What do consumers actually want from SMS marketing? Not what marketers assume — what real people say when asked directly. Industry research from surveys by Yotpo, SimpleTexting, and other SMS marketing platforms reveals clear and consistent preferences about frequency, content, timing, and opt-out expectations that every business should follow.
What Consumers Said
Frequency: Less Is More
The single biggest complaint about SMS marketing is receiving too many messages. The survey found:
- Most consumers prefer 1-4 messages per month from any single brand
- Very few are comfortable with daily texts
- Over half have unsubscribed from a brand specifically because of too-frequent messaging
The lesson is clear: SMS is a high-impact channel precisely because it's not overused. The moment you treat it like email — blasting messages daily — you lose the advantage that makes SMS effective.
Content: Value Over Promotion
Consumers want SMS messages that offer genuine value:
- The majority want exclusive discounts not available elsewhere
- Over half appreciate order and delivery updates
- Around half value appointment reminders
- Many like early access to sales
- Few want generic brand news or updates
The pattern is clear — consumers accept SMS marketing when it saves them money or time. Generic brand awareness messages don't belong in SMS.
Timing: Respect the Clock
When you send matters almost as much as what you send:
- 9am-12pm is the preferred window for most consumers
- Messages before 8am or after 9pm are widely seen as intrusive
- Weekday messages are preferred over weekends for most commercial communications
- Sunday messages are the most disliked — a clear majority find them inappropriate
The Opt-Out Experience
How you handle unsubscribes says a lot about your brand:
- The vast majority expect to opt out by replying STOP — make this easy and immediate
- A significant number have reported a brand that made it difficult to unsubscribe
- Many would re-subscribe later if the opt-out experience was respectful
A clean, instant opt-out builds trust. A difficult one damages your brand and risks regulatory action under PECR.
Personalisation Drives Results
The survey confirmed what marketers already suspected — personalisation works:
- Messages with the recipient's name consistently drive higher engagement
- Location-based offers are significantly more likely to be redeemed
- Purchase history recommendations drive substantially more click-throughs
Faretext's SMS API supports dynamic personalisation fields, making it easy to include names, locations, order numbers, and other variables in your messages.
Best Practice Summary
- Send 2-4 messages per month maximum
- Every message should offer clear value — a discount, a reminder, an update
- Send between 9am and 8pm, Monday to Saturday
- Always include "Reply STOP to unsubscribe"
- Personalise where possible
- Honour opt-outs immediately
Ready to run SMS marketing that consumers actually welcome? Connect with Faretext or explore our Oello platform for campaign management.
Sources: Yotpo — UK SMS Consumer Survey 2022 · SimpleTexting — SMS Marketing Statistics
