GITNUXREPORT 2025

Text Message Statistics

Text messaging dominates communication, adoption, marketing, and customer engagement globally.

Jannik Linder

Co-Founder of Gitnux, specialized in content and tech since 2016.

First published: April 29, 2025

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Statistic 1

70% of small businesses plan to increase their use of text messaging in the next year

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Nearly 60% of marketers use text messaging as part of their marketing mix

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83% of small businesses use SMS for marketing purposes

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In 2023, over 2.7 trillion SMS messages were sent globally

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The average cost per SMS for businesses ranges from $0.01 to $0.05

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45% of businesses plan to expand their SMS marketing budget in the next year

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The average reply time for customer service texts is under 2 minutes

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Over 97% of Americans send or receive text messages

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Adults in the US send or receive an average of 35 texts per day

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Millennials send an average of 100+ texts per day

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85% of consumers prefer text messaging for customer service communications

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78% of customers say they have used a business’s text messaging service

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75% of teens like to receive and read texts more than phone calls

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90% of adults open and read a text message within three minutes

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65% of consumers want to use messaging apps for communication with brands

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71% of consumers prefer texting for appointment reminders

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48% of consumers say they prefer to chat with businesses via text rather than email

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88% of consumers want to communicate with brands via text messaging at some point

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69% of consumers say that a quick response is important when communicating with businesses via text

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64% of consumers would like to communicate with brands through messaging apps

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87% of consumers say that brands should offer messaging options

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66% of consumers have used text messaging to communicate with a business in the past month

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The average length of a business SMS is under 160 characters

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79% of consumers say they’re more likely to support a brand they can message directly

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73% of people prefer to receive appointment reminders via text

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Text messaging is the primary communication channel for 74% of customers in healthcare

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67% of consumers rely on text messaging for emergency alerts

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Text messaging in retail has increased by 30% year-over-year

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85% of users report that they read most of their business text messages

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78% of consumers agree that text messaging is the most convenient way to communicate with a business

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64% of consumers say they are more likely to buy from a brand that offers messaging options

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56% of smartphone users have engaged with a business through text messaging

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Text messages have a 209% higher response rate than marketing emails

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74% of consumers say they’d like to receive special offers and discounts via text message

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92% of text message recipients open their messages within three minutes

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67% of users say they are more likely to buy from a business they can text directly

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The average open rate for SMS marketing messages is 98%

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80% of marketers say that personalized messages improve engagement

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Business responses to text messages increase customer satisfaction by 25%

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Sending a transactional message via SMS results in 8x higher engagement than traditional email

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59% of consumers have engaged with a business via text to resolve issues

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62% of consumers say that receiving a personalized text message makes them feel more valued

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84% of users say they have received a spam text message

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50% of consumers have made a purchase based on a text message promotion

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79% of consumers feel more valued when a business responds promptly to a text inquiry

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The global SMS market is valued at over $60 billion and growing

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The marketing ROI from text messaging campaigns can be as high as 98%

Statistic 48

74% of marketers find SMS marketing to be highly effective

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Sources

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Key Highlights

Over 97% of Americans send or receive text messages
Adults in the US send or receive an average of 35 texts per day
Millennials send an average of 100+ texts per day
85% of consumers prefer text messaging for customer service communications
78% of customers say they have used a business’s text messaging service
75% of teens like to receive and read texts more than phone calls
90% of adults open and read a text message within three minutes
64% of consumers say they are more likely to buy from a brand that offers messaging options
65% of consumers want to use messaging apps for communication with brands
70% of small businesses plan to increase their use of text messaging in the next year
56% of smartphone users have engaged with a business through text messaging
71% of consumers prefer texting for appointment reminders
48% of consumers say they prefer to chat with businesses via text rather than email

Did you know that over 97% of Americans send or receive texts daily, and businesses leveraging this powerhouse communication channel enjoy response rates up to 209% higher than email, making SMS the undisputed king of customer engagement in 2023?

