SMS Marketing Statistics You Should Know to Power Your Next Campaign

In an era where consumers are bombarded with emails, push notifications, and social ads, SMS marketing continues to cut through the noise. Despite being one of the oldest mobile channels, it remains one of the most effective—especially in Australia, where smartphone ownership exceeds 100% of adults and people spend over six hours on their phones daily.

For marketers, that level of connectivity translates into exceptional engagement potential. SMS messages don’t get lost in spam folders, require no app install, and reach customers almost instantly—whether at home, work, or on the move. When used strategically, SMS can drive conversions, reinforce brand trust, and support everything from appointment reminders to flash sales and delivery updates.

The data shows that Australian consumers not only read SMS messages—they respond to them. Compared to email or social channels, text messages consistently achieve higher open rates, response rates, and ROI, and remain one of the most cost-effective marketing tools for small businesses and enterprise brands!

Below, we break down the latest SMS marketing statistics and explore what they mean for marketers: from deliverability and compliance to click-through rates and personalisation.

What We’ll Cover

• Key takeaway stats (2024–2025 benchmarks)
• Consumer adoption & sentiment
• Deliverability, opt-in/opt-out and legal compliance
• Benchmarking performance
• SMS vs email vs push notifications: Comparative engagement
• Best send times & frequency insights
• Personalisation & segmentation

Defining Key Metrics

• Open rate: Proportion of delivered messages that are viewed (or presumed viewed)

• Click-through rate (CTR): Proportion of recipients who clicked a link in the SMS

• Conversion rate: Proportion of recipients who completed a target action (e.g. purchase)

• Response/reply rate: Proportion of recipients who reply (for conversational or feedback use)

• ROI: Return on investment (revenue generated vs cost of sending)

Key Stats (2024–2025 Benchmarks)

Before diving into trends and best practices, it helps to look at the numbers driving SMS marketing’s continued success. The latest Australian data shows that text messaging remains one of the most responsive and profitable digital channels—consistently outperforming email and social media in open rates, engagement and ROI. 

• SMS open rates in Australia hover around 98% (Forbes 2024).

• SMS click-through rates commonly range 36-45% (Swift Digital 2025).

• SMS response or reply rates can approach 45% in conversational or interactive SMS campaigns (Cybergarden 2025).

• ROI estimates: Some reports suggest SMS generates A$45–A$71 per A$1 spent and an ROI of up to 7100%, far outpacing email (Cybergarden 2025).

What this means: In Australian deployments, SMS still offers visibility and engagement levels far exceeding typical email outcomes—if leveraged with segmentation, relevance and legal compliance.

Consumer Adoption & Sentiment: Do people still use SMS, and do they like it?

Image: Pexels

Yes—and they often expect it:

• In Australia, there are 34.4 million active mobile connections—128% of the total population—which shows that many people have multiple mobile phones (Data Reportal 2025).
• The Australian SMS open rate is 98% (Forbes 2024).

• Opt-out rates remain low (under 3%) when messaging is relevant (Atlas Communication 2025).

• Consumer sentiment data shows mobile users welcome SMS marketing messages from trusted brands if they’re personalised and timely (OptiMonk 2025).

What this means: SMS remains one of the few marketing channels consumers still regard as direct and personal—but only when messages respect privacy, relevance and user control.

Deliverability, Opt-In/Out and Legal Compliance

Deliverability and compliance are the foundations of effective SMS marketing. Even the most engaging message won’t perform if it never reaches the recipient—or if it breaches Australian privacy or spam laws. Understanding how opt-in, opt-out and sender verification work is essential for maintaining trust and long-term campaign success.

Deliverability & Message Reach

• Poor data hygiene and spoofed sender IDs cause most delivery failures.

• Australia’s upcoming Sender ID Register will require telcos to block scam texts, improving brand legitimacy. If you haven’t registered your sender ID from 1st July 2026 onwards, your SMS messages will be flagged as “Unverified”. Read more here.

Opt-In/Out Behaviour

Under the Spam Act 2003, Australian SMS marketing is required to have express opt-in, clear identification, and an unsubscribe link (ACMA).

