SMS blast: What it is, how it works, and how to do it right

Reading Time: 9 minutes

If you’re not using SMS blasts for time-sensitive updates, you’re already behind.

While email campaigns and social posts wait in line for attention, SMS messages are usually read within minutes — often seconds. That kind of immediacy makes SMS blasts one of the most reliable tools for reaching large audiences fast, whether you’re running a flash sale or sending critical updates. 

But with power comes responsibility. In this guide, you’ll learn how to use SMS blasts the right way — from crafting effective messages to staying compliant and knowing exactly when to hit send.

What is an SMS blast?

An SMS blast is a marketing-related action that involves sending the same text message to a large group of recipients at once. It’s designed for speed, scale, and reach — ideal for time-sensitive promotions or announcements. 

Unlike one-on-one SMS or conversational marketing, which rely on two-way interactions, SMS blasts are typically one-way, used to broadcast information quickly to recipients without expecting a reply. 

Standard uses include the following:

• Flash sales or time-limited promotions
• Sending exclusive discount codes
• Reminding recipients of upcoming reservations or appointments
• Shipping and delivery updates
• Emergency alerts or service interruptions

Ecommerce brands often rely on SMS blasts to promote new products or re-engage customers to return to their abandoned shopping carts. SaaS organizations find them useful, too, for easily onboarding new users, sending login links, or pushing subscription renewals. Retail stores and local businesses use SMS blasts to promote events, loyalty programs, or real-time inventory updates.

Despite the rise of multiple new communication channels, SMS blasts remain relevant in 2025. In 2024 alone, US brands generated over $25 million in sales through SMS marketing. 

The likely reason for their popularity is their simplicity. You don’t need to download an app, and recipients don’t need an internet connection, just a phone number. 

The main benefits of SMS blasts, which we’ll go into more detail on later in this article, are:

• Instant delivery and high open rates
• Higher engagement rates than emails and social media
• Scalable and personalizable
• High conversion potential
• Easy to automate via ecommerce platforms
• Cost-effective, especially for small and growing brands

How SMS blasting works

Here are the steps to creating and sending an SMS blast:

1. Upload or collect personal contacts: List everyone who will receive your text message. Upload it into an SMS marketing automation platform like Omnisend. To avoid legal complications, everyone in your SMS blast list must have given you consent to receive text messages from your brand.
2. Write and personalize your message: Your SMS blast message should be short and concise. It needs a clear call to action, such as using a promo code or clicking a link. Include an opt-out option for those who wish to be excluded from your list.
3. Segment your audience (if needed): You can send your SMS blast to everyone on your list or only include specific categories. Some common ways to segment your audience include using their geographic location or previous purchasing behavior.
4. Schedule and send your SMS blast: It’s time to launch your SMS blast. You can use SMS marketing platforms like Omnisend to schedule a specific send time.
5. Analyze the performance: To assess your SMS blast’s success, you can look at relevant metrics like click-through and opt-out rates. You can also use this data to improve the effectiveness of future SMS blasts.

Benefits of SMS blasts for ecommerce

Using SMS to connect with existing and potential customers provides excellent ROI compared to other marketing channels. It delivers instant, direct communication at a low cost.

Unlike slower or more expensive channels, a top SMS blast feature is its fast outreach and scalable personalization, helping ecommerce brands engage buyers at exactly the right moment.

Benefits of using SMS blasts in your ecommerce marketing strategy include:

Immediate reach to your audience

SMS blasts are delivered directly to recipients’ phones — often within seconds — making them one of the fastest ways to reach a large audience. This immediacy makes SMS ideal for time-sensitive messages where timing is everything.

For example, a retail ecommerce store running a flash sale that ends at midnight can text everyone on its SMS list with just a few clicks. That message reaches customers instantly, giving them just enough urgency — and time — to act before the offer expires.

Better engagement than email and social

Incorporating email and social media marketing into your marketing strategy is a strong combination. SMS blasts, however, have much better engagement figures. Getting a text message feels more direct and personal than opening an email or reading a social media post. People can see it on their phones and read it in seconds, without having to go through more steps or requirements.

Scalable personalization

Modern SMS marketing platforms like Omnisend can help you increase the quantity and quality of your text messages. As your SMS list grows, you can use the customer data you’ve acquired, such as their names, preferences, and purchase histories, to make it more likely that the recipients will respond to your messages. You can also use dynamic fields to include recipient names in the texts.

Higher conversion rates

SMS blasts are short and to the point. As such, recipients are more likely to read a message and respond to your call to action. 

Omnisend’s 2025 ecommerce marketing report shows that although SMS messages and push campaigns make up only 9% of all sent messages in marketing campaigns, they account for 18% of all sales. If you’re a small or midsize company and you’re looking to make the most out of a limited marketing budget, SMS blasts can help you gain the conversions you seek.

Easy automation with ecommerce platforms

SMS blasts are easy to integrate with all major ecommerce platforms, including Shopify and WooCommerce. You can also use a marketing automation platform like Omnisend to help you save time and make the process much more effective. 

You can also set up automated SMS messages based on customer actions like order confirmations and cart reminders. This automation will optimize the user experience and can maximize conversions.

Cost-effectiveness for small to mid-size brands

SMS blasts are also cost-effective for small to mid-size brands. With SMS blasts, you usually pay per text message, so you won’t be tied to any complicated payment plan or long-term contract.