Business Adoption and Strategies

70% of small businesses plan to increase their use of text messaging in the next year
Nearly 60% of marketers use text messaging as part of their marketing mix
83% of small businesses use SMS for marketing purposes
In 2023, over 2.7 trillion SMS messages were sent globally
The average cost per SMS for businesses ranges from $0.01 to $0.05
45% of businesses plan to expand their SMS marketing budget in the next year
The average reply time for customer service texts is under 2 minutes

Business Adoption and Strategies Interpretation

As text messaging becomes the new heartbeat of business communication, with over 2.7 trillion messages in 2023 and nearly half of businesses planning to boost their budgets, it's clear that in the digital age, a quick reply isn't just good service—it's essential for survival.

Communication Preferences and Usage

Over 97% of Americans send or receive text messages
Adults in the US send or receive an average of 35 texts per day
Millennials send an average of 100+ texts per day
85% of consumers prefer text messaging for customer service communications
78% of customers say they have used a business’s text messaging service
75% of teens like to receive and read texts more than phone calls
90% of adults open and read a text message within three minutes
65% of consumers want to use messaging apps for communication with brands
71% of consumers prefer texting for appointment reminders
48% of consumers say they prefer to chat with businesses via text rather than email
88% of consumers want to communicate with brands via text messaging at some point
69% of consumers say that a quick response is important when communicating with businesses via text
64% of consumers would like to communicate with brands through messaging apps
87% of consumers say that brands should offer messaging options
66% of consumers have used text messaging to communicate with a business in the past month
The average length of a business SMS is under 160 characters
79% of consumers say they’re more likely to support a brand they can message directly
73% of people prefer to receive appointment reminders via text
Text messaging is the primary communication channel for 74% of customers in healthcare
67% of consumers rely on text messaging for emergency alerts
Text messaging in retail has increased by 30% year-over-year
85% of users report that they read most of their business text messages
78% of consumers agree that text messaging is the most convenient way to communicate with a business

Communication Preferences and Usage Interpretation

With over 97% of Americans texting daily and a growing preference for quick, direct communication—especially among Millennials and in sectors like healthcare and retail—it's clear that in the digital age, businesses ignoring the power of text messaging are essentially leaving their most engaged customers on “read” in the digital dust.

Consumer Engagement and Behavior

64% of consumers say they are more likely to buy from a brand that offers messaging options
56% of smartphone users have engaged with a business through text messaging
Text messages have a 209% higher response rate than marketing emails
74% of consumers say they’d like to receive special offers and discounts via text message
92% of text message recipients open their messages within three minutes
67% of users say they are more likely to buy from a business they can text directly
The average open rate for SMS marketing messages is 98%
80% of marketers say that personalized messages improve engagement
Business responses to text messages increase customer satisfaction by 25%
Sending a transactional message via SMS results in 8x higher engagement than traditional email
59% of consumers have engaged with a business via text to resolve issues
62% of consumers say that receiving a personalized text message makes them feel more valued
84% of users say they have received a spam text message
50% of consumers have made a purchase based on a text message promotion
79% of consumers feel more valued when a business responds promptly to a text inquiry

Consumer Engagement and Behavior Interpretation

With SMS boasting a near-perfect open rate of 98% and response rates soaring past email by 209%, it’s clear that if brands want to be truly valued—and truly heard—they need to get texting, because no other channel delivers personalized engagement fast enough to turn messages into meaningful transactions.

Industry Trends and Market Size

The global SMS market is valued at over $60 billion and growing

Industry Trends and Market Size Interpretation

With the global SMS market surpassing $60 billion and showing no signs of slowing down, it’s clear that even in the age of instant messaging, the humble text message still holds lucrative sway.

Marketing Effectiveness and ROI

The marketing ROI from text messaging campaigns can be as high as 98%
74% of marketers find SMS marketing to be highly effective

Marketing Effectiveness and ROI Interpretation

With nearly all marketers praising SMS marketing's high efficacy and a potential ROI soaring to 98%, it's clear that ignoring text messaging is not just a missed opportunity—it's a strategic oversight.