• The average unsubscribe rate is 0.17%, which can be even lower with relevant content (Campaign Monitor).

• 61% unsubscribe if they receive too many messages—sending four or more in a 30-day period can significantly increase the number of unsubscribes (Klaviyo 2024).

What this means: Even the best open or click rates won’t matter if carriers block your messages or consumers opt out. Compliance and data hygiene must be baked into your SMS marketing infrastructure.

Benchmarking Performance

Metric	Typical Range	Source
Open Rate (SMS)	~98%	Forbes 2024
Click-Through Rate (CTR)	36–45%	Swift Digital 2025
Response Rate	Up to 45%	Cybergarden 2025
Return on Investment (ROI)	A$45–A$71 return per A$1 spent/up to 7100 % ROI	Cybergarden 2025
Opt-Out/Unsubscribe Rate	Average 0.17 % (under3 % overall)	Atlas Communication 2025

What this means: With open and read rates near 98%, CTRs over 36%, and ROI exceeding 7000%, SMS marketing continues to deliver unparalleled customer engagement in Australia. However, maintaining data integrity, consent compliance, and message relevance remains critical to sustaining these results.

Example Scenarios

Ecommerce Flash Sale	Appointment Reminder
Open rate 94% CTR 25% Conversion 22% ROI 3000% Opt-out 1 %	Open rate 96% Reply rate 40% ROI is measured in reduced no-shows Opt-out < 0.5%

SMS vs Email vs Push Notifications: Comparative Engagement

Channel	Open Rate	Click/Engagement	Key Advantage
SMS	~98%	36–45%	Instant reach
Email	35.63% (Mailchimp 2025)	2.62% (Mailchimp 2025)	Long-form content
Push	60%(Business of Apps 2025)	3–4% (Business of Apps 2025)	App-based

What this means: SMS delivers immediacy and engagement that email and push rarely match—but relevance and timing remain critical.

Best Send Times & Frequency Insights

Image: Pexels

Timing can make or break an SMS campaign. Sending messages when customers are most active—and at a frequency that feels helpful rather than intrusive—has a direct impact on engagement and opt-out rates. 

• 11am and 4pm—By targeting these hours, you can reach your audience during lunch breaks or while they’re winding down (Attentive 2025).
• 4-8 messages a month to all subscribers—This maximises revenue per send while maintaining a low opt-out rate (Attentive 2025).

Action item: Because 97% of SMS are read within 15 minutes, schedule time-sensitive alerts for midday or afternoon windows.

Personalisation & Segmentation

Personalisation is now a core expectation, not a bonus. Consumers are far more likely to engage with SMS marketing messages that reflect their interests, behaviour or purchase history. Data-driven segmentation helps businesses send the right message to the right person—boosting relevance, brand loyalty, trust and return on investment.

• Interactive messages outperform blasts with a 70% conversion rate (Text Magic 2025).

• Example: “Hi {FirstName}, only 2 left in your cart — use SAVE10 now” outperforms generic offers.

What this means: Even light personalisation boosts responses and data-driven segmentation magnifies ROI.

Why SMS Marketing Still Matters

Even with the rise of social media, chat apps, and push notifications, SMS continues to deliver unmatched reach and immediacy. With 98% open rates, click-throughs above 36%, and ROI exceeding 7000%, it remains one of the most effective marketing channels.

In Australia, where mobile penetration exceeds 128%, almost every consumer can receive SMS messages within minutes. And as innovations like RCS add richer interactivity, SMS is evolving into a dynamic, multimedia communication tool. 

Combined with stronger national safeguards like the Sender ID Register and the Spam Act 2003, it’s also a channel consumers can trust.

For all industries, the takeaway is simple: SMS isn’t fading—it’s maturing. Integrating into a broader, mobile-first strategy drives engagement and measurable results that few channels can match.

At Esendex, we help Australian businesses harness that power with secure, compliant, high-performance SMS solutions built for real-world impact. Learn how you can boost your SMS marketing performance with Esendex—contact us today!