In the search for ‘what’s new’ or ‘what’s next’ for your communication campaigns, have you considered something as simple as text messaging? The use of SMS marketing has grown 192 percent as a strategy in business to consumer efforts from 2015 to 2017. It comes as no surprise considering how often we see people on their cell phone everywhere we go.

Still on the fence? Take a look at these numbers:

90 percent
That’s the average open rate for text message communications. In fact, 82 percent of people say they open every text message they receive. Compare that to the average open rate of 20 percent for emails, and the idea of including text messaging in your next campaign is practically a no-brainer.

19 percent
That’s the typical click through rate for links in text messages (compared to two percent of email links). This number is pretty convincing if you’re looking to drive employees to a particular website. And, most smart phones make dates clickable so the receiver can set up a calendar event. Employees can easily add important dates to their calendar if you’re message is reminding them of an upcoming event or deadline.

45 percent
That’s the average SMS message response rate (compared to six percent for email). When looking at these numbers, take into consideration the amount of emails versus text messages people receive on any given day. How many times have you overlooked an email that didn’t have something to do with your tasks for the day? Did you go back to that email? Odds are you didn’t, and that your employees are probably doing the same thing.

160 characters
That’s the average limit for a marketing SMS message. When drafting your text messages think ‘tweet’ and not ‘Facebook post’. This character limit enables you to make your message short and sweet; just enough to be engaging and get your point across without losing your audience’s attention.

Additionally, the use of text messaging in your campaigns can help broaden your audience. It’s not uncommon for some communication vehicles to miss an audience group. Maybe not all of your employees have a company email address or maybe digital signs are only available at corporate headquarters. With text messaging, all you need is your employees’ mobile number (and their consent, of course) to send them texts.

As you begin planning your next communication campaign, consider adding text messaging in your list of vehicles — see what it can do for you.