Email Marketing vs SMS Marketing in 2025
As we already know, brands are looking for communication strategies that allow them to connect with their audience effectively. Among the most used options, email marketing and SMS marketing continue to stand out as two of the most powerful channels.
However, rather than asking which is better, the real key to maximising impact is to combine the two strategically. Thus, en this post, we will analyse their advantages and explain why the combination of email and SMS can improve results in 2025, looking at their key differences, conversion rates, engagement, costs and how to implement a combined strategy to improve the performance of your campaigns.
Conversion and the urgency of the message
When it comes to effectiveness in digital marketing, conversion rate is one of the most important indicators. In this aspect, SMS marketing has a clear advantage, with conversion rates of 29% according to SMSmodeThe number of email marketing campaigns, which tends to be at a higher level than email marketing, is between 2% and 5%according to the report of Kinsta. This is due to the immediacy of SMS messages, which generate a sense of urgency and capture the user's attention immediately.
However, it's not all about immediate conversion. Email marketing allows for more detailed and richer communication, ideal for sharing valuable content, information-rich promotions or automations that nurture long-term customer relationships.. Therefore, an effective strategy could be to use email to introduce an offer or relevant information and then reinforce it with an SMS reminder for the lead to take the action.
Engagement and open rate
One of the SMS marketing's strength is its impressive open rate.. According to MailerliteThis round is on the 98%against the 20%-30% of email marketing. This statistic is important to take into account when you need to ensure that the message reaches the user and is seen almost immediately. On the other hand, email marketing allows for greater engagement through attractive content, visual design, interactive links and personalised calls to action..
The combination of both channels allows you to play on these strengths. For example, you can send an email with a detailed offer and, hours before it expires, reinforce the message with an SMS reminding of the urgency of the promotion. This strategy can significantly increase the conversion rate without saturating the user with too many communications.
Costs and return on investment (ROI)
In terms of costs, email marketing is still the cheapest optionThe cost per impact is very low, with great potential for segmentation and automation. Platforms such as Klaviyo, Emarsys o Salesforce Marketing Cloud (in our last postWe saw in detail how to make the most of its potential.) allow you to manage large volumes of shipments efficiently, optimising your return on investment.
On the other hand, SMS marketing is generally more expensive due to the price per message, which varies by country and provider. However, their high conversion rate justifies the investment in cases where immediate action is sought, such as appointment confirmations, payment reminders or short-term promotions. The key is to allocate the right budget to each channel according to the type of communication.
Combination strategies
Rather than pitting email and SMS against each other, the best strategy in 2025 is to leverage them together in a complementary way. Some effective ways to combine them include:
- Welcome and loyalty: Send a detailed email with information about the service or product and reinforce it with a welcome SMS that invites immediate action.
- Promotions and discounts: Announce a special offer by email and send a reminder via SMS shortly before it expires.
- Reminders and confirmationsUse email to send confirmations and full details and SMS to remind you of important dates or events.
- Recovery of abandoned trolleys: Notify by email with a summary of abandoned products and then follow up with an SMS reminder to encourage purchase.
Ultimately, it is not a question of choosing between email marketing and SMS marketing, but of understanding that each channel has a different role to play in the overall communication strategy. While email allows for the development of long-term relationships and rich content, SMS stands out for its immediacy and effectiveness in urgent actions.. The combination of the two is the key to achieving better results in 2025, ensuring that messages are delivered at the right time and through the most effective channel according to the objective of each campaign.
Leveraging the strengths of both formats will allow brands to maximise their impact, optimise their investments and deliver a more complete and effective customer experience.
