From Me 2 You: Peer to Peer Texting in 2025

Peer to peer texting has come a long way - and it isn't just for messaging friends and family anymore.

What started in the early days as AOL Instant Messenger and MSN Messenger soon gave way to the modern era of Skype, Zoom, Discord, Facebook Messenger, social media DMs, and (most importantly) SMS.

So how can businesses today use the concept of peer to peer texting to reach audiences in a way that they'll actually pay attention to?

We’ll explore the answer by discussing three pertinent questions, then move onto examining some relevant use cases and examples.

Ready to begin? Great! Here are three questions.

What is Peer to Peer Texting (P2P)?

How Can You Use P2P Texting?

What Do You Need to Know to Get Started?

What Is Peer to Peer Texting (P2P)?

Simply put, P2P texting is a conversation thread held between two or more people. If you’ve already been comfortably texting with friends, family, and other loved ones, then there you go. That’s your clearest example!

In a less informal sense, agents, volunteers, and business owners can leverage P2P SMS services to reach out to customers and subscribers alike. Some apps or services facilitate 1:1 connections for you.

Note that technically, using an SMS platform or service to send texts is actually A2P (application-to-person) texting. However, it can give a P2P feel if they’re presented in a way that is more individualistic.

This concept works pretty much the same way whether you’re ordering something for dinner to be delivered to your door or when you need a lift to the airport and a rideshare service lets you know when the driver is expected to arrive at your location.

Depending on the P2P texting platform you use, you’ll find several notable features. Not all platforms offer the same features and functions. And even if they do, they might not all be the same thing or operate the way you want. Some common features include templates, analytics, scheduled texts, bulk texts, and multi-number assignments.

Let’s talk about some of the quick benefits you could expect to see when you invest in using peer to peer texting as your main form of SMS marketing. Extremely high open rates (55% of texts being opened and 100% of texts being at least viewed is certainly eye-popping, no?). It’s also been proven that 66% or 2/3rds of people vastly prefer texting to emails and phone calls.

On the whole, this method of communication is far less exhausting and a smaller commitment in terms of mental energy. You don’t want your audiences to be turned off because you keep pestering them in already cluttered airwaves. Don’t become lost in the flood of extraneous noise!

Other tangible benefits include speed, response rates, wide access, and personal touches.

How Can You Use P2P Texting?

So how can businesses actually use P2P texting?

Let’s explore.

Ways to Use P2P Texting

There are a lot of ways you can use P2P texting for your business as you connect with individual customers or prospects. Some examples would include:

• Individual offers
• Appointment reminders
• Customer service inquiries
• Sales lead interactions
• Event notices

Remember that technically, some of these use cases are actually A2P (application-to-person), but they can give off a P2P atmosphere.

How It Works

Businesses can engage in P2P texting through SMS platforms and APIs.

It involves getting an account with an SMS service, through which you’ll be assigned one or more virtual phone numbers.

You’ll be able to send text messages using an online SMS platform or (if you have programmers) API.

One unique way for business to deploy P2P texting is through the use of “short codes.”

These are shorter phone numbers (typically 5–6 digits) that you can lease from SMS service providers and are known for effective message delivery and fast delivery speeds.

These are quite a bit pricier than the free or low-cost 10-digit phone numbers that usually come with SMS service platform accounts, but are sometimes preferred by brands for convenience and reliability. The two main forms of short code P2P texting are random dedicated shared codes and vanity dedicated short codes. Both of them has a specific purpose. (But that is an article for another day!)

Peer to Peer Texting Use Cases and Examples

Here are some specific examples of how businesses could use peer to peer texting.

Individual Offers

Businesses use P2P texting services send individual offers to their customers, to help encourage them to engage.

For example:

“

Happy birthday, John! Here’s a birthday surprise for you: 30% off your next visit within 30 days of your video. Just show this text when you come in!

“

Welcome to Classy Elegance’s text message club! As a thank you for joining, enjoy free shipping on your next online order. We’re glad to have you! (Expires in 60 days.)

“

You left some items in your cart! As a bonus for you, if you check out within 1 hour, you’ll get $5 off your order. Click here and the promo will be applied automatically at checkout: [link]

Appointment Reminders

What better way to remind someone about an appointment than directly on the phone that they carry around with them everywhere they go?

For example:

“

Hi [First Name], this is Dr. Johnson's office. Reminder: You have an appointment tomorrow at 2:00 PM. Please arrive 15 minutes early to complete paperwork. Reply YES to confirm or NO to reschedule.

“

Hi [First Name], your vehicle service appointment at Metro Auto is scheduled for tomorrow at 9:00 AM. See you soon!

“

Your training session with Mike is tomorrow at 3:00 PM at Fitness Plus. Please bring water and workout gear!

Customer Service Inquiries

Offering customer service via text message means you’re allowing people to connect with you in a way that’s convenient for them. And that will lead to a better experience overall!

For example:

“

Hi [First Name], thanks for checking on order #12345. I see it shipped yesterday via UPS and should arrive Thursday. Here's your tracking #: ABC123. Did that help answer your question?

“

Thank you for your billing inquiry! I'm looking at your account now and see the extra charge was from an automatic renewal. You can update your billing settings at [link].

“

Sorry the shoes didn't fit, [First Name]! I've just created a return label - you'll receive it by email at [email address] in 5 minutes. Once we receive them back, we'll process your refund within 2 business days.

