44 Mind-Blowing SMS Marketing and Texting Statistics
Updated April 8. 2026
More than twenty years ago, American Idol invited millions of viewers to vote via text message, and consumers have been texting with their favorite brands ever since.
Texting apps were originally created for personal connections, but most businesses use an automated texting service today, and consumers welcome the interactions. Last year alone, more than 84% of consumers opted in to receive texts from restaurants, retail stores, and enterprises of all kinds — up from 71% just two years prior.
To help you make the best decisions for your organization’s communication methods, we’ve tracked down the latest research on digital messaging, and it all points to the same conclusion: Texting with your audience is here to stay, and it’s more powerful than ever before.
Whether you’re a marketer, business owner, or community leader, you need the most effective means of getting your message out. The stats make it clear that texting and SMS marketing is an essential part of any communication or marketing strategy.
Global Text Messaging Statistics
Throw a dart at a map. If you hit dry land, you’ve successfully located a community of mobile phone users.
1. Globally, there are even more mobile phone subscriptions (8.31 billion) than people on the planet (8.02 billion), and 65% of those subscribers communicate via text message.
2. In the U.S. and Canada, 80% of inhabitants send messages via SMS. That’s 292 million people.
3. The country with the highest percentage of mobile users is Russia, where 89% of the population sends and receives text messages.
4. China and India have the most people who send SMS messages — China comes first with 1.081 billion people and India second with 730 million.
5. In 2023, the global smartphone market earned $411 billion in revenue.
6. 7.4 billion smartphones are now in use, accounting for roughly 87% of mobile phones globally.
7. Smartphone ownership continues to rise by at least 5% every year. The number of unique mobile users has reached 5.78 billion, with 7.4 billion smartphones now in use.
The Future of Texting
Stats show that text messaging and mobile usage isn’t slowing down any time soon. In fact, reports project it will keep growing at a strong pace well into 2027 and beyond. Even statistics on spam texting show that SMS is starting to trend ahead of spam calls. It’s easy to see that mobile messaging is a force that’s here to stay.
8. Globally, the number of people who send and receive text messages is predicted to surpass 6 billion by 2027.
9. Smartphone subscriptions worldwide are forecast to reach 7.69 billion by 2027 — up from 7.4 billion today.
10. 5G is expected to overtake 4G as the dominant mobile network technology by the end of 2027, just nine years after its commercial launch.
11. The global monthly average data usage per smartphone is forecast to reach 42 GB by 2029, nearly triple the 15 GB average recorded in 2022.
12. 5G subscriptions are forecast to reach 4 billion by 2027, representing a massive leap from the 2.25 billion connections recorded at the end of 2024.
13. The global A2P (application-to-person) SMS market — the category that covers all business texting — is projected to reach $78 billion in revenue by 2027.
14. By 2027, mobile commerce sales are predicted to reach $856 billion, up from $360 billion in 2021, with smartphones serving as the primary shopping device for most consumers.
SMS Marketing Statistics
Even if you know a lot about the market now, how does any of that apply to your business? These SMS marketing stats will give you an idea of how text messaging is catching the eye of marketers and ways they’re trying to adopt it in 2024.
15. People will definitely see what you send them — SMS open rates are as high as 98%.
16. You can start a conversation easily with SMS (or conversational marketing). As many as 45% of people reply to branded text blasts they receive.
17. If you’re not using SMS yet, you’re letting your competitors move ahead. 66% of businesses now use SMS marketing, with 67% of them hoping to increase their SMS budgets.
18. Businesses generate an average of $71 for every $1 spent on SMS marketing, with even conservative estimates putting returns between $21 and $41 per dollar invested — compared to email’s $10–$36.
19. 84% of consumers have now opted in to receive texts from at least one business, with over 52% receiving SMS from four or more brands.
20. 40% of people feel that 1 text message per week from businesses is enough, while 30% are open to receiving texts a few times a week.
21. Retail is viewed as the industry in North America using the most innovative mobile marketing techniques by 47% of marketers.
22. Despite statistics on mobile’s rise, 65% of brands still don’t have a formal strategy in place for broadcast text messaging to take advantage of the amount of time we spend on our phones. These gaps reflect a broader pattern seen across digital channels. Superside’s marketing-trend analyses note that many brands invest heavily in mobile engagement but still struggle to build clear, audience-first communication systems. SMS often fills this gap because its format forces clarity and fast response, which aligns with how people already use their phones.
23. Stats show that almost 70% of businesses expect their budgets for text message marketing and SMS short codes to increase in the next year.
24. About 33% of marketers expect to prioritize mobile loyalty schemes and coupons in their plans for next year.
Customer Engagement
Customer engagement is the lifeblood of any business, and texting has proven to be a highly effective way to boost customer loyalty and retention. By sending personalized birthday and anniversary wishes, you can make your customers feel valued and appreciated, fostering a deeper connection.
Text message marketing also allows for real-time communication, enabling you to respond quickly to customer inquiries and concerns. This immediacy leads to increased customer satisfaction and a more positive brand perception. In fact, 87% of businesses that use texting report their digital marketing efforts are successful, underscoring the impact of texting on customer engagement.
