comes from automated flows, not campaigns.
SMS launch campaigns produce 2–4% revenue spikes.
SMS subscription lists grow 18% YoY.
The average SMS subscriber is worth 2.3× more than an email subscriber.
SMS opt-in growth increases revenue by 14% annually.
For every 1,000 SMS subscribers, brands generate $600–$1,850/month.
SMS is the highest ROI channel for flash sale campaigns.
Abandoned cart SMS alone can recover 8–15% of lost revenue.
Brands adding SMS to email earn 19% more total revenue.
SMS reduces ad spend reliance by 27%.
Customer lifetime value (CLV) increases 17% with SMS usage.
Consumer Preferences
78% of consumers prefer SMS over email for urgent updates.
65% want promotional SMS from brands they trust.
81% prefer SMS for appointment reminders.
66% prefer SMS over phone calls for customer support.
72% prefer SMS for delivery updates.
59% prefer SMS for order confirmations.
54% want personalized SMS offers.
44% say SMS makes them feel “valued by the brand.”
61% say SMS is less intrusive than phone calls.
52% say they buy from brands that send helpful SMS reminders.
34% have purchased after receiving an SMS-only coupon.
48% prefer SMS for loyalty program updates.
63% want brands to send fewer emails and more texts.
71% expect SMS to include a clickable link.
39% unsubscribe from SMS that send more than 4–6 promos/week.
Compliance, Opt-In & Opt-Out
Average SMS opt-in rate is 1.8–3.2% of website visitors.
Incentive-based opt-ins convert 54% better.
90% of customers stay subscribed for 3+ months.
72% remain subscribed for at least 6 months.
The average monthly SMS churn rate is 1.8%.
Giving subscribers frequency control reduces opt-outs by 33%.
Double opt-in lists retain subscribers 25% longer.
Compliance-related opt-out requests dropped 11% last year.
61% of consumers read SMS privacy disclaimers.
SMS opt-in forms with social proof increase signups by 19%.
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About the author, Bill Nash
Bill Nash is the CMO of Marketing LTB with over a decade of experience, he has driven growth for Fortune 500 companies and startups through data-driven campaigns and advanced marketing technologies. He has written over 400 pieces of content about marketing, covering topics like marketing tips, guides, AI in advertising, advanced PPC strategies, conversion optimization, and others.