The insurance industry is changing fast. While some agencies are still stuck playing phone tag, chasing down missed calls, and waiting on callbacks, the smart ones have already moved on to something better: AI-powered texting.
And no, this isn’t about one-way alerts or basic chatbots that leave people frustrated. We’re talking about conversational AI that can actually understand, reply naturally, and qualify leads in real time. Think of it as a 24/7 assistant that never misses a day of work, and always knows what to say next.
The agencies that figure this out in 2026 are going to pull ahead of their competitors: filling their pipeline faster, quoting more policies, and keeping customers happier.
Here are 26 reasons why texting with AI should be at the center of your insurance lead buying strategy this year.
1. Texts get seen. SMS messages have ~98% open rates, and most are read within minutes of delivery. (1)
2. Replies come fast. The average response time for a text is ~90 seconds; for email it’s ~90 minutes, and that's if they read it at all. (2)
3. Texts drive action. 50% of customers make a purchase after receiving a marketing text. (3)
4. Texts get real responses. SMS campaigns see ~45% response rates vs ~6% for email, so more conversations actually start. (1)
5. Texting saves time and money. It takes an average of 8 call attempts to reach one prospect — but automated texts get through instantly, without draining your team’s time. (4)
6. Almost everyone texts. 97% of smartphone owners report using text messaging. (5)
7. Texting is the most-used mobile channel. 97% of American adults text weekly. (6)
8. Billions of texts every day. More than 6 billion texts are sent every day in the U.S. alone. (6)
9. It’s still growing. SMS already reaches ~5.5 billion people daily, making it one of the most universal communication channels in the world. (7)
10. Work runs on texting, too. 80% of professionals use texting for business. (6)
11. You can reach almost everyone. 98% of Americans own a cellphone (8), and 90% have smartphones (9), making SMS reach universal.
12. People want to text businesses. ~9 in 10 consumers want to communicate with companies by SMS. (10)
13. Texting beats waiting. 90% of consumers say they prefer interacting with a brand via text message rather than by phone or email. (11)
14. It’s an active channel. 66% of people worldwide use text messaging to engage with companies. (12)
15. Faster interactions. 83% of millennials say they open texts within 90 seconds of receiving them, making SMS a quick way to resolve questions without phone tag. (3)
16. Texting is how people want to communicate. Consumers most want to be contacted via SMS. (3)
17. Two-way is expected. 78% of people wish they could have a text conversation with a business. (6)
18. Texts beat voicemail. Text response rates are ~209% higher than phone calls. (6)
19. One well-timed follow-up helps a lot. Sending a text after initial contact can boost conversions by ~112%. (13)
20. More replies = more quotes. With ~45% response (vs ~6% for email), you get more completed forms and quote-ready leads. (1)
21. Proven ROI example. A Formula 1 campaign saw ~680% ROI from a single well-timed promotional text. (14)
22. SMS campaigns consistently outperform email. Overall, texting delivers 6–8× higher engagement than email campaigns. (1)
23. People screen unknown numbers. ~8 in 10 Americans don’t answer calls from numbers they don’t recognize. (15)
24. Voicemail rarely gets a call back. Only ~4.8% of voicemails receive a return call. (6)
25. Reps give up too soon. Almost 44% of sales reps quit after one follow-up, even though most leads need multiple touches. (6)
26. Customers try to text back anyway. Many consumers attempt to reply by text after a missed call — showing they already expect two-way communication. (16)
Sources
MarketingProfs — SMS Is on the Rise for Business: Trends and Stats Infographic, MarketingProfs — Email vs SMS: Battle of the Heavyweights Infographic, FindStack — SMS Marketing Statistics, Marketing Scoop — Cold Calling Statistics, Pew Research Center — U.S. Smartphone Use in 2015, Local Project — Texting Stats, ProTexting — SMS Marketing Statistics 2025, Pew Research Center — Mobile Fact Sheet, Pew Research Center — Americans’ Use of Mobile Technology and Home Broadband, Twilio — Twilio Study Finds That 9 Out of 10 Consumers Globally Want to Message With Brands, Forbes / Podium Survey — The Rise of Messaging in Consumer Engagement: What Brands Should Know, eMarketer — 5 charts showing the potential of text message (SMS) marketing, Marketing Charts — Follow-up texts after initial contact can boost conversions, Elite Digital — Making the Case for Mobile Marketing: Going the Extra Mile With SMS Messages, Pew Research Center — Most Americans don’t answer cellphone calls from unknown numbers, PrNewswire Survey — Study Shows U.S. Customers Prefer Texting With Businesses
