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Introduction
KPIs are the figures that guide every marketing or sales action. These
key performance indicators are therefore just as important for RCS as they are for any other communication channel. To understand the effectiveness of your RCS campaigns and maximize their ROI, it is important to determine the right KPIs, as these indicators will
will allow you to measure the success of your strategy, identify your strengths and weaknesses weaknesses, especially for an emerging type of message such as RCS. We have prepared a list of KPIs that matter for RCS, the averages you can , business insights, and elements to highlight to improve your KPIs and, ultimately, your revenue. ultimately, your revenue.
The importance of KPIs
RCS is a highly effective marketing tool for businesses. Its profitability is due to its rich content (video, image, carousel, and action button). RCS has an average open rate of 30% and a click-through rate of 10%. rich content (video, image, carousel, and action button). RCS has an open rate of 80% and a click-through rate 5 to 10 times higher than that of SMS AF2M).
Identifying the right indicators to track allows you to evaluate a campaign's performance and optimize future campaigns based on customer feedback. This allows you to determine whether a
campaign is profitable.
Measure the impact of your RCS campaigns with KPIs
RCS opening rate
Measuring the open rate: recipients who opened your RCS message.
Open rate (%) = (Number of RCS opened / Number of RCS delivered) x 100
It allows you to see if your message is relevant, if it has sparked the interest and curiosity of yourrecipient e
.
The open rate for an RCS is 80% on average (France)
— according to official figuresfrom AF2M and France Num 1
.In reality, it is difficult to observe with precision, because even if the " read " status exists, a user who has disabled the " read receipts "option will remain in " delivered " statuseven if they have actually read and/or clicked.
How to analyze it
A high open rate in RCS primarily indicates good deliverability and high visibility of the message/trust in the sender.
However, this KPI doesnotmeasurecontent interest oruser intent. AnRCS message
may be opened automatically without interaction.
👉 The open rate should therefore be analyzed as a prerequisite, not as a
final performance indicator. It takes on its full meaning when cross-referenced with the click-through rate or conversion rate.
message visibility/trust in the sender
Click-through rate (CTR)
Measure the click-through rate (CTR): number of customers who interacted with the
clickable elements in your message (action buttons, carousels, etc.).
Click-through rate (%) = (Number of clicks / Number of opened RCS) x 100
On average, the CTR (click-through rate) is 3 to 7 times higher than SMS (France Num 2).
As with all marketing channels, the click-through rate for RCS can vary greatly from one sector to another.
Here are some RCS click-through rates observed among smsmode customers© :
Food retail: CTR on reads: 7.23% (message type: product carousel) : product carousel)
Retail mode: CTR delivered: 10.4% / CTR on reads: 20.7% (message type : simple message
+ collection carousel)
Retail Furniture (high price): CTR delivered: 0.81% (message type : Rich Card CTA
)
How to analyze it
The click-through rate is one of the most revealing indicators of the RCS's ability to engage. It indicates whether your offers are high-quality, whether your CTA is well-chosen, but also whether your audience has trusts you or your URL.
However, it must be analyzed based on:
- of the number of CTAs offered,
- the type of messages (single or carousel),
- and the objective (information, redirection, immediate action).
👉 A high CTR is relevant for commercial web or interactive campaigns, but less critical for transactional, informational, or drive-to-store messages.
RCS churn rate
Assess the churn rate : number of RCS that triggered a
unsubscription compared to the number of RCS delivered.
Unsubscription rate (%) = (Number of unsubscriptions / Number of RCS delivered) x 100
The average churn rate (“STOP”) following receipt of an RCS is ~0,4% 3
In this regard, the statistics are very similar to those for SMS.
How to analyze it
The churn rate is an indicator ofof marketing pressure than .
If your unsubscribe rate is high, it means that your communication is unsuitable for your audience, or that the frequency of your messages is too high.
A low rate generally reflects:
- a well-qualified base,
- proper respect for consent,
- an appropriate sending frequency.
Conversely, an increase in the churn rate should raise concerns about:
- the relevance of messages,
- their repetition,
- or the consistency between the initial promise and the content sent.
👉 This KPI must be monitored over time, not on an isolated campaign.
Conversion rates
Conversion rate: the number of customers who performed the desired action (made an appointment, purchase, registration, response, etc.).
Conversion rate (%) = (Number of conversions / Number of RCS delivered) x 100
It shows whether your marketing strategy has generated revenue.
The RCS has an average conversion rate of 10% per campaign (AF2M infographic
RCS Q2 20234)
How to analyze it
The conversion rate is the KPI most dependent on the business context. It can represent a purchase, appointment booking, registration, or any other measurable action.
It should never be analyzed without taking into account:
- of the overall user journey,
- the simplicity of the requested action,
- and the Previous channel Previous RCS alone or integrated into a multichannel strategy).
👉 In CRM, a high conversion rate is often linked to reduction in friction than pure persuasion.
RCS delivery rate
Evaluate the delivery rate : number of RCS received, compared to the number of RCS sent.
