More than letters, emails, and phone calls, text messages are how people in America communicate today. In fact, calling that device in your pocket a smartphone has become a misnomer. Text messages are the number one app that people use most on their phones today. You may as well call it a smart-texter than a smartphone.
Three out of 10 people would give up their phone app in exchange for only being allowed to text. Whether sending an emoji, using text shorthand, or something more professional, people rely on text messages to make sure what they are sending is read. The average email open rate is about 20% and that is shrinking as email programs become more adept at identifying junk emails and filtering those out from ever reaching someone’s inbox. On the other hand. 98% of text messages are read within two minutes of being sent.
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Smartphone use in the U.S. is approaching 90% |
81% of adults use text messaging |
Text message use is 21% higher than internet activity |
64% of Americans use smartphones as their primary internet-connected device*
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- The average length of a text message is seven words. While certainly capable of being longer, the average text message conversation is a series of rapid-fire communications sent from one person to another. You do not have to sit down and compose a text message, usually.
- Sending a text message is less invasive than having to make a phone call, and reading a text message can be done faster than listening to someone on a phone call.
- An individual can have multiple text message conversations going at the same time. Try doing that with a phone.
- SMS Marketing is far less likely to be spam than an email of a phone call. The number of robocalls has exploded in recent years, and many people do not answer the phone anymore unless they recognize the number. Text messages, meanwhile, are less likely to be from someone you do not know.
Other ways you can use texting as a business tool
- Two Way Texting
- All In Opt-In
- Text to Pay
- Text Billing
All the data in the world points to how consumers are using text messages to be more engaged with their friends and family. They want the companies they do business with to engage with them via text messaging, too. Half of the consumers who receive an offer via text message end up making a purchase and 60% redeem a coupon within a week of receiving it via text. And 80% of consumers say sending them a text message is the best way to get in touch with them fast. Another million texts were just sent as you read this sentence. Your customers are waiting to hear from you. What are you waiting for?