New Research Proves Continuing Power of SMS Message

Business communications provider Esendex surveyed 1,000 consumers in the UK and Ireland as part of the Connected Consumer Report 2024, to understand their communication behavior, engagement and trust levels, and their channel preferences.

Just 5.7% of respondents said they were more likely to ignore an SMS message from a business or delivery provider, while more than a third (34%) said they would ignore a message on social media.

SMS communications also rank more favorably than emails (7.7%), letters (14.8%), phone calls (17.4%) and WhatsApp (20.4%).

When studying how people interact with texting, 88% revealed that they rely on automated reminders for restaurant reservations or medical appointments. This will be positive news for those looking for ways to reduce no-shows and last-minute cancellations.

And as debate continues around Gen Z’s communication preferences, rich content using different media formats, including sound, video or image, has emerged as a key way to reach younger audiences.

Almost half (48.7%) of 18-24 year olds said the rich content of a text or WhatsApp message would make them more likely to engage with an organisation, while only 21.5% over 54s thought the same thing.

Commenting on the report, Richard Hanscott, CEO of Esendex said:

“In a competitive market, businesses need to ensure they are using the right channels to target customers and meet them where they are to maximize engagement.

“It’s been three decades since the first text message was sent, but, as our survey shows, SMS still holds the greatest influence as consumers’ preferred communication channel. Ease, speed and accessibility are all reasons why.

“An SMS message naturally allows for two-way communication between a business and its customers, strengthening the relationship over time. While other channels remain valuable ways to connect with customers, each offering their own benefit, this study proves that SMS is here to stay.

For the full results of Esendex’s survey, read the report https://www.esendex.co.uk/connectedconsumerreport2024/