Sales Lead Interactions

SMS can also be an effective way to keep a conversation going with prospects and leads.

For example:

“

Hi, [First Name], this is John from [Company Name]. Thanks for your interest in our services! Did you find the info you were looking for on the website?

“

Thanks for chatting today, [First Name]. I've attached the quote we discussed for the marketing package. Does this look OK to you?

“

[First Name], just wanted to let you know we're offering 20% off our annual software subscription until Friday. Since you expressed interest last month, would you like to see the discounted pricing?

Event Notices

Yet another way that you can use P2P-style texting for your business is to send event confirmation notices to people who register.

For example:

“

Hi [First Name], thanks for your interest in the Ecommerce Leadership Conference! As a reminder, the event is on Saturday, June 4th from 8am–5pm. Let me know if you have any questions!

“

Hi [First Name], your registration for the 'Make 6 Figures in 6 Months' webinar has been confirmed and I’m here with any questions! :) See you Friday at 12pm CST.

“

Hey, it’s Elyse from McDowell Marketing! Your group consultation call is tomorrow at 2pm. Porter will be answering questions live in the webinar. What questions did you have that I could pass on to him?

Other Ways to Use It

Use cases are some of the most illuminating examples of success. They give you an idea of what to do and what to expect.

During political campaign seasons, peer to peer style texting is one the most common ways political parties reach out to their registered voters. The messages emphasize the importance of voting, where the voters can go to actually cast their votes, and what they should do if they need to get registered in a different county as they might have moved since the last time they voted.

Meanwhile, nonprofits and popular grassroots movements also lean on P2P texting for better outreach. Fundraising and event planning are two of the most common reasons that these organizations would leverage these solutions to their advantage. And in a similar vein, it’s another way to help actionize volunteers and other “street team” members depending on what their goals and priorities are.

Other P2P Texting Methods and Systems

While SMS (plain-text) is the most commonly used form of P2P texting, MMS (multimedia messaging) delivers content that goes beyond basic text. Through MMS, you can package images, audio, and video—something to make the whole package more interesting.

Mass texting in general, much like an email blast, sends a predetermined message out to its intended recipients. While it might not be a one-time-only announcement or true P2P texting, it could very well work similarly to P2P if you need it to do so.

Many of you might not be too familiar with the Rich Communication Services (RCS) protocol. This system is a much more sophisticated version of the common SMS or MMS marketing strategy.

In essence, RCS attempts to mimic a more robust app framework without overcomplicating the experience for the end user.

P2P Texting Compliance

Another element of peer to peer texting that could go overlooked is compliance. What does that mean, in this context?

Compliance regulations put forth by mobile carriers must be kept in mind, or else you may run into deliverability issues with your messages.

Reducing spam and ensuring better compliance also help make the entire process, from end-to-end, much faster and easier. Government agencies such as the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) and the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association oversee how compliance is implemented and administered, but the main thing businesses need to be concerned about is what mobile carriers require. (If mobile carrier compliance regulations aren’t followed, they may very likely filter out your messages as spam and prevent them from being delivered.)

One best practice for compliance is to get consent. That’s why opt-in processes are so common.

With opt-in processes, the customer wants to receive your messages so they actively opt in to receive them. If they opt-out, then they deny permission or decide to revoke their consent. As is the case in many situations, peer to peer or not, getting consent will help make sure you’re following compliance.

Another way to comply with regulations is to monitor what content gets sent out.

Line-by-line editing of short text messages might seem unnecessary, but basic carelessness or innocent accidents can lead to disastrous outcomes. Some examples of the content that must not be allowed to be transmitted include adult materials, threats, and possible harassments. Deceptive or misleading language is also prohibited—not only is it noncompliant, it is unethical as well.

Some types of content may be legitimate but still may cause compliance issues. For example, phone carriers are strict about sending content related to alcohol or firearms (even the legitimate sale of these types of products). So be mindful of the type of content you send.

Your audience should also be given quick and simple ways to end communications. The STOP command (which automatically opts people out if they send it in) needs to be as clear as possible.

Moreover, when a customer takes the opt-out option, that means you need to remove them from your list of contacts. Likewise, constantly maintaining and updating a “do-not-contact” list is a fabulous way to avoid any potential mistakes, or at the very least, to minimize their impact.

(Thankfully, most providers, including Mobile Text Alerts, automatically remove people who opt out, and they maintain your opt-out list automatically on your behalf as well.)

Excessive P2P texting from businesses can be problematic and upset the recipient party. It’s best to avoid this.

The frequency of outgoing messages and the length of their contents can be irritating to end users, so make sure you’re sending content that your recipients find valuable. Keeping personal information private and protected against potential data leaks or violations is another key strategy for protecting the trust of the customers you are looking to create a long-lasting relationship with.

The more you do to comply with the regulations, the more it will improve your chances of maintaining or even growing your customer base. After all, it’s supposed to be set up in a way where everyone benefits!

What Do You Need to Know to Get Started?

If you’re interested in giving P2P-style texting a try for your business, the only thing you need to do to get started is to choose an SMS platform to try.

Some factors to consider when considering SMS platforms would include:

• Quality of customer support
• Reliability of message delivery
• Cost

By all means, get in touch with us if you have any questions! We’d love to connect with you.

Otherwise, get your free trial now to try an SMS service for yourself.

Then you can reach people where they’re actually looking.