90% of text messages are read within 3 minutes

SMS has a vast global reach. Phone carriers exist in almost every country in the world. And because SMS works on 2G as well as 3G and 4G mobile networks, you can reach any active mobile phone worldwide — and it doesn’t have to be a smartphone.

People actually read text messages. In fact, more than 90 percent of people read a text message within the first three minutes of receiving it, according to MobileSQUARED, a mobile research firm. And unlike email, you aren’t limited to a smartphone or a computer to receive a text message.

SMS is precise and to the point. When you only have 160 characters to work with, you learn how to become economical with words. What’s more, SMS is far more affordable than using direct marketing to let your customers know about your promotion.

Additionally, SMS is permission-based. The customers you interact with have given you permission to contact them through an SMS platform. Customers who opt in to receive information are more likely to take in that message rather than ignore it — the fate of millions of emails.

Finally, you can combine SMS with social media and the web to engage more deeply with customers. If you post an important message on your website for example, you can support that with a text message that says, make sure to read the full story online.

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