Consumers increasingly prefer text notifications over email or social — and why that matters in 2025

December 11, 2025 Marketing
sms-notifications-over-email-and-social

In 2025, SMS has re-emerged not just as a marketing channel, but as a definitive consumer favorite for direct communication. Across industries and demographics, people are opting in to business texts — and choosing texts over email and social for timely, useful communications. For businesses, that shift isn’t optional: it’s a signal that to connect with customers in 2025, you need SMS baked into your strategy.

Consumers increasingly prefer text notifications over email or social — and why that matters in 2025

In 2025, SMS has re-emerged not just as a marketing channel, but as a definitive consumer favorite for direct communication. Across industries and demographics, people are opting in to business texts — and choosing texts over email and social for timely, useful communications. For businesses, that shift isn’t optional: it’s a signal that to connect with customers in 2025, you need SMS baked into your strategy.

Why Consumers Prefer SMS in 2025

Recent data strongly supports SMS as the channel of choice — especially for convenience, immediacy, and reliability.

  • In a 2025 survey, 86% of consumers said they opt in to receive business texts — a 20% rise since 2021.
  • SMS open rates remain at the top: many sources show an ~98% open rate, far outperforming email rates.
  • SMS also delivers fast engagement: up to 95% of messages are read within minutes — making it ideal for time-sensitive notifications.
  • According to a 2025 polling of U.S. consumers, only 8% ignore business texts, while nearly 70% said they had blocked a business number due to spammy behavior — highlighting that SMS works when done carefully.

Put simply: when consumers give permission, and businesses respect that permission, SMS isn’t just effective — it’s often preferred.

What This Preference Means for Businesses in 2025

• SMS = a direct line to attention

With such high open and read rates, SMS is among the few channels likely to reach people when they’re on the go — more reliably than email, social media, or app notifications.

• Shift from “marketing spam” to “useful communication”

Users subscribe willingly when business texts deliver real value: reminders, order updates, support, alerts. That aligns SMS more with customer service or operations than aggressive marketing — especially for small businesses that thrive on trust and locality.

• SMS deserves a permanent seat at the omnichannel table

Instead of using SMS as a backup to email or social, brands should treat it as a core communication path — especially for time-sensitive, transactional, or personal messaging.

What to Do If You’re Building a 2025 SMS Strategy

Given consumer preference, here’s how to structure SMS in a way that respects users and maximizes engagement:

  • Use clear opt-in with consent: make it explicit when a user subscribes to texts.
  • Prioritize useful, time-sensitive messages (e.g., confirmations, reminders, alerts, updates) — not endless promotional blasts.
  • Maintain responsiveness: if someone replies, reply back. Unanswered threads create distrust.
  • Respect message frequency and timing — too many texts, or late-night messages, can quickly get you blocked.
  • Treat SMS as part of a broader communication mix — integrate with email, web, app, but don’t rely solely on SMS.

The Bottom Line

The data strongly indicates that in 2025, SMS is no longer a fringe channel — it’s a trusted preference. For brands willing to treat it with respect, SMS offers unmatched reach, speed, and customer receptiveness. For those who ignore signals or misuse it, the risk is losing trust — fast.

If you haven’t already — it’s time to build your SMS strategy around respect, value, and clarity. Because consumers already have.

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