SMS marketing continues to be a powerful channel for businesses, delivering exceptional engagement rates and measurable ROI. Understanding current benchmarks is crucial for optimizing your campaigns and staying competitive in today's digital landscape. This comprehensive guide provides an in-depth analysis of the latest SMS marketing performance metrics across various industries, backed by authoritative research.
The U.S. SMS marketing market is experiencing unprecedented growth, with Grand View Research projecting the industry to reach $12.6 billion by 2025, expanding at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.3%. This dramatic expansion reflects businesses' increasing recognition of SMS as an essential customer engagement channel.
Mobile phone ubiquity drives this growth—97% of U.S. adults own a mobile phone, with 85% being smartphones. This creates an unparalleled opportunity for businesses to connect directly with their target audiences through the most personal device consumers own.
SMS messages achieve open rates of approximately 98%, according to the Mobile Marketing Association, making them among the highest-performing marketing channels available. Studies show that 90% of recipients open text messages within three minutes of receiving them, demonstrating the immediate impact of SMS communications.
For comparison, email marketing typically achieves open rates between 20-28%, making SMS nearly five times more likely to be seen by recipients.
SMS marketing delivers impressive click-through rates that vary by industry and message type:
SMS marketing conversion rates in 2024-2025 range between 21% and 40%, according to industry analysts, significantly outperforming most other digital marketing channels.
SMS marketing delivers exceptional returns on investment:
Performance metrics vary significantly across industries due to customer expectations, regulatory constraints, and message relevance. Here are the key benchmarks by vertical:
Key Applications: Cart abandonment recovery, flash sales, inventory restocking alerts, loyalty program updates
Key Applications: Transaction alerts, account notifications, promotional offers, customer support
Key Applications: Appointment reminders, health screenings, medication adherence, patient satisfaction surveys
Key Applications: Product updates, feature announcements, trial conversions, customer onboarding
Key Applications: Class schedules, deadline reminders, campus alerts, registration confirmations
Understanding consumer attitudes toward SMS marketing is crucial for success:
In 2025, texting officially overtook email as the top way consumers prefer to reach customer service, with 31% now preferring SMS over email and phone calls.
To reach or exceed industry benchmarks, implement these proven strategies:
80% of businesses now use software to power their SMS marketing strategies, enabling:
The SMS marketing landscape continues evolving with several key trends:
According to Juniper Research, total A2P messages delivered are set to rise from 2.2 trillion in 2024 to 3.4 trillion in 2028, representing significant growth in business messaging volume.
SMS marketing is increasingly contributing to overall business revenue, with brands reporting substantial returns from integrated messaging strategies.
To effectively measure your SMS marketing performance:
Sakari provides comprehensive SMS marketing solutions designed to help businesses achieve and exceed industry benchmarks.
Ready to achieve benchmark-beating SMS performance? Contact Sakari today to discover how our platform can help you maximize engagement, conversions, and ROI through strategic SMS marketing.