EZ Texting Releases 2021 Business Texting Trends Report

New report details key takeaways and trends illustrated by over 600 million text messages sent by EZ Texting last year

SANTA MONICA, Calif — May 5, 2021 — EZ Texting, the leader in SMS marketing software for business, today released its 2021 Business Texting Trends Report to provide businesses with key learnings and best practices.

The report reinforces EZ Texting’s position as a leader in providing texters with insight and value. The study is informed by the more than 600 million text messages EZ Texting sent in 2020 on behalf of thousands of organizations across different industry verticals and provides a deep dive into text marketing and SMS communication trends.

“EZ Texting is in an industry-leading position to analyze text behaviors and form invaluable insights from over 210,000 customers and use this information to elevate the success of others,” said Norman Happ, CEO of EZ Texting. “Bringing this intelligence to our customers is a part of our overall value proposition, and we’re excited to share findings that can help them continue their success in 2021.”

Key takeaways from 2020

2021 texting success can be enhanced by following the insights revealed by 2020 data analysis, including best practices for text timing and top-performing messaging and the importance of concise messages.

The EZ Texting report includes the following:

• Text later in the week: Based on click-through rates, engagement was lowest at the beginning of the week and increased steadily through the weekend.
• Catch people around bedtime: Engagement was twice as high before 9 a.m. and after 9 p.m. than in the hours in between, suggesting that it’s best to catch people as they’re either waking up or preparing for bed.
• Convey a clear sentiment: Messages with a distinctly positive or serious tone and a specific call to action had up to 3x more engagement than messages with a neutral tone.
• Keep messages concise: Concise messages also achieved significantly higher engagement. The optimal length for text messages is 20-30 words.

Text messaging provides value in multiple ways

Texting can be used in multiple ways to engage and interact with different people on various topics. Promotions and discount offers accounted for the majority (56%) of the messages sent in 2020, followed by:

• General notifications and alerts — 13%
• Support and follow-up — 11%
• Payment and appointment reminders — 9%
• Lead generation follow-up — 6%
• Operational notifications — 4%

Retailers are the most active texters

All types of industries are finding value and success by incorporating text messaging into their overall communication programs. Retail and ecommerce companies accounted for a full 20% of the text messages sent within EZ Texting in 2020. This was followed by nonprofits (13%), health and wellness companies (10%), professional services (10%), and software and technology (8%).

Industries like repair and maintenance services, manufacturing and hospitality accounted for less than 1% of all messages sent. However, as the economy starts to rebound in 2021, new data suggest these companies are accelerating their business text programs.

About EZ Texting

EZ Texting is a SaaS company that delivers the fastest, easiest and most reliable way to connect. It has served over 210,000 customers and is the #1 text marketing platform for business users. The messaging solutions allow businesses to quickly and effectively reach and engage their mobile audiences. With employees around the world, EZ Texting is continuously recognized as a Best Place to Work, as well as a top product for small and mid-market businesses. The company is backed by Investor AB, Morgan Stanley Expansion Capital, ROCA Partners, and CIBC. To find out more, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.