Email vs SMS Marketing: Which Works Best for Small Businesses?

The Case for SMS

SMS has an open rate of around 98%, compared to roughly 20% for email. Most text messages are read within 3 minutes of being received. For time-sensitive messages like appointment reminders, last-minute offers or instant lead follow-up, SMS is hard to beat.

The trade-off is cost. SMS incurs a per-message cost, so it should be reserved for messages where speed and visibility matter most.

The Case for Email

Email is cheaper per message and better suited for longer-form content: newsletters, nurture sequences, educational content and detailed offers. Email allows you to build a relationship over time without the per-message cost of SMS.

Lead Core includes email marketing on every plan, including the Free Starter Plan. You can build templates, segment contacts and send campaigns or automated sequences.

Using Both Together

The most effective approach is to use both channels strategically. Here is a practical example:

• New lead: instant SMS acknowledging their enquiry
• Same day: email with more detail and a booking link
• No response in 48 hours: follow-up SMS with a different offer or angle
• After appointment: email thank you with review request link
• Ongoing: monthly email newsletter with SMS for time-sensitive promotions

Costs to Be Aware Of

Both SMS and email sending incur usage-based costs within Lead Core. Email is generally cheaper per message than SMS. Higher-tier plans offer reduced platform usage rates. Review the pricing page for current plan details.