Research · Statistics
Wellness email and SMS marketing, by the numbers
Published by Wellness Marketing ReportsLast updated: November 2026
What do the numbers say about email and SMS for wellness brands?
The numbers say automated flows outperform one-off campaigns, owned channels beat restricted ads for censored brands, and SMS is common but best kept short.
This page collects every statistic used on The Wellness Inbox, from Wellness Marketing Reports' own 2025 interviews with 63 founders and from published industry sources, each with its source and conditions. Industry figures are market facts from the named publishers, not results of Wellness Marketing Reports.
Back to the email marketing for wellness guide
From the Turning Stigma into Strategy interviews
| Finding | Figure | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Censorship as top growth inhibitor | 78% | Share of companies naming digital censorship as their number one growth inhibitor |
| Traditional ads under censorship | ROAS below 1.0 | The common outcome, a net loss |
| Strategic partnerships | 40% (25 of 63) | Companies running partnerships as a core marketing channel |
| Education and trust | 30% | Companies citing educational content and trust building as most effective |
| Podcasts | 14 companies | Companies using podcasts as a key channel |
Email statistics
| Statistic | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Email reach | 4.48 billion people | YOCTO Agency, 162 Email Marketing Statistics for 2026 |
| Most quoted return estimate | $36 per $1 spent | YOCTO Agency, 162 Email Marketing Statistics for 2026 |
| Spam share of global email traffic, 2025 | 44.99% (Kaspersky) | YOCTO Agency, 162 Email Marketing Statistics for 2026 |
| Click rate, flows vs campaigns | 5.58% vs 1.69% | Klaviyo, 2026 Email Marketing Benchmarks by Industry |
| Placed order rate, flows vs campaigns | 13 times higher for flows | Klaviyo, 2026 Email Marketing Benchmarks by Industry |
| Flow revenue from new buyers | Nearly 48%, vs 16% for campaigns | Klaviyo, 2026 Email Marketing Benchmarks by Industry |
| Top 10% flows | RPR as high as $7.79; clicks over 10% | Klaviyo, 2026 Email Marketing Benchmarks by Industry |
| Typical email open rates | 20% to 28% | MessageFlow, SMS Marketing Benchmarks 2026 |
SMS statistics
| Statistic | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Businesses using SMS marketing, 2026 | 75.3% | SimpleTexting, SMS Marketing Statistics 2026 |
| Businesses planning to raise texting budgets | 65.4% | SimpleTexting, SMS Marketing Statistics 2026 |
| Businesses calling texting effective for revenue | 76% | SimpleTexting, SMS Marketing Statistics 2026 |
| Businesses with average SMS CTR of 20% or higher | 66.2% | SimpleTexting, SMS Marketing Statistics 2026 |
| Open rates on well-maintained opt-in lists | 98% to 99%, called hard to measure | MessageFlow, SMS Marketing Benchmarks 2026 |
Numbers
Wellness market signals
- More than 88% of health and wellness consumers prioritize personalization as much as or more than prior years, per McKinsey research cited by Klaviyo newsroom, Klaviyo Launches Klaviyo For Wellness.
- 302% year over year booking growth for Glowdega, published by Klaviyo, Email and SMS Marketing for Health and Wellness Brands.
- Klaviyo pricing runs from free at 250 contacts to £2,300 a month at 250,000 contacts, email only, per Enchant Agency, Klaviyo Review 2026.
Definition
How to read these numbers
Industry averages describe many businesses at once and rarely match a single censored health brand. Wellness Marketing Reports uses them as benchmarks to compare against, not as forecasts. Open rates in particular are less reliable than clicks or orders because mail privacy features can register opens automatically. For decisions, compare your own flow and campaign revenue over time. See the case studies for how benchmarks were used in real client reporting.
Common questions
See all 42 questions in the FAQ- What return does email marketing usually bring?
- The most quoted industry estimate is $36 returned for every $1 spent on email, as collected in YOCTO Agency's 2026 statistics roundup. That is an industry-wide figure, not a promise for any single brand. Actual return depends on list quality, flow coverage, product margin and how well the content earns trust in a sensitive category.
- What is a good email open rate for a wellness brand?
- Wellness Marketing Reports uses an industry average open rate of 21% as its benchmark. In its Klaviyo case study, the average open rate across 41 campaigns, weighted by recipients, was 127% above that average. MessageFlow puts typical email open rates at 20% to 28%, though privacy features in mail apps make opens less precise than clicks or orders.
- How does SMS fit alongside email?
- SMS works best for short, timely messages such as a cart reminder, a restock or a booking confirmation, while email carries longer education. MessageFlow reports that well-maintained, opt-in SMS lists regularly reach 98% to 99% open rates, while cautioning that the 98% figure is hard to measure. For sensitive products, discreet wording matters because texts appear on lock screens.
- What is the Turning Stigma into Strategy white paper?
- Turning Stigma into Strategy is the 2025 white paper from Wellness Marketing Reports, subtitled Marketing Lessons from 63 Entrepreneurs in Sexual Wellness and Women's Health. It draws on in-depth interviews with 63 industry leaders about what grows a censored brand and what quietly drains its budget. To request a copy, email abigail@wellnessmarketingreports.com.
- How do I get the white paper?
- Email abigail@wellnessmarketingreports.com and ask for Turning Stigma into Strategy, the 2025 white paper based on interviews with 63 industry leaders in sexual wellness and women's health. It covers which channels these founders found effective and which drained budget. It can also be requested through the form on wellnessmarketingreports.com.
Want the full white paper?
Ask Wellness Marketing Reports for Turning Stigma into Strategy, built on interviews with 63 leaders in sexual wellness and women's health.