Did you ever wonder why your phone feels more alive than your inbox? The shift under the surface is striking: mobile channels are growing fast, and people are engaging in ways that change how you plan your marketing.

In-app messages now hit about a 22% CTR, mobile channel volume rose 194% year-over-year, and SMS reaches billions with a 98% open rate. These facts mean your communication mix matters more than ever.

You’ll see why multi-channel campaigns outperform single-channel efforts by wide margins, and why first-party data and clear strategy are critical to win trust. Brands like Alo Yoga even report SMS as measurable revenue.

Read on to get a clear view of these trends, the data behind them, and a practical lens for where your marketing and communication should head next.

Why your messaging is shifting right now

Phones now shape how customers expect to hear from brands, and that shift changes what wins attention.

Today, mobile channel sends (in-app, push, SMS) rose 194% in 2024, and in-app CTR sits at 22% — nearly 12 times higher than email. U.S. adults check their phones about 114 times a day, and 68% use mobile devices for work or personal email. These facts mean your communication must meet people where they live.

You’re seeing faster shifts because customers live on their phones and expect instant, seamless interaction. Attention spans are tighter; your approach needs to deliver clear utility in seconds to keep engagement high.

• You compete in app and notification space, not just crowded inboxes.
• Sixty-nine percent of consumers prefer texting brands over calls.
• Operationally, you’re moving from batch sends to real-time triggers that demand better data and orchestration.

In practice, that means faster setup, faster tests, and tighter ops. When you honor context and timing, customers respond — and your results follow.

What “new messaging behaviors” really means for you

Customers expect quick answers on their phones, and that changes how you design outreach.

User intent today: instant, real-time, mobile-first

Your audience acts in the moment. U.S. adults check phones about 114 times a day, and user intent is inherently real time. You must design short prompts that lead to immediate outcomes.

From one-way blasts to two-way conversations

Sixty-nine percent of consumers prefer texting with brands. SMS spans roughly 5 billion people today and is growing toward 5.9 billion in 2025. That makes replies and quick confirmations natural steps.

• You build better relationships when customers choose channels and frequency.
• Add micro-interactions—quick replies, taps, and tiny surveys—to reduce friction.
• Reframe success around resolution speed and conversation quality, not just sends.

Trust and attention move to native channels on phones

Multi-channel combos (push + SMS) convert around 15%, and in-app CTR is 22%. Focus on native canais where trust and attention are highest. Small, contextual touches guide the customer through helpful steps and keep the overall experiência coherent.

In-app messaging surges as a high-intent channel

High-intent sessions make in-app messages one of the clearest paths to fast engagement.

Evidence of growth: accounts sending in-app rose 74% from 2023 to 2024, and in-app volume jumped 5.4x year-over-year. Mobile channels overall saw sends up 194% in 2024. That scale explains why in-app performance now averages a 22% CTR — about 11.8x higher than email.

When to use in-app vs. push vs. email for engagement

Use in-app when users are active in your product and you can tailor prompts to current context. Pair push with in-app to bring people back, then confirm actions once they’re inside.

• Rely on data: in-app campaigns show standout rates because session intent is clear.
• Blend channels: push + sms average ~15% conversion; 3- and 4-channel combos drive 3x and 3.7x better outcomes than single-channel sends.
• Measure beyond clicks: track session action completion, feature adoption, and retention.

Use email to add depth and education, while keeping in-app for immediate prompts. Align voice across channels so users know the next step is safe and obvious.

Omnichannel, not either/or: how channels amplify each other

When channels work together, each touchpoint boosts the next and your results compound. Seventy-six percent of brands report multi-channel campaigns are essential. Using two or more channels performs about 60% better than single-channel sends.

Winning combinations pair fast alerts with deeper confirmation. Push + SMS captures intent quickly — top performers report ~15% conversion. Then use in-app or email to confirm, explain, and drive the final action.

How to plan high-impact combos

Design campaigns where each channel has a distinct role. Sequence messages with clear goals: alert, assist, confirm. That reduces cognitive load and raises customer engagement.

• Prioritize journey coherence so every touch supports one outcome.
• Personalize channel choices by segment and let customers opt in to combinations.
• Monitor combinations and reallocate budget to mixes that win — 3-channel combos can perform ~3x better; 4-channel stacks reach ~3.7x single-channel results.

For practical guidance, explore a deep dive on omnichannel messaging. Keep frequency caps aligned across channels to protect trust and simplify communication by removing duplicate touches.

SMS evolves: effectiveness, use cases, and 10DLC in the U.S.

SMS still cuts through noise because it reaches every phone and gets opened almost instantly.

Fast and native, text messages deliver within minutes and hit a ~98% open rate. They don’t need an app or Wi‑Fi, so you can rely on them for urgent contact. About 69% of people prefer texts over calls, and roughly 5 billion users access SMS globally.

When to use SMS for action and service

Use short SMS for time-sensitive alerts: 2FA, appointment or payment reminders, order updates, and delivery notices. Add concise flash offers, back-in-stock alerts, abandoned-cart nudges, and review requests to your marketing mix.

10DLC and sending at scale

10DLC is the U.S. standard for business SMS. It’s cheaper than short codes and helps carriers spot trusted senders and block spam. During the pandemic, about 1.3M more businesses adopted A2P SMS—showing how many organizations moved to compliant, large-scale texting.

• Count on speed and near-universal reach for urgent messages.
• Design clear CTAs, opt-out language, and mobile-friendly links.
• Adopt 10DLC to scale while protecting deliverability and trust.

RCS enters the chat: rich, interactive messaging becomes mainstream

RCS brings a richer, app-like layer to text threads so you can create journeys that act inside a chat.

