Phone Number Lists vs Email Lists – Which is Better?
Posted: Sat May 31, 2025 9:45 am
Businesses often ask which is better—SMS or email marketing? The answer isn’t one-size-fits-all, but depending on your goals, phone number lists may offer some unique advantages over email.
Let’s compare based on a few key criteria:
1. Open Rates: SMS wins hands down. Text messages boast open rates of over 90%, often within 3 minutes of delivery. In contrast, email open rates average around 20%. If immediacy is your priority, SMS is the superior choice.
2. Engagement: SMS also sees higher click-through and engagement rates. People are more likely to interact with a short, time-sensitive offer on their phone than open a long promotional email. This makes SMS ideal for flash sales, limited-time offers, or appointment reminders.
3. Deliverability: Emails often land in spam folders or get overlooked. With SMS, your shop message goes straight to the user's phone. However, SMS requires consent and careful list hygiene to avoid penalties or complaints.
4. Content Depth: Here, email has an edge. With more space and design flexibility, you can create newsletters, product catalogs, or long-form storytelling. SMS must be concise—typically under 160 characters—so messages need to be sharp and to the point.
5. Cost: Email marketing tends to be cheaper, especially for large volumes. SMS, on the other hand, costs more per message, but the ROI can be higher due to stronger conversion rates.
6. Customer Preference: Some customers prefer texts for quick updates and offers, while others prefer the non-intrusive nature of emails. Offering both channels and allowing users to choose is often the best strategy.
Ultimately, it’s not about SMS vs email, but how to use them together. Email for in-depth content, SMS for urgency and alerts. If your business can support both, you’ll have a powerful communication strategy that covers all bases.
Let’s compare based on a few key criteria:
1. Open Rates: SMS wins hands down. Text messages boast open rates of over 90%, often within 3 minutes of delivery. In contrast, email open rates average around 20%. If immediacy is your priority, SMS is the superior choice.
2. Engagement: SMS also sees higher click-through and engagement rates. People are more likely to interact with a short, time-sensitive offer on their phone than open a long promotional email. This makes SMS ideal for flash sales, limited-time offers, or appointment reminders.
3. Deliverability: Emails often land in spam folders or get overlooked. With SMS, your shop message goes straight to the user's phone. However, SMS requires consent and careful list hygiene to avoid penalties or complaints.
4. Content Depth: Here, email has an edge. With more space and design flexibility, you can create newsletters, product catalogs, or long-form storytelling. SMS must be concise—typically under 160 characters—so messages need to be sharp and to the point.
5. Cost: Email marketing tends to be cheaper, especially for large volumes. SMS, on the other hand, costs more per message, but the ROI can be higher due to stronger conversion rates.
6. Customer Preference: Some customers prefer texts for quick updates and offers, while others prefer the non-intrusive nature of emails. Offering both channels and allowing users to choose is often the best strategy.
Ultimately, it’s not about SMS vs email, but how to use them together. Email for in-depth content, SMS for urgency and alerts. If your business can support both, you’ll have a powerful communication strategy that covers all bases.