Email vs. SMS: Which One Wins for Your Business?

Find Best Apps for eCommerce || Newsletter

With inboxes overflowing and attention spans at an all-time low, reaching your audience effectively is more challenging than ever. Should you stick with email marketing, known for its cost efficiency and visual appeal? Or is SMS the better choice, with its lightning-fast open rates and immediate impact?

In this edition of Appjunction, I’ll break down the strengths and weaknesses of each, share real-world examples, and help you decide which channel (or combination) is right for your business.

Let’s dive in! 🚀

1. Subscriber Preferences: How Easy Is It to Build a List?

Email Marketing

Getting people to sign up for your email list is generally easier than you might think. Customers are more comfortable sharing their email addresses, especially when there's something valuable in it for them—like a discount or exclusive content.

For instance, take WP Standard, a leather accessories brand. They attract subscribers by offering a chance to win a premium tote bag every month. Their sign-up form includes an eye-catching image of the tote, which, according to a Getsitecontrol report, can boost sign-ups by a remarkable 63.49%.

The tote isn’t just stylish; it also carries a high perceived value, making the incentive truly irresistible. This strategy is an effective way to rapidly grow your email list—people love a good deal, especially when the prize is something they genuinely want to use!

Pro Tip: Consider adding a pop-up on your website that offers a discount or freebie in exchange for an email. This straightforward tactic can work wonders for increasing your subscriber list!

SMS Marketing

On the flip side, customers tend to be more protective of their phone numbers. SMS feels more personal and direct, so people only subscribe if they truly value what you offer. While this makes it harder to build an SMS list, the subscribers you do get are usually much more engaged.

Example: Sephora also entices SMS subscribers by offering 10% off their next purchase through text, giving them exclusive offers they can’t get elsewhere.

Pro Tip: Use SMS to communicate time-sensitive promotions, making sure it’s valuable enough to justify a more intimate connection with your customer.

How to grow a DTC brand on Amazon

Growing on Amazon takes more than great products.

✅ Drive high-quality traffic – Partner with 8K+ vetted publishers, affiliates, and influencers.
✅ Control your commissions – Set CPA or CPC to maximize ROI.
✅ Boost rankings – Amazon rewards external traffic with better search visibility and a 10% kickback.

Download the Guide

2. Cost: Which Channel Is More Budget-Friendly?

Email Marketing

Email marketing typically wins the cost battle. You can send thousands of emails at a relatively low cost, with many platforms offering scalable pricing options based on your subscriber count.

For example, Mailchimp allows businesses to start with free plans and scale as they grow. At less than 1 cent per email, it’s cost-effective, especially for businesses looking to reach a wide audience.

Fun Fact: On average, each email costs less than a penny to send, making it an affordable option even for small businesses.

SMS Marketing

SMS marketing can be a bit more expensive. Providers generally charge between 1 to 5 cents per message, so while it can deliver quick results, it may not be ideal for larger campaigns. But its high engagement rates can make it worth the cost.

Macy’s uses SMS to alert customers about limited-time sales during the holiday season, driving immediate foot traffic and online orders.

Pro Tip: Save SMS for urgent or high-value promotions like flash sales or product drops, where immediate attention is key.

3. Content Style & Space: What Type of Message Do You Want to Send?

Email Marketing

If you need room for visuals, storytelling, or detailed content, email is your go-to. It allows you to include images, videos, and GIFs for a richer audience experience.

For example, Nike sends beautifully designed emails that feature new product drops and personalized recommendations, making the content feel tailored and relevant. With email, you can engage your audience more effectively and tell a comprehensive brand story.

SMS Marketing

With SMS, your message needs to be short and to the point. There’s not much space for creativity beyond 160 characters, but what you lose in space, you gain in immediacy. It’s perfect for delivering quick, actionable offers like a discount code or order confirmation.

Forest Ink, a clothing and swimwear retailer, uses SMS during their “Summerween” sale, offering a 40% discount and tapping into the FOMO by emphasizing that the sale “disappears at midnight.”

Pro Tip: Keep SMS content simple and focused—short-term offers and urgent updates work best in this format.

4. Open Rates & Engagement: How Likely Are Customers to Act?

Email Marketing

On average, email open rates hover around 15-20%, meaning not every email you send will be opened, especially if it lands in the promotions or spam folder. However, once opened, email offers multiple engagement opportunities with links, videos, and calls to action.

Warby Parker does this exceptionally well, sending personalized product suggestions based on browsing history, while reinforcing customer trust with free shipping and return banners at the top of their emails.

SMS Marketing

If you want guaranteed attention, SMS is your best bet. With an average open rate of 98%, most texts are read within minutes. That’s why SMS is ideal for flash sales or urgent notifications.

Domino’s, for instance, uses SMS to alert customers about Friday and Saturday pizza deals, sending out personalized offers based on location, driving both foot traffic and online orders.

However, because SMS is more intrusive, it’s essential to be selective—too many texts can lead to unsubscribes.

Pro Tip: Use SMS sparingly to maintain its effectiveness. Customers respond best when texts are kept to a minimum and reserved for urgent or exclusive offers.

5. When Should You Use Both?

The most effective marketing strategies often combine both email and SMS to create a cohesive experience.

Starbucks is a great example of this. They use email to promote their loyalty program, sending beautifully designed newsletters with updates on new drinks and promotions. Simultaneously, they send SMS reminders about limited-time offers to drive immediate foot traffic.

By combining the two, they get the best of both worlds—informing customers through email and spurring action with SMS.

Which Should You Choose?

The answer depends on your business goals. If you’re looking to send detailed, visually rich content at a lower cost, email marketing might be your best bet. But if you want to grab your audience’s attention quickly with time-sensitive offers, SMS marketing can deliver fast results.

Many successful brands use a combination of both channels to maximize their reach.

Final Thought

No matter which channel you choose, the key is understanding your audience and knowing what kind of content they respond to best.

Whether through email or SMS—or both—building a relationship with your customers takes time, but when done right, it can lead to stronger engagement and increased sales.