Automated text messages: Benefits and examples (2025)

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Although email marketing is an outstanding tool, sending an automated message via text to your subscribers has its own unique benefits. 

Many people enjoy getting updates through SMS automation because it keeps them in the loop. With the right automated text message strategy, you can engage your customers on a whole new level. Of course, a text message doesn’t provide you with much space to craft your promotion or offer, so it’s important to consider each message you send carefully.

Using an automated text message service like Omnisend can help reduce the stress of coming up with an appealing message on the spot. Instead, you’ll have time to brainstorm an entire marketing campaign that includes catchy text messages. Let’s explore all the benefits of automated text messages for your ecommerce business and check out some examples to use as a guide.

What is an automated text message?

An automated text message is a prewritten SMS sent to your subscribers based on specific actions or the preset schedule, such as a birthday or holiday. The message can be personalized or general.

Automated text messaging benefits

Because of its potential for huge rewards, automated text messaging is a key component of any modern marketing strategy. 

It allows you to engage customers directly and instantly by reaching them where they are. Whether notifying them of an upcoming sale or reminding them about an abandoned cart, a quick text prompts immediate attention and action. Plus, with flexible scheduling, you can set your messages to go out anytime, day or night.

Automating your text messaging streamlines your workflow, saving valuable time for both you and your employees. Instead of crafting and sending text messages one at a time, you can design an entire campaign in advance. This approach boosts company efficiency while ensuring a consistent tone and brand image across all communications. With bulk SMS automation, text messages are sent on schedule without any extra effort, freeing your team to focus elsewhere.

Opting to send a short text notification can enhance customer satisfaction because your customers will stay informed of your sales and discounts without having to check their email. Your company could save money with automated messages by targeting only those interested in your products or services. This type of marketing allows you to send curated messages to subscribers for the products or promotions that interest them most.

Types of automated text messages

A wide range of automated text message types exist, allowing you to customize your messaging campaign to meet the needs of your business. Use this guide to learn more about the types of text messages you may want to automate.

Welcome messages

A welcome text message that automatically goes to new subscribers helps you connect with your audience and express your appreciation for their recent signup. While offering a discount in a welcome message encourages subscribers to try your product or service, adding a time limit on the offer gets them to take action quickly.

Discount offer notification

Automated SMS messages are perfect for sending discount offer notifications to your most esteemed subscribers. Personalizing special offers with the recipient’s name makes the message sound friendly and inviting. Use promotional language that aligns with your brand but helps the message sound intentional.

Order confirmation

After your customers place an order, consider sending out an order confirmation text message to let them know you got their order and your team is processing it. Include relevant information they may need, such as the order or tracking number.

Customer support

Sending an auto text message to your customers when they’re experiencing challenges and need help can ensure you provide speedy customer service. With the ability to send text messages automatically at any time, you can assist your customers 24/7.

Appointment reminder

If your business meets with customers or clients in person, a reminder of an appointment is a must. These simple automated text messages can alert people they have an appointment and ask them to confirm if they plan on showing up. Include an option for them to respond to be sure they receive the message.

Automated text message examples

Automated text message marketing works for almost any industry. Your message may differ from that of another company, but this useful tool can improve a customer’s interaction with your business. Here are some automated text message examples for several industries to get you started:

Retail

Retail businesses can use automated messages in various ways, including reengaging customers who abandoned their carts. Sending out promotional offers, birthday coupons, or holiday greetings in an SMS message can put your brand back on the radar. Segmenting your customers lets you tailor your messages to individual audiences for the best results.

Restaurant

Restaurants and food service businesses can benefit from sending out text messages at key points along a customer’s journey. Knowing their location, food preferences, order history, and interaction frequency can guide the messages you send, making it vital to track your metrics. Offering reward points and discounts through messages will keep people engaged and returning for more.

Healthcare

A healthcare business may want to take advantage of automatic text messaging services for several reasons. This type of business can send out appointment reminders, billing updates, questionnaires, and links to electronic forms to make their offerings more convenient. Healthcare providers can also use automated messaging for customer service interactions to enhance patient satisfaction.

Service

In the service industry, companies can use automatic SMS to generate interest in their brand and attract talent to the organization. A salon could send a message like the one in the example to bring someone new to the team or use messaging for appointment reminders and offering discounts to clients.

Nonprofit organization

Text-to-donate messages help nonprofit organizations meet their fundraising goals. Customizing these messages to appeal to the interests of a targeted audience can increase their success rate. Many people want to donate to the charitable causes they support, and automated messaging makes it easy for everyone to come out on top and feel good.