How to send a text blast: A step-by-step guide

Creating and launching an effective SMS blast campaign doesn’t require a steep learning curve if you know the steps to follow. This step-by-step guide can provide all the information you need to get going:

Choose the right SMS blast software

To create larger-scale SMS blast campaigns, use specialized software. When choosing software, consider the following:

• Automation capabilities: You should be able to automate every part of your SMS campaign. Your SMS blast strategy can run with minimal human input.
• Segmentation tools: Different messages resonate with different people. Your SMS blast software should make it straightforward to segment your audience and deliver personalized messages.
• Compliance with laws and regulations: Specific laws regulate SMS marketing campaigns. They require elements like the recipient giving consent and having a way to opt out of future messages. Your SMS marketing software should have the tools to help you stay compliant.
• Ease of use: SMS blast software should be accessible even for beginners. You should not need technology or marketing experience to run your campaign.

Omnisend meets all these essential criteria and is the best choice for SMS blast campaigns in 2025. You can integrate your text message marketing efforts with other channels, such as email, web push notifications, and social media marketing. 

Grow your list

Now that you have chosen and set up an SMS blast software tool, it’s time to create and expand your list of recipients. Here are some ways to get people to sign up:

• Website popups: The people visiting your website are prime candidates for your SMS list. Omnisend can help you create popups that motivate users to join, with offers like “Get 10% off your next order by texting JOIN to 54321. By signing up, you agree to receive marketing texts.”
• Checkouts: Checkout opt-ins are also effective in getting people to join your SMS blast list. You can add a checkbox with text like “Send me exclusive deals via SMS.”
• Lead magnets: Lead magnets are complimentary items or services you can offer customers. You give them these lead magnets in exchange for their personal information or consent to send them marketing messages. You can share various giveaways in exchange for an SMS opt-in.
• Social media promos: You can use your social media presence to grow your SMS list numbers. Try promoting a special limited-time offer with a clear call to action that your audience can access only if they agree to join your SMS list.

Segment your audience

Growing your list is essential, but so is sending the right messages to the right people. 

You can achieve this goal by creating smaller groups based on relevant criteria, such as their demographics and online behavior. Doing so can lead to higher click-through rates because the message you send will be more relevant to the person receiving it. This approach can also lead to lower opt-out rates, as recipients will feel like your texts provide value. 

For example, sending a discount code for yoga mats to women who previously bought yoga pants from you makes sense. Given that a yoga mat is a complementary item to yoga pants, they will likely be interested in the offer, and not tempted to opt out of your SMS list.

Write compelling, concise copy

Just because a text message is relatively short doesn’t mean that good writing isn’t essential for its success. First, the call to action should be unambiguous, instantly letting the reader know what you want them to do. You should also take advantage of the SMS’s time-sensitive nature and add urgency to your messaging. 

Although a standard SMS is 160 characters long, you can write longer ones too. Omnisend’s SMS length and pricing calculator can help you project your costs based on your SMS length. 

Schedule smartly

Timing is key for your SMS blast campaigns. Many factors can determine the best time of day for a particular text message. It can be the difference between a recipient briefly glancing at your text before moving on to other things and the same recipient reading it and taking action.

Best time to send an SMS blast

The ideal time for SMS blasts depends on many factors, including your target audience and what you hope to achieve with the respective text message. For example, mornings (9 AM to noon) are best for sending messages about transactions or updates about your business. Promotional messages typically work best between noon and 3 PM, when people are on their lunch breaks and are most likely to spend time on their phones. 

Using A/B testing, you can send your SMS blasts multiple times of the day, week, and month to see which works best. Omnisend’s automation feature is loved by both experts and newbies for optimizing SMS send times.

SMS blast marketing best practices

This list of optimal SMS blast marketing practices can help you make the most out of your text message marketing campaigns:

• Only send messages to users who have opted into your SMS list to comply with relevant laws and regulations
• Avoid sending too many text messages in a short time span
• Personalize your texts as much as possible to make it more likely that the recipients will resonate with them
• Be clear and concise with your messaging, and don’t forget to include a call to action
• Try multiple send times until you find the most appropriate ones for your audience
• Avoid sending text messages that look like spam or are written in all caps
• Track your text blast performance and iterate on the approaches that work best

Compliance and legal considerations for SMS blast

Various geographic areas around the globe have specific rules and regulations regarding what you can and can’t send via SMS. In the US, most are covered by the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) of 1991. Also, while the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 mainly refers to email communications, it can apply to SMS marketing. 

In the EU, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) regulates companies’ rights to use consumer data. Even if your company is based out of the US, if you send a message to a customer in the EU, you will have to adhere to GDPR.

While you should research the exact compliance and legal considerations for your location and area of activity, some general rules apply:

• Consent/opt-in: Everyone in your message blast list should be there because they chose to be
• Easy opt-out: Leaving your SMS list shouldn’t be complicated or have too many steps
• Message transparency: Everything you state in your SMS should be factual and verifiable

Wrap up

SMS blast campaigns can be an excellent way of sharing quick, time-sensitive messages with your audience. SMS blast messages are more likely to be opened and read by their recipients than any other form of marketing-based communication, and anyone with a mobile phone can receive them. But effectiveness isn’t guaranteed by reach alone. To achieve real results, focus on growing your list ethically, segmenting your audience, and sending well-crafted messages that provide genuine value.

FAQs

Review these frequently asked questions about SMS blasts: