Statistics to Know for Your SMS Marketing in 2023

I’ve discussed the basics of SMS marketing, but what about its future?

As with every marketing platform, text messages are growing increasingly popular. Consumers love this easy-to-access marketing channel, and its newfound popularity has produced a surge of marketing services dedicated to its optimization.

Businesses around the world are seizing the opportunities of SMS marketing, but is your business poised to succeed?

Today, I’ll be examining some of the latest marketing data and revealing the insider secrets to making your text message marketing succeed. Much like email marketing campaigns, SMS marketing requires tact and strategy. Success doesn’t come from more texts; it comes from understanding the data and knowing how to play your cards.

Ecommerce businesses cannot miss out on this blog post, so keep scrolling to learn more about the power of this emerging marketing strategy!

Phone Usage Statistics for Your SMS Marketing Strategy

It’s no secret that the world is advancing. Technology has engrained itself into daily life, and the world is more connected than ever. Mobile phone use is now ambiquitous worldwide, but the specifics vary from region to region.

How Many People Own a Mobile Phone?

As of 2022, the majority of the world now owns at least one mobile phone, and — as of 2020 — the only nations in which less than half the population owned a smartphone were Kenya, Pakistan, and Zambia.

About 85% of the population in the United States reports owning a smartphone.

What Is the Most Popular Operating System on Mobile Phones?

It’s not enough to know how many people have a phone, though! You’ll need additional customer data to determine the best approach, as the type of phone dictates how your digital marketing is displayed.

The most effective ways to reach an audience will vary, and knowing your customers’ preferences will help you tailor a truly successful SMS marketing strategy. While it may seem like a bit of technical jibberish, a phone’s operating system dictates how the device works and the kinds of messages it receives. Moreover, if you’re running email marketing campaigns, you’ll want to know if your audience can use Apple’s new mail privacy features, which are known to distort open rates.

Worldwide, the most popular operating system is Google’s Android; however, Apple’s iOS is more popular in Western nations. In fact, 1/5 of Apple’s customers reside in the United States of America, where iOS is more popular.

The Top Trends in Text Message Marketing in 2023

Now, it’s time for the fun part!

With your audience outlined, you can start planning your text message campaigns. There are countless ways to ensure your carefully laid plans are not led astray, so let’s look at the most recent data. After all, a digital marketing strategy is a scientific problem.

Convenient Access to Customer Services

One of the most obvious facts about SMS marketing — and text messaging as a whole — is that it’s convenient. Your contact list receives your SMS campaigns immediately, and they can respond with ease. It’s an “always on” marketing channel, and that accessibility makes SMS marketing strategies remarkably appealing.

All of that leads to my next point: Many successful brands use a text message marketing platform to offer convenient customer services through SMS. This may not seem like direct marketing, but well-implemented SMS automation can build your customer loyalty and bolster your inbound marketing strategy.

Chatbots are the most popular option for customer service text messaging. With a chatbot, users create a branching series of questions, and each answer leads a customer to a pre-determined result. Once the process has been established — often using a visual workflow builder — the marketing automation kicks in, and the b0t will send messages by itself.

Like other communication channels (particularly social media chats), SMS marketing bots deliver the personal experience of two-way conversations. However, unlike these other channels, text messaging gives customers more flexibility. With SMS messages, customers can act fast and feel as if they’re interacting directly with their favorite brands.

Customer Loyalty Program Updates

Marketers are also using SMS marketing to promote customer loyalty and improve the overall customer experience.

Once subscribers opt-in to receive text messages, dedicated software can deliver unique promotional messages. In this context, ecommerce brands deliver messages about a subscriber’s loyalty status.

Obviously, the ideal outcome for these SMS marketing campaigns is more revenue.

SMS Messages as Updates and Reminders

The last major trend for text message campaigns has been around for some time. Many savvy business owners have used SMS messages to send appointment reminders and updates, but that doesn’t make this ubiquitous marketing strategy less important!

Aside from ensuring small businesses reduce cancelations and lost profits, reminder-based text campaigns are a valuable service for consumers. Moreover, the pandemic has dramatically bolstered the efficacy of this great tool by boosting smartphone ownership.

Customers have indicated that businesses with reminder message services are precious, and 68% of consumers rank appointment reminders as the most valuable type of SMS marketing campaign. Other valuable SMS messages include shipment updates and sales announcements.

What’s the Short Version?

If you’re eager to send text message campaigns, I can’t blame you! An SMS campaign has the power to turn the tide and amplify the reach of your business.

Some of the key numbers to know as you plan your SMS marketing campaigns in 2023 are:

• 70.98%: The market share of Android mobile phones worldwide
• 97%: How many 18–29-year-olds in America own a smartphone as of 2021
• 98%: The average open rate for SMS marketing campaigns in 2021
• 14 Billion: The number of domestic text messages sent in Kenya in the final quarter of 2022
• 40.86 Billion: The number of SMS messages sent in the United Kingdom alone in 2021

However, if you’re struggling to balance your duties and your marketing, it may be time to get some help. I’ve assembled a team of experts at The Email Marketers, and we’re always eager to tackle a new challenge.

Get in touch with me, and we’ll discuss your options!

In the meantime, don’t forget to browse the rest of my blog for tips to make all your marketing messages shine.