Why Text Messaging Should Be Your Martech Foundation
We’ve come a long way in integrating how we reach and engage customers. Technology has grown more sophisticated, and martech stacks now seamlessly support email, social media, and apps.
But for all this progress, I still see too many companies overlook the most direct and effective engagement channel available—one, ironically, that most of us use consistently throughout the day, week in, week out: text messaging.
Some companies are waking up to the opportunity and adding SMS outreach to the mix, but even that approach falls short.
Text messaging should be the foundation of every MarTech strategy. That’s not just a hunch. It’s based on what I’ve seen while helping compliance-driven brands use secure, personalized mobile messaging to achieve better business results.
SMS is the Foundation for Real-Time Engagement
On average, we check our phones 144 times a day.
ConsumerAffairs
If you want to engage people, it makes sense to begin where they already are, instead of forcing them to open a channel they use rarely or only when necessary (like email when working). We live on our phones now, and arguably the easiest interaction we have is texting.
The numbers support this intuitive insight. Marketers seeking to engage customers need to understand its implications.
SMS messages get opened 98% percent of the time. (Email? 20% on a good day.)
90% of SMS messages get read within three minutes of delivery
75% of consumers prefer to receive promotional content via SMS over other marketing methods
SMS campaigns achieve a 45% response rate compared to email’s 6%
There are plenty more statistics, but my point is simple: people like texting. Reaching out to them via a channel they regularly enjoy using just makes sense.
But texting also has two unique characteristics that give it a further edge over other channels. First, the mobile number is fast becoming the standard anchor for digital identity verification. Companies routinely use SMS for multi-factor authentication, account updates, and in-thread payments. Many of these are financial services companies operating in highly regulated, compliance-driven industries. Texting works because, when done properly, it’s frictionless, and people trust it.
Second, texting supports conversations. Other channels feel like one-way streets. SMS enables brands to build real relationships with customers by not just talking to them in real time, but also by actively listening. What issues are they facing? What questions need answering? What did they think of their last interaction?
As a preferred, trusted, low-friction channel—no new apps to download; works across all devices—SMS is a true engagement multiplier and should be the basis for your martech strategy. It’s permission-based, so there’s no Why am I getting this? or Why didn’t this get blocked by my spam filter? Texting scales quickly and serves both general mass marketing uses and highly targeted, personalized outreach.
How to Build on an SMS Foundation
Companies that I’ve seen successfully make SMS the foundation of their marketing outreach get good results by focusing on a few things.
First, build on the mobile number’s status as today’s most common, permissioned identity anchor. Ask them for their mobile number during normal interactions, but clearly tell them what to expect and how text communication with you will benefit them. Get a clear written or digital opt-in and allow them to easily set their preferences. Make sure your text outreach clearly identifies your brand so they recognize your messages as trustworthy.
Then, be smart about how you communicate with them. Trigger texts by customer actions, like a welcome text after they sign up, a reminder if they leave something in their digital cart, or a confirmation after they make a payment. Careful automation ensures messages reach customers when needed so customers see them as relevant and value their interactions with you.
Regular testing will help your team refine the timing, language, and style of your messages for better results. Don’t be shy about testing different approaches to see what works best. Just as in a conversation where you quickly sense someone’s interests and what bores them to death, testing different approaches can help you get to know your customers’ preferences and then cater to them.
As you scale your SMS use, keep an eye on maintaining your customers’ trust and complying with all relevant regulations. An easy way to do this is to work with a compliance-first platform, where compliance is baked into its templates and processes.
Trust is difficult to establish and yet easy to lose. So make sure the nature of your interactions—tone, frequency, clarity, and alignment between what’s promised and delivered—all keep reinforcing the trust you’ve earned.
And finally, don’t wear out your welcome. A simple test: Before sending anything, put yourself in your customer’s place. Would this be useful to me? Or would I roll my eyes when it pops up on my screen? Similarly, don’t promise personalized communication and then resort to mass blasts. Just tacking on a name to a text doesn’t make it personal. Provide useful context that reassures them you are speaking to them as an individual.
Rich Communication Services (RCS) will soon make an SMS-based martech strategy even stronger by enabling richer interactive experiences. Customers will gain app-like functionality within a text thread, including images, video, and action buttons like make a payment, buy now, or schedule a visit. And RCS will strengthen an already trusted communications channel by supporting verified branding, so there will be no question who a customer is talking with.
Texting has been around for years. It’s not the shiny new toy that everyone’s fawning over. But therein lies its value as an engagement multiplier. It’s become a foundational part of our daily lives, a convenient tool we use without even thinking about it. As such, it makes the perfect foundation for you to connect with your customers and build lasting relationships.
©2025 DK New Media, LLC, All rights reserved | DisclosureOriginally Published on Martech Zone: The Engagement Multiplier Hiding in Plain Sight