Delivery rate (%) = (Number of RCS delivered / Number of RCS sent) x 100
Unlike SMS, we talk more about " reach " (coverage/compatibility) than delivery rate delivery rates with RCS.
RCS channel coverage is over 80% in France (Dec 2025), with a stable increase month after month.
From smsmode© has observed among its customers, coverage varies between 68% and 82% depending on the customer base. We are also seeing a fairly clear increase month on month.
How to analyze it
The delivery rate measures technical capacity to reach RCS-compatible terminals
RCS terminals. It demonstrates the quality of your contact database, the routing capacity of your
RCS platform, and network availability.
👉 This KPI is primarily a coverage indicator, essential for adjusting the
(RCS + SMS fallback).
ROI of the RCS
Evaluate the R.O.I : Money invested in a campaign and money earned as a result of it
ROI = (revenue – costs) / costs x 100
Since RCS is relatively new, there is little data on its ROI. Statistics on the return on investment for this message are most often based on a comparison with the ROI of SMS.
The Netto brand, for example, saw a 91.48% increase in store visits after an
RCS campaign compared to an SMS and a 54% reduction in cost per visit.
On thesmsmode© side, our client emma store enjoyed a return on investment of €10 earned for every €1 invested, representing an ROI of 900%.
How to analyze it
ROI lets you know whether an action is profitable. It is a summary indicator that is
influenced by many parameters such as the place of the RCS in your strategy, the quality of your mailing list, message, offer, and even your user experience.
It depends directly on:
- of the cost of the message,
- conversion rate,
- and the value generated by each share.
In RCS, ROI must be analyzed by use case (marketing, customer relations, service) rather
than as an overall average.
👉 A high ROI does not necessarily mean high volume, but often
better quality of interaction.
Case study: Results of the RCS Panda Tea campaign
The socially conscious brand of wellness teas and infusions, Panda Tea, has enjoyed great success with its first RCS campaign in collaboration with smsmode©.
The results are as follows:
Open rate: 92.78%
Click-through rate: 7.23%
Unsubscribe rate: 1.2%
Conversion rate: 16.26%
During this first RCS campaign, the company found that its performance was three times higher than that of the SMS campaigns it usually SMS . The brand concluded that this type of communication was well suited to their sector and improved the quality of services offered.
Triple your conversion rate with RCS campaigns
How to optimize your RCS campaigns
An RCS campaign is not just about "sending an enhanced message." RCS allows you to take action on several performance levers — engagement, conversion, user experience — provided that the strategy is structured correctly.
1. Customize messages according to the context of use
Customization in RCS can include:
- The type of customer (new, recurring, inactive)
- Custom fields (first name, last name, etc.)
- Interaction history
- Context (order, appointment, recent browsing)
👉 Relevant personalization improves both the click-through rate and the conversion rate, while limiting unsubscribes.
2. Leverage interactive formats specific to RCS
The main advantage of RCS lies in its rich content:
- Call-to-action buttons (CTA)
- Product carousels
- Images or videos
- Quick responses
Testing different formats allows you to identify those that generate the most engagement according to the campaign objective.
👉 A good practice is to limit the number of CTAs to avoid dispersion and
facilitate decision-making.
3. Test and compare message variants
As with any digital channel, optimization requires experimentation:
- Variation in the message
- Eye-catching visuals
- CTA wording
- Order of elements
👉 RCS is particularly well suited to A/B or simple testing, as it allows for precise measurement exactly clicks, interactions, and conversionsand quickly adjust subsequent campaigns
.
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4. Choose the right timing for sending
The time of sending has a direct impact on performance:
- Day of the week
- Reception hours
- Proximity to the customer with the expected action (reminder, limited promotion, confirmation)
👉 An RCS message sent at the right time can significantly increase engagement, even with simple content.
5. Monitor compatibility and plan for a fallback
Not all devices are RCS-compatible.
An optimized campaign must include:
- a compatibility check
- automatic fallback to SMS necessary
👉 This guarantees maximum coverage and avoids performance loss due to
undelivered messages.
6. Analyze KPIs and make continuous adjustments
Use all the data/indicators we have seen in this article to refine
messages, rather than judging a campaign on a single mailing.
7. Rely on expert support
Implementing an effective CSR strategy involves:
- Defining good use cases
- Choosing formats
- Technical configuration
- Performance analysis
👉 Call on a specialized player such as smsmode© allows you to benefit fromtechnical, strategic,and operational support from
technical, strategic, and operational
support, enabling you tofully exploitthe potential of RCS.
Set up RCS messaging with smsmode©:
- Contact our team to initiate the creation of your agent.
- Simply start the registration and activation process using our dedicated form.
- You can then send your RCS messages via API or using smsmode© support.
Sources:
1: https://af2m.org/infographie-rcs-t4-2024/
2:https://www.francenum.gouv.fr/guides-et-conseils/developpement-commercial/outils-de-developpement-des-ventes/le-rcs-successeur-du
3: https://www.actionco.fr/thematique/
4: https://af2m.org/infographie-rcs-t2-2023/
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