SMS asset benchmarks matter for time-sensitive lifecycle and promotional programs where immediacy, click intent, and unsubscribe risk all move faster than email. Click rate, conversion rate, unsubscribe rate, and revenue per message.
Use these labeled KPIs together instead of judging sms performance from one headline number. Conversion-sensitive metrics update when you change the conversion type above.
| Metric | Median | Top Quartile | What It Tells You |
|---|---|---|---|
| CTR | 2.4% | 4.1% | Creative and message-to-audience fit |
| CPC | $2.80 | $1.65 | Click acquisition efficiency |
| CVR | 3.4% | 6.2% | Landing-page and offer effectiveness |
| CPA | $82 | $45 | Cost to generate the selected conversion |
| CPM | $12.40 | $7.80 | Auction pressure and reach efficiency |
| ROAS | 3.1x | 5.2x | Revenue efficiency where purchase value is tracked |
Click rate, conversion rate, unsubscribe rate, and revenue per message.
| Asset | Average | Median | Top Quartile | Bottom Quartile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMS | 7.2% | 5.9% | 11.1% | 2.6% |
The factors that most often explain why a result lands above or below the range.
| Factor |
|---|
| Audience permission quality and recency |
| Offer urgency and timing |
| How clearly the message earns the interruption |
SMS asset benchmarks matter for time-sensitive lifecycle and promotional programs where immediacy, click intent, and unsubscribe risk all move faster than email.
SMS assets can be extremely efficient when urgency and audience fit are strong, but overuse quickly creates fatigue and list damage.
The Benchmarketing 4-Band Method. The Benchmarketing 4-Band Method reads every marketing metric against four percentile bands — P25 (bottom quartile), median, P75 (top quartile), and elite (top ~10%) — for a specific industry and channel, instead of a single cross-industry average. Averages blend brand and non-brand campaigns, $500/month and $500,000/month accounts, and unrelated industries into a number almost nobody actually has.
Where the numbers come from. The figures on this page come from the Benchmarketing benchmark dataset — thousands of curated benchmark observations across channels, industries, and US metro areas. Every statistic traces to a named source: WordStream Google Ads Benchmarks (2024), Meta Business Insights (2024), HubSpot Email Marketing Report (2024), Unbounce Conversion Benchmark Report (2024), Databox Marketing Benchmark Report (2024), AdLiftr Snapchat Ads Cost Benchmarks (2026), Ad Badger Amazon Advertising Benchmarks (2026). Benchmarketing does not publish anonymous "studies show" figures.
The Benchmarketing position. Beating the cross-industry average is a vanity milestone, not a target. Compare your number to the P25–P75 band for your specific industry and channel; if you are above average but below your industry's P75, you are leaving performance on the table.
Because messages arrive with more urgency and can create fatigue much more quickly when overused.
Use click rate, conversion, unsubscribe rate, and revenue per message together so the asset is judged on both efficiency and sustainability.