RCS supports high-res media, carousels, interactive buttons, and live updates. That lets you send richer messages with content that guides choices and reduces steps to conversion.

The market shows fast growth: analysts project RCS to expand from $1.21B in 2021 to $5.53B by 2027, and Apple’s adoption is accelerating brand experimentation.

Apple’s adoption accelerates brand experimentation

Start with high-value journeys. Pilot guided browsing, booking, or product selection inside the thread. Fall back to SMS where RCS isn’t supported so you keep reach for all consumers.

• Align content with outcomes: buttons should shorten the path to purchase or support.
• Use verified sender: build trust and stand out from spam in a mobile-first world.
• Measure and scale: compare conversion quality and session depth vs SMS, push, and email.

As RCS adoption grows, you’ll refine creative, control costs by piloting, and keep your marketing roadmap informed for the future.

Automation and AI: from timely triggers to conversational assistants

Automation and AI let you turn real-time signals into helpful customer moments that scale. Use automation to reduce manual work and to make every interaction feel smarter.

Drips, behavior-triggered flows, and real-time responses

Quick wins: automation links events to actions. Data shows automation can lift sales productivity by 14.5% and cut marketing overheads by 12.2%.

About 31% of brands report the best ROI from behavioral triggers that react in real time. Sixty-four percent use segmentation, and roughly 35% use CDPs to power accurate triggers.

SMS chatbots and AI assistants that scale customer care

Scale support: deploy SMS chatbots for routine questions and AI assistants for routing complex issues. This frees your team for high-touch work.

• You’ll build behavior-triggered campaigns that fire in real time—welcome, activation nudges, and cart reminders.
• Design adaptable drips that suppress redundant steps and speed users to value.
• Prioritize short text prompts, clear reply options, and fallbacks so conversations keep moving.
• Pair human oversight with automation to protect quality and empathy.
• Monitor engagement—response speed, resolution rates, and CSAT—to refine strategies and calculate ROI.

Data and personalization: using behavior to drive relevance

Centralizing identity and events creates messages that match real customer intent. About 78% of brands say first-party data is critical, yet roughly a third struggle with silos and quality. Fixing that gap is the first step toward reliable personalization.

Activate a CDP to unify identities, events, and preferences. When you centralize data, you can segment more precisely. Sixty-four percent of teams already use segmentation, and ~35% use a CDP to break silos.

Personalization beyond a name

Go further than tokens. Use context, timing, and real-time behavior signals to trigger helpful next steps—refills, tutorials, or add-ons—instead of generic offers.

• Standardize definitions and fix quality gaps so rules behave predictably.
• Leverage custom objects (plans, devices, inventory) to mirror real business context; campaigns using custom objects saw a 35% YoY conversion lift in 2024.
• Align strategies with privacy and give consumers control over data use and frequency.

Measure uplift by comparing conversion, AOV, and retention to control groups. Document decision rules and fail-safes so your personalization scales without contradictory messages. This keeps your customer engagement consistent and measurable.

Designing for phones first: mobile-optimized email and cross-channel UX

Make email work like a companion to quick phone alerts, giving detail without slowing the moment. Sixty‑eight percent of people read work or personal email on mobile, and mobile channel sends rose 194% YoY in 2024. That means your email must play well with fast, phone‑first touchpoints.

Responsive email as part of your mobile stack

Design for quick scanning. Use short subject lines, clear preheaders, and thumb‑friendly layouts so readers act in seconds. Make CTAs large and obvious.

• Keep content scannable with clear headers, short paragraphs, and big tap targets.
• Embed modular blocks so templates adapt across devices and use cases.
• Align visual and copy systems across each channel so the user experience stays cohesive.
• Use in‑app or SMS cues to trigger tailored email follow‑ups and confirm actions.
• Test dark mode, link prominence, and CTA contrast on common phones to avoid silent drop‑offs.
• Measure downstream impact—click‑to‑conversion and time on site—to prove email’s role in the journey.

Accessibility matters. Add semantic structure, alt text, and adequate contrast so everyone can read and act. When email supports short, fast mobile interactions, your marketing feels coordinated and useful.

Compliance and consent: staying ahead of stricter rules

Compliance is now a deliverability strategy: proper registration and auditable consent reduce filtering and blocks for your campaigns.

Opt-ins, registration, and carrier expectations you must meet

Carriers require registration and stricter opt-in standards, and enforcement now extends to toll-free numbers. In the U.S., 10DLC helps carriers identify trusted senders and block spam, so proper setup improves deliverability for your sms programs.

• You’ll implement explicit, auditable opt-ins for all sends and keep clear disclosures at signup to prevent issues.
• You’ll register sms programs with carriers (including toll-free where applicable) to lower deliverability problems for businesses.
• You’ll standardize compliant templates with required language (help/stop) so customers manage preferences and messages easily.
• You’ll separate transactional and promotional sends, honor quiet hours, and log consent, purpose, and frequency for each program businesses run.
• You’ll monitor complaint rates, carrier feedback, and block lists, and train teams so your communication stays compliant from day one.

Dica prática: review opt-in UX and validate numbers regularly to avoid stale contacts that can trigger filtering and downstream issues.

Conclusão

Your best bets are short, clear journeys that prompt action fast and track results precisely.

Recap: in-app adoption rose 74% and in-app CTR sits at 22% (about 11.8x email). Mobile sends grew 194% and multi-channel campaigns beat single-channel efforts—push + SMS can reach ~15% conversion. SMS keeps a ~98% open rate and 69% of customers prefer text. Anchor your strategy in first‑party data: 64% use segmentation and 35% use CDPs to personalize at scale.

Start with one or two high-impact journeys, test RCS and conversational marketing where it fits, and treat compliance as a growth enabler. For design tips on SMS interventions, see the research on effective text interventions SMS interventions.