If you’re a government leader and you are still hesitating about using SMS to communicate with your citizens, this post can help you. 

Regardless of other texting apps like Messenger, Whatsapp, Telegram, etc. SMS still plays an important role in engaging the government and its people. 

We have collected the top 20 SMS stats to illustrate the impact of this communication channel.

#1: SMS has a 3X higher usage than Messenger

While Messenger is a widely preferred app for its convenient link to Facebook, SMS still has more than 3 times more users. One is because of the fast delivery and two is because not everyone has Facebook.

#2: … and a 6X higher usage than Whatsapp

Similar to the stats above, SMS still wins Whatsapp

#3: … and an 11X higher usage than Instagram

That’s more than ten times! This is primarily because Instagram is commonly used for entertainment, not for important communication. 

#4: The reply rates for SMS is 4.5X times than Emails

While Emails are great for driving sales, SMS did a great job in the communication part, especially between government leaders and citizens

#5: 97% of Americans own a cellphone of some kind

 Nearly the whole population has access to SMS. So when the government has important news, it can reach nearly everyone. 

#6: 85% of U.S. adults own a smartphone

Narrowing down the types of phones, the majority of U.S adults can easily get in touch with the government using digital tools.

#7:  50% of people sent more texts during the pandemic

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2019, 50% people spend more time on their phones and thus send more text messages. In other words, they are more available for receiving text messages.

#8:  ~100% of people read all their text messages

This sounds unbelievable. But nearly all of the text messages are delivered and read, according to Gartner

#9: 83% of teenagers communicate via text during the pandemic

Rather than calling, they prefer texting. Texting will allow you to connect with young voters who will be less likely to use more traditional methods of communication.

#10: 63% of people use the default texting app on their phone

Texting apps are still the most popular tools that many phones have. Indeed, they are used frequently by 63% of people

#11: 378% more SMS marketing messages were sent in 2020 than in 2019

COVID-19 occurred in late 2019 but it spread globally during 2020. So in this year, the number of messages sent is nearly 4X times higher compared to 2019.

#12: 41% of marketers have seen increased SMS opt-in rates

More and more people/marketers are using SMS. So what’s still stopping you from using this amazing tool to communicate with your citizens? 

#13: SMS has a 98% Open rates

That’s means almost your entire community will see your message! It would be incredible if government leaders could take advantage of this tool.

#14: The percentage of consumers who want to contact a business via text is 69%

69% of consumers prefer texting to other methods of communication. This can apply to government texting as well. Citizens could have a two-way conversation with their leaders.

#15: 75% of consumers are open to receiving texts from brands about shipment tracking

Translating this stat to government, people prefer SMS to track real-time information that impacts them such as daily news, or emergency news. 

#16: 55% of people use native messenger on mobile devices to send texts

People still strongly prefer SMS because of its wide usage and simplicity. More than half of the residents use native messenger.

#17: American citizens check their phones an average of 47 times a day

If we don’t include the 8-hour sleeping time, that means every 20 minutes they check their phone for notifications. Citizens can therefore receive the latest news easily.

#18: 89% of phone users check their phones within 30 minutes of waking up.

This means that texts will typically be checked before emails, voicemail, or social media, making this a prime channel for important communication.

#19: 70% of people read texts in under 5 minutes

This shows a high engagement rate where almost every text message can be delivered and received extremely fast.

#20: 91% of customers are interested in signing up for texts

In the marketing world, nearly all of the customers want to opt-in to receive text messages. They have a strong preference for SMS. 

Conclusion:

According to these stats, SMS is the optimal channel for government representatives to communicate important messages directly to their residents.

The numbers prove it. SMS is way better than other platforms when it comes to engagement. 

If you’re interested, here’s an SMS app that could help you text millions of people within under 5 minutes

Have you tried SMS to engage with your citizens?