SMS Open Rates: How Successful Is Text Message Marketing?

What Does SMS Open Rate Mean?

SMS open rate refers to what percentage of text messages sent get opened by the target audience.

In this scenario, the recipient of the message clicks on the notification and actually opens the text.

For instance, if you send 10 SMS messages and 8 recipients open them, the open rate for that SMS is 80%.

What Does Read Rate Mean?

Read rate refers to how many people received the SMS (but didn’t necessarily open it.)

What Does Click Through Mean?

Click-through rate, also known as “CTR” refers to the percentage of people who, after opening the text message, click the hyperlink included in the message.

So let’s use that 80% open rate from the earlier example. If 4 out of the 8 people click the hyperlink, you get a CTR of 50%.

What Does Response Rate Mean?

Response rate in SMS refers to the ratio of responses that you get to a text message compared to how many messages you send.

As an example, if you send 10 SMS messages and get two responses, your response rate is 20%.

What Is the Open Rate for Texts?

So just how high is the open rate for texts?

Here are some stats to show just how successful this form of marketing is:

1. The average open rate for SMS is 98%.
2. More than 60% of people read their SMS within 5 minutes.
3. 43% of business owners and digital marketers report an SMS Click-Through Rate of Between 20 and 35%.
4. Americans check their phones an average of 47 times per day.

The overall open rate, clickthrough rate, and response rate for texts are high.

Open Rate for Texts vs. Email

Here’s how that open rate compares to the success of email marketing:

1. The average open rate for text message marketing campaigns is 98%, compared to 20% for email marketing campaigns.
2. Consumers are 4.5 percent more likely to respond (not just read) to text messages than emails.
3. 60% of customers prefer to receive support through text rather than via email.

Text message marketing has email beat in every category.

Why SMS Open Rate Is Important

In SMS marketing, the open rate is everything.

If nobody is opening your SMS, then nobody is reading your marketing.

Understanding the open rate of your SMS campaign can help you see what works and what doesn’t so that you can strategize, plan, and pivot if necessary.

Open rate is also related to the other metrics of success in your text message campaigns. The higher the open rate, the higher the click-through rate and response rate.

How to Increase SMS Open Rate

There are a few things that you can do to make sure your SMS open rate is as high as it can be.

For starters, be strategic about what time you’re sending your messages. Early in the morning or late at night, the last thing customers want is a business blowing up their phone. A good rule of thumb is to only send messages Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM.

Next, keep things short but interesting. Since you’re limited by the number of characters in your SMS, you need to make the most of what you’re working with. An interesting, attention-grabbing title and a strong call to action are all it takes to get that open rate up.

Lastly, always track your success, analyze the data, and adjust your SMS campaigns as needed. If it is broke… fix it.

How to Increase Click-Through Rates

The first step to increasing click-through rates is to follow the best practices for SMS open rates, so start there.

To increase click-through rates, check to make sure the link you’re sending works. A broken link is a great way to demolish your click-through rates.

Then try making your link more enticing by offering special promos and discounts that are only accessible by clicking the link provided. An attractive call to action that benefits the recipient is more likely to encourage interaction.

Consider using images or GIFs to make links even more clickable.

How to Improve SMS Response Rate

The key to increasing SMS response rates is all about building a connection.

You can do this by segmenting new subscribers into groups and sending more targeted messages.

Offer your audience a reason to respond. Maybe they get more content or a special deal by responding with a keyword to a message or offer review opportunities through text.

Personalization like adding their name to messages also forms more of a personal relationship, which encourages more two-way communication.

Other Uses for SMS Marketing

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the SMS open rate so much higher than email?

SMS open rate is so much higher than email because most people have a texting app already on their phone and are more likely to keep notifications for text on. It’s a more personal, casual, and convenient way to communicate with customers.

What is considered a good SMS open rate?

A good SMS open rate is 98%. Seems high, but it’s the average.

What is a good opt-out rate for SMS?

A good opt-out rate for SMS is less than 3% per text campaign.

Is text message marketing worth it?

Yes, text message marketing is one of the most effective ways to connect with customers, making the price of texting SaaS worth it.