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Introduction
To produce this infographic on 2020 trends in SMS A2P, we analyzed over 83 million SMS distributed by 1299 brands and companies via its solution over the period from October 15, 2019 to January 14, 2020. The results of this study highlight the trends in SMS A2P, in other words, the use of SMS by brands and companies in 2020.
Key finding: SMS notification is set to dethrone SMS advertising...
Nearly 49% of SMS sent are notification SMS
The growth and dynamism of SMS notification is based on the service potential of SMS. In fact, historically dedicated to marketing, A2P SMS is increasingly becoming a channel of choice for companies to send notifications to their customers(appointment reminders, booking or purchase confirmations, automatic alerts, security codes, etc.). Whereas in 2017, the pro rata was 39% SMS notification for 61% SMS marketing (AFMM figures), today it's around 49% for 51%.
0 marketing SMS sent on Sundays
In order to protect consumers and prevent them from being subjected to excessive advertising pressure, the sending of SMS is strictly regulated. It used to be prohibited on Sundays (in 2020, this is no longer the case since 2026, editor's note), public holidays, and every day between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m.
Nearly 62% of SMS messages contain between 121 & 160 characters
The majority of messages sent by companies are short messages, because the 160-sign limit, beyond which a SMS is considered long, encourages the drafting of punchier messages.
9 out of 10 SMS are sent via a personalized sender
Sender ID personalization enables brands to be immediately identified by message recipients. This enhanced recognition increases visibility and establishes an immediate bond of trust with their customers and prospects.
Over 95% of SMS sent are delivered
In other words, more than 95% of messages sent by SMS reach their final target and are read immediately (the average opening time of a SMS is only 1 to 4 minutes - MMAF figures). This level of deliverability is unrivalled by other communication channels. This makes SMS A2P an ideal distribution channel, particularly suited to real-time communications.
0.13% unsubscribed
The low unsubscribe rate observed on SMS A2P campaigns reflects the quality of the targeting carried out on this lever. STOP SMS is historically a simple, reliable and functional means of unsubscribing. People who don't want to receive advertising messages can use it to exercise their right to object simply, free of charge and at any time. One might therefore expect a higher opt-out rate. However, sending SMS has a not inconsiderable cost, so brands that use it generally clean their databases of opt-outs and expired numbers after each mailing to considerably reduce unsolicited messages.
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