Is SMS Marketing Dead? New Research Says Not Just Yet
By pbump@hubspot.com (Pamela Bump)
Whenever I share a screenshot of a friend’s funny text on social media, someone always points out the huge number of unread text messages I have.
“Why do you have so many unread texts? And, who are you ignoring?”, my friends often ask.
The truth is that most of the texts I ignore aren’t from actual people. They’re usually quick marketing messages that I signed up to receive at some point and ended up forgetting about.
Whether you signed up for a mobile service, pharmacy alerts, furniture store promos, or another list, you’ve probably also received a few texts you’ve either deleted, opted out of, or blatantly ignored.
With experiences like those above in mind, you might think that SMS marketing is no longer effective. But, in 2021, as people are more attached to their phones than ever before, we might be wrong about the strength of text message promotions.
As it turns out, a recent study from SimpleTexting shows that text message marketing might still be alive and well.
The study, which surveyed over 1300 consumers and marketers, revealed that more than 76% of brands plan to invest in text-message marketing in the next year, while 62% of consumers subscribed to receive texts from at least one brand in the last year.
Below, we’ll dive into the study’s research, explain why some marketers might still want to consider SMS strategies, and note a few takeaways for an effective campaign.
Why SMS Could Be Coming Back Strong
While members of our blogging team once said SMS needed to be “put out of its misery” due to all the other messaging tactics in the world at the time, no one could have anticipated the changing landscape brought on by COVID-19. During the pandemic, which caused most people to get stuck in their homes, people gravitated to their phones and electronics more than ever, with 76% of consumers reporting increased screentime.
When it came to texting, 61% of consumers either increased or significantly increased the daily time they spent on their text apps.
SMS Marketing Effectiveness in 2021
According to SimpleTexting, 62% of consumers have opted into texts from at least one business while 43% of consumers specifically have subscribed to one to three brands.
When it comes to text messaging effectiveness, consumers reply to marketing texts that require a response much faster than email. While most people reply to emails within a half-hour to an hour, 72% of consumers respond to texts within 10 minutes.
Aside from quick response rates, text messages can also receive very high engagement. 43% of surveyed business owners and digital marketers who use SMS marketing report click-through rates between 20% and 35%.
One interesting piece of the SimpleTexting survey reveals that 52% of brands reported increased opt-in …read more
Source:: HubSpot Blog
