The spoiler is coming in early: yes, SMS marketing is experiencing a comeback, a renaissance, if you will. Adoption rates are continually moving upwards, with engagement metrics far higher than many other, trendier marketing channels.
With businesses trying to stand out in a saturated social media space and declining email performance, text messaging is starting to emerge as the direct, most personal channel that marketers can use in 2025.
From Forgotten to Essential
Just a few short years ago, it was considered a boomer technology, an outdated marketing channel, the default last place, almost a forgotten tool.
But now, SMS is the comeback kid of marketing. If we want to answer the question of whether it’s truly back in the fold, the statistics make it super clear.
In 2025, 66% of businesses rely on SMS campaign tools, which help supercharge the campaign process. Just a few years ago, that figure stood at a relatively paltry 44%.
With open rates reaching up to 98% vs. email sitting at just over 20%, it’s easy to see why companies are starting to recognise the value in SMS campaigns. Customers also tend to respond much more frequently to a text, with a 45% response rate against just 6% for emails.
And it’s not only being used, but it’s yielding results, too: businesses that use SMS to reach consumers are 5.89 likelier to succeed in the marketing campaigns.
Exploring Real SMS Success Stories
Theory and stats, that’s the framework that may already convince you that SMS may be something worth looking at. But ultimately, examples work best to really showcase the power of the old school text message. The first is UK luxury streetwear brand Represent Clothing, which recently implemented an SMS-driven marketing strategy to great success:
Individualisation: Represent Clothing
The overarching mantra for Attentive, the company put in charge of this new direction, was personalisation. This was achieved by leveraging advanced segmentation, allowing Attentive to send individualised messages to consumers.
The strategy employed by Attentive was very much data-driven. By using clicks, for example, as well as previous purchasing trends, it was possible to categorise existing subscribers, which in part helped boost conversion rates by 15% for customers who haven’t placed an order in six months.
Sending an SMS that is targeted to an individual consumer will be far more effective than a generic marketing effort that feels anything but personal.
It not only uses data based on that specific person, improving conversions, but it also improves the relationship between brand and consumer long-term, with people feeling that they really do matter to the company, sending the message.
Patient Communication: NHS Trusts
Email used to be the go-to method of communication for most people, and it’s still very much relevant today. But it’s not quite as effective as it used to be, with people tiring of spam and providers having increasingly stringent filters. Often, you miss the important stuff, too.
That’s why the NHS has switched its attention to SMS, with appointment management being almost entirely done via text messages. Preliminary results of this new direction are promising, with some NHS Trusts reporting a reduction of ‘Did Not Attend’ rates of up to 25%.
This doesn’t mean the NHS has ditched emails completely. Rather, SMS has become part of a multi-pronged approach designed to improve communication across the board. If a patient does not really ‘do’ SMS, they will also get an email. And if they have the app installed on a smartphone, the notification will also arrive there.
Elevating Customer Service: RED Driving School
RED is one of the leading driving schools in the United Kingdom, and part of that success is due to the company’s ability to adapt to the changing customer service landscape.
SMS is now a key part of instructor updates, booking confirmations, information about refunds, and notifications of lesson cancellations. It not only keeps customers informed, but also the service provider (i.e. the drivers!).
SMS already has great open rates, but it works even better in this specific industry. The reason is obvious: instructors are always on the move, in their cars, and don’t really have the time to check their emails. But a text is quick, easy, and a very effective method of communication.
Looking Ahead to Next Year
Companies are now recognising that SMS isn’t an outdated method, but an essential one for campaigns that convert. It’s effectively a success multiplier, used best in conjunction with other marketing channels (e.g., Google Ads, Instagram, etc.); it’s not an either/or.
SMS is not the blunt tool that some people think it is; rather, if used properly, it’s one of the most powerful channels in the marketer’s toolkit. And that’s true for 2025 and beyond.