Is it legal to send automated text messages?

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) states that you must gain permission in writing before sending anyone a text message, including automated text messages. As long as you have their explicit consent, you’re allowed to send your customers automatic text messages from your business.

Including an opt-out in your message means your subscribers can choose to stop receiving your messages whenever they want. You’ll also want to inform them that data charges may apply depending on their phone service plan and provider. Ask readers to confirm that they want to keep receiving messages from you by responding with a “Y” or “YES.”

Before you begin an automated text message marketing campaign, make sure you understand the local and federal laws surrounding this practice. Familiarizing yourself with the rules for compliance can keep you from making mistakes and getting into trouble. Noncompliance with FCC and TCPA regulations could result in fines and lawsuits you don’t want to deal with.

Use best practices for sending text messages to your audience so they don’t get annoyed or overwhelmed by your content. Let your customers or clients guide their relationship with you by respecting their engagement preferences.

How to send automated text messages

Setting up and sending automated text messages with Omnisend is a breeze. Below is a step-by-step guide to help you get started:

1. Add your contact list to Omnisend

To comply with government regulations, you’ll need to gather customer consent when collecting phone numbers. Omnisend has forms you can use on your website or store to help you start compiling a list of phone numbers. 

2. Create an SMS automated campaign

With your contact list ready, it’s time to create an SMS automated campaign that fits your brand. Start by adding an SMS message to your automation workflow. Omnisend simplifies this process with pre-built workflows, allowing you to quickly select and integrate the one that best suits your campaign needs.

Setting your message to send at your chosen time, such as after a cart abandonment or when someone subscribes to your newsletter, ensures timely and impactful communication.

3. Craft your message content

The next step in automating SMS messages is pivotal, as crafting just the right content can make a major difference in response rates and engagement. Keep your message short and on point with your brand’s image and tone.

Including a clickable link in your text message guides readers to take action and promotes further interaction. Additionally, tracking link metrics determine how effective your message is and how it resonates with your audience.

4. Include an opt-out feature

Having an opt-out feature in your message is not only courteous, it’s the law. You have to give your subscribers the option to stop receiving your messages if they choose. Ensure the opt-out message is clearly visible and easy to use.

Most promotional texts simply use “Reply STOP to opt out of these messages” or something similar. If they reply this way, they’ll no longer get your messages. It’s simple yet effective and keeps you from sending messages to people who don’t want them.

5. Customize and save your automated message

To personalize your message with the recipient’s name or items from their browsing history or abandoned cart, simply use your Omnisend dashboard.

When you finish with your message, click on the three dots in the corner of the screen to access options for additional customization. Here, you can add the contact’s name and a link to their abandoned cart or other shopping pages. When you’re finished making any adjustments, save your workflow.

6. Track your campaign metrics

Gain insight from your automated text message marketing by tracking the metrics of the data you collect. Thanks to Omnisend’s automated texting software, all you have to do is pull up the report on your dashboard to see charts and graphs that present the metrics in an easy-to-understand format.

You can learn how many messages you’ve sent, how many get opened, the click rate for your links, sales and conversion figures, and bounce and unsubscribe rates. Use the data to make adjustments to your campaigns if needed.

How Omnisend can help with automated messaging

Omnisend makes automated messaging seamless and straightforward. Automated workflows in both pre-built and fully customizable formats let you create exactly the messages you want to send in the order you want to send them. Choose to send as many or as few messages as you like.

Segmenting your customers helps you target your messaging to appeal to customer needs and interests. With Omnisend, you can find pre-built segmentation options right on your dashboard. These options allow you to send messages when your subscribers perform specific actions.

If a shopper abandons their cart, frequents your site without making a purchase, or opens most or all of your messages, you can send them a special message encouraging them to take action.

Having your SMS messages go out in real time can significantly affect response rates. And Omnisend ensures your automated campaigns go off without a hitch. You can choose the timing for your automated messages so subscribers receive them when you want them to.

If you want a welcome message to go out to new subscribers immediately, just select the option in your dashboard and relax. Omnisend takes care of the rest. You can also delay text messages so they strategically complement your email messages.

Conclusion

Automating your text messaging campaign allows you to connect with your audience on a more immediate and personal level. An SMS marketing message goes straight to a subscriber’s phone, so they’re more likely to open and read the message because it’s convenient. This marketing strategy can be effective for any industry, especially if you track your metrics and make changes to your campaigns based on the data you collect.

Omnisend has tools and templates to create a custom automated text message campaign that resonates with your recipients. The platform makes it simple to choose who gets your messages when they go out, and what triggers them.