The tide is turning. After years of relying on social media to connect, more people are seeking out smaller, more intentional spaces. With algorithmic chaos, declining reach, and an oversaturation of content, the experience feels less personal and more performative.
As a result, media companies, brands, journalists, and content creators are rethinking how and where they engage with their communities, driving a broader shift toward private spaces that’s transforming audience engagement. But not all private spaces are created equal. And if you’re building your community somewhere you don’t control, like a third-party platform, you’re still playing by someone else’s rules.
That’s why SMS stands out. It’s not just private, it’s yours.
Why the Shift to Private Spaces Is Happening
Social media once promised connection. Now, it’s a crowded billboard.
- Algorithms decide who sees your content: Most of your audience won’t. For example, the average reach on Facebook is 1.20% reach.
- Ownership is nonexistent: Followers belong to the platform, not you.
- Trust is harder to build: Public feeds feel like performance stages, not conversations.
- Email engagement is slipping: Inboxes are overflowing with promotions and newsletters.
- SEO traffic is declining: Search results are dominated by ads and AI summaries.
Audiences are drawn to channels that feel authentic, give them control over what they receive, and don’t require them to download yet another app.
This is where SMS shines, because it’s not just another app fighting for attention. It’s the most personal channel people already use every single day.
Why SMS Is the Best Private Space for Engagement
When you use SMS to build your audience, you’re not just creating an intimate space; you’re creating a space that you own and control.
1. You Own Your Audience Data
On social media, your “followers” belong to the platform. Lose your account, get caught in an algorithm change, or watch the platform get shut down, and that audience is gone.
With SMS, every subscriber is yours. Their contact info lives in your database, not locked behind someone else’s system. You can take it with you, import it into your CRM, and build long-term relationships without worrying about platform instability.
2. No Algorithm Standing in the Way
On social or email, every post or newsletter fights an uphill battle against algorithms and crowded inboxes, meaning many of your messages are never actually seen.
But with SMS, you're guaranteed delivery right to a person's phone, bypassing any opaque visibility rules.
Look at the numbers from Subtext’s 2025 Benchmark Report across leading industries:
- Media: SMS delivers a 21.3% click-through rate (CTR), compared to just 4.4% via email
- Music: SMS delivers a 33.6% CTR, while email lagged at 2.5%, and Instagram ads lag at only 0.88%
When you send a message via SMS, it doesn’t just arrive; it also gets clicked. No algorithm, no guesswork, just direct impact.
3. It’s Truly Opt-In
Unlike public platforms where anyone can stumble across your content, SMS subscribers have explicitly said, “I want to hear from you.” This creates higher trust, higher engagement, and a much lower chance of burnout or unfollows.
4. It’s Two-Way
When was the last time you responded to an email newsletter? We’re guessing never. And social media comments are often performative. SMS is conversational. Your audience can reply directly, ask questions, and feel heard, without the noise of a public comment section. The Subtext platform provides access to tools that allow you to respond to your subscribers at scale so that your audience feels heard, building trust and loyalty.
5. Unmatched Engagement Rates
With most channels, getting someone to see your message is only half the battle—getting them to respond or take action is the real challenge. SMS consistently delivers engagement rates anywhere from 14% in government, all the way to almost 60% for events, which leave email and social media in the dust. Subscribers don’t just read your texts; they click, reply, and interact. Many Subtext clients see engagement rates in the double digits. That level of interaction turns an audience into an active community.
Read Subtext’s 2025 Benchmark Report
6. Fits Naturally Into People’s Lives
Texts live alongside conversations with friends, family, and colleagues. That intimacy makes your messages feel organic, personal, and therefore, more likely to be read. When you send a text, you’re entering one of the most trusted spaces in your audience’s daily routine.
Why SMS Outperforms Other Private Spaces
There are plenty of private space options, group chats, newsletters, private forums, and members-only social features, but they all have limitations that SMS overcomes.
- Group Chats feel intimate but are hard to scale and can be hijacked by overly vocal or performative members. SMS lets you personalize messages while reaching thousands without those disruptions.
- Email Newsletters give you ownership, but your e-mails struggle to break through crowded inboxes, resulting in low open and click-through rates. SMS messages tout 98% open rates resulting in high engagement rates.
- Private Social Media Features like Close Friends or private groups still keep you tied to the platform’s rules and algorithms. With SMS, you’re free from those constraints.
- Forums and Membership Platforms require people to log in and participate. SMS meets your audience where they already are, on their phone, without adding friction.
- Discord and Substack can host thriving communities, but they require your audience to either download yet another app or create an account and remember yet another password. SMS removes those barriers, making it effortless for people to stay connected.
In short, SMS combines the trust and intimacy of a small group with the scalability and ownership you need to grow a lasting community.
Building a Private Space That Lasts
The shift toward private spaces isn’t slowing down. Audiences are tired of fighting through endless noise, algorithms, and distractions just to connect with the people and content they care about.
If you want those connections to last, you need more than just another channel—you need a space you fully own and control. SMS offers that in a way no other platform can. It’s direct, it’s personal, and it keeps you in charge of your audience relationship, no matter what happens in the social media landscape.
When someone gives you their phone number, they’re inviting you into one of the most trusted spaces in their life. That kind of access is rare, and when you use it to provide value, build trust, and start real conversations, it becomes your most powerful engagement tool.
If you’re ready to leave the crowded feed behind and create a private space your audience will actually look forward to hearing from, SMS is the place to start.
Book a demo with Subtext and see how easy it is to make that space yours.