Overwhelmingly, businesses seem to be unaware of consumers’ communication preferences—new research from SMS marketing software firm EZ Texting reveals that 69 percent of consumers across all age groups would like to be able to contact a business via text, and more than half (54 percent) are frustrated when they are unable to do so.
According to the firm’s new study, 54 percent of consumers want to receive text promotions, but only 11 percent of companies deliver them—indicating that 89 percent of brands and businesses miss the opportunity to connect with consumers the way they want to be communicated with. Similarly, 83 percent of consumers would like to receive appointment reminders via text, but less than 20 percent of businesses utilize text to communicate.
The report, 2019 Text Communication Report: The Next Generation of Business Communication, discusses the results of a survey of more than 1,100 consumers and businesses across all ages, genders and locations in the United States.
Additionally, despite the fact that consumers are 4.5 times more likely to respond to a text message than an email, businesses are still 3 times more likely to communicate with customers via email. This means that communicating with consumers via their preferred method—texting—can provide businesses with a competitive advantage. Those businesses that do use texting are seeing this already: 86 percent of businesses report that texting offers higher engagement than email.
“Our everyday lives are increasingly managed on the go from our mobile devices,” said Norman Happ, CEO of EZ Texting, in a news release. “This research clearly outlines that texting is the optimal communications channel to capture attention and engage customers.”
Additional key takeaways from the report include:
- 84 percent of consumers have received a text message from a business.
- Most consumers read text messages within 5 minutes of receiving them and reply to messages within 3 minutes of reading them.
- 86 percent of small business owners who utilize text messaging indicate that texting offers higher engagement than email communication.
- Businesses are more than 3 times more likely to rely on email as a primary communication method, despite the fact that consumers are 4.5 times more likely to reply to a text message.
Download the full report here.