Integrating customer engagement SMS into your business strategy can help build a repeatable system to improve profits and drive revenue. By keeping the lines of communication open and personal, you can create a loyal customer base that is likely to return and recommend your services to others.
Gen Z and Texting
Gen Z is the generation most glued to their texts and group chats, with 48% checking their text messages more than 10 times per day. This preference for texting over all other contact methods for customer service inquiries makes it essential for businesses to have a customer support texting strategy in place.
With the rise of messaging apps, Gen Z is accustomed to instant communication, making texting a natural fit for this generation. By meeting them where they are most comfortable—on their mobile devices—you can deepen relationships relationships and drive long-term results.
Other Important SMS and MMS stats to know for 2026
One specific way to reach people on their mobile devices in 2026 is through SMS and MMS marketing. Research shows this is a very effective way to talk to your consumers. More importantly, polls indicate this is the way they actually want to hear from you.
People don’t enjoy receiving phone calls or emails from brands as much as text messages. They’re enthusiastic about text messages from businesses — the stats prove it.
25. 80% of people surveyed said text was the number one thing they use their phones for, and they use their phones all the time!
26. Don’t rely on the old methods of getting in touch in 2024. 90% of brands said they leave voicemails to talk to consumers, while 29% of consumers said they don’t listen to voicemails at all. There’s a good chance that if you’re resting on outdated methods, your voicemails are going into a black hole never to be heard from again.
27. If you’re hesitant to text your audience, let this stat calm your concerns: more than 91% of customers claim they want to receive text messages from businesses.
28. 90% of customers prefer receiving text messages over a phone call or email.
29. 78% of consumers want to use mobile messaging to troubleshoot issues. How would it change your business if you offer customer support over text instead of putting people on hold? SMS chatbots can help you save time, money, and manpower.
30. 68% of consumers would like to use mobile messaging to contact a company with billing questions or concerns.
31. Stats demonstrate that 64% of customers want to use text messaging to make or update a reservation.
32. When it comes to updating or changing a purchase, 64% of customers say they’d prefer to use mobile messaging.
33. A majority of people — 71% of consumers — say using text messaging to communicate with a business was effective.
34. As many as 66% of consumers say they would pay more for something if it was supported by a mobile messaging channel.
35. More people send text messages than own personal computers or landline telephones.
36. 64% of consumers think companies who text value their time, are progressive, and would recommend them to others.
37. 53% of consumers say they feel more positive toward a brand that uses mobile messaging to communicate.
38. 45% of consumers say the ability to send mobile messages is what could convince them to choose one brand, product, or service over another.
39. 97% of companies found they communicated with consumers more efficiently after launching texting initiatives.
40. One group of early adopters of MMS for business is insurance agents. A full 67% of agents send and receive MMS messages to mail quotes and claims. They report consumers respond “within minutes” to text messages.
41. 94% of organizations already using SMS for communications would recommend using a mass texting service to their colleagues.
42. Interactive content (links, surveys, and responsive features within your SMS or MMS campaigns) generates conversions 70% of the time, compared to passive content which leads to conversions only 36%.
43. 76% of consumers are open to handling returns and exchanges directly within their phone’s messaging app — a number that jumps to 92% for Gen Z.
44. Update: 1 in 3 people check their texts within one minute of receiving them, and over half of all consumers text back within 2 minutes.
How to get started with SMS or MMS marketing
If reading these statistics has you interested in trying mass texting or SMS marketing for your business, 2024 is the year to get started. Here are a few simple actions you can take to jump on the texting bandwagon — and keep your customers engaged and active for cents on the dollar.
1. Find an easy-to-use platform
Choose a trustworthy partner, and you’ll be sending mass texts in no time. You can start with SlickText today to test our easy and effective platform. If you run into any questions, our customer support and onboarding specialists are always within reach.
2. Create a text marketing plan
Like any marketing initiative, it’s important to go into text marketing with a strong plan in place, so that you can be decisive and cohesive with your communications to consumers. Remember to familiarize yourself with common text marketing best practices if you’re just starting out.
There are some legal requirements to fulfill when you’re sending a text message for business. For example, you must keep a record of consent that proves the people you’re texting have actually agreed to receive text messages from you. A reputable SMS marketing platform should be able to help you with this quite easily.
3. Review your SMS marketing strategy
Once you’ve initiated a marketing plan, make sure you regularly review it against key performance indicators throughout 2024. After all, you’re likely putting a decent amount of money behind your marketing, and you want to make sure it’s well-spent. You can be successful at SMS marketing with a simple plan, but if you’d like to add in intelligent automations or unique coupons, SlickText is full of options. Hop on the platform today to explore our marketing and SMS promotion tools, automated workflows, text-to-win capability, QR codes, and more.
One of the great advantages of text message marketing is that you’re able to see what actions your recipients are taking after they read your text message. Even if you just start out by tracking links they click inside of your text messages, this is a good way to review how strong your strategy is and make tweaks when necessary.
Start Your SMS Marketing Program
The text messaging statistics speak for themselves — mobile is growing and businesses that take advantage of this channel position themselves to keep customers satisfied and coming back for more. Don’t be afraid to embrace mobile in 2024.
Want to kick off your SMS marketing strategy? Start your free trial with SlickText today, and get in touch with our team if you have any questions.
Sources:
