SMS marketing is a powerful tool that businesses should not ignore. In today’s fast-paced world, SMS messages are one of the best ways to reach and engage customers.
As people rely more on their smartphones for communication and information, it’s no surprise that 91% of users keep their phones within reach 24/7.
SMS is easier to use and more cost-effective than ever. Discover the real impact of SMS marketing and why you should incorporate this valuable channel.
In this complete guide, we’ll explore SMS marketing’s benefits, best practices, and real-world examples.
You’ll learn how to create a strong SMS marketing strategy, build your subscriber list, craft engaging messages, and measure your success.
Whether you’re new to SMS marketing or want to improve your current efforts, this guide will give you the insights and tools you need to make the most of this powerful channel.
SMS marketing is a direct way to reach customers by sending them promotional, transactional, or informational text messages. These messages go to recipients who have chosen to receive them.
This powerful mobile marketing tool helps businesses reach their audience instantly, engage with them, drive sales, and build strong customer relationships.
Best SMS marketing apps
If you’re ready to experience the transformative power of SMS marketing ROI, your first step will be to find an automation tool to do heavy lifting on your behalf.
There are lots of software options to consider, including these five SMS marketing apps.
Omnisend
Omnisend is not just an SMS marketing platform. It’s one of the world’s most popular automation platforms for email, SMS, and web push notifications. Users can create unique SMS campaigns that reach recipients in hundreds of countries — all for just pennies per message.
Omnisend’s price per SMS depends on the country in which you’re sending the text messages. You can use the pricing calculator to get a good idea of how much your SMS campaigns will cost for international locations.
The Free and Standard plans offer up to 60 SMS credits
If you’re on the Pro plan, you get free SMS/MMS equal to the price of your plan
SMS is supported to every country
Omnisend’s automated SMS messages let you do more work without clocking additional time. Create campaigns in advance, track data and analytics, and add a touch of delight for each of your subscribers.
SlickText
SlickText is an SMS marketing platform known for its robust automation workflows.
Users can implement Text to Join and shortcodes to reach customers at their point of need. They can then integrate with third-party tools like Zapier and Salesforce to customize workflows and track their data.
MMS tools are also a part of the stack, which can be beneficial as your company grows.
Keep in mind that SlickText was built for SMS only. Unlike Omnisend, it can only automate messages for texts and group messages. You can’t access email or web push notifications at all, which may not be ideal for omnichannel strategies.
Twilio
A robust customer engagement platform, Twilio was designed to simplify cross-channel communications with SMS, MMS, and WhatsApp messaging.
Twilio relies on SMS APIs to develop custom workflows, which include unique personalization software and one-to-one text messaging capabilities. You can also integrate with a variety of messaging alternatives, including Facebook Messenger and GMB messages.
Because Twilio is focused on a myriad of communication solutions, coding is necessary to create your first few SMS campaigns. This isn’t the case for most SMS providers.
Platforms like Omnisend allow you to build personalized messages directly on-site — no coding skills or prior experience required.
SimpleTexting
As the name implies, SimpleTexting is an intuitive messaging platform built for SMS, MMS, and two-way conversations. The software boasts hundreds of successful case studies for brands all over the globe, and supports interesting use cases for extended messaging, text-to-vote, and autoresponders.
The only restriction to SimpleTexting is its price. 500 SMS starts at $39 per month, plus a $4 one-time carrier registration fee, which may be costly for businesses looking to schedule lots of campaigns.
Klaviyo
Klaviyo is one of the biggest names in email and SMS automation. Instant integrations are a helpful feature for less experienced businesses, while toll-free and short code numbers establish a positive repertoire with growing subscriber lists.
However, Klaviyo also carries an expensive price point. After recent shifts in pricing, the Email and SMS plan now costs $35/month for 251-500 active profiles. Plan includes 5,000 monthly email sends and 1,250 SMS/MMS credits.
If your business doesn’t have enough budget to cover the monthly cost of Klaviyo, you may want to consider another partner.
Brands that deploy SMS marketing plans do it for three main reasons: to increase brand awareness, boost engagement, and generate more sales.
Email is so widely used that customers have come to expect it. SMS, on the other hand, is used less frequently — making it a great way to capture attention when and where you want it.
Let’s look at how SMS marketing can benefit your brand, supercharge your profits, and increase your competitive edge.
1. Cost-effective
Compared to other forms of marketing, SMS messages are one of the cheapest forms of outreach. Sending a text message also has one of the highest ROIs — a boon to your budget and top-line profits.
The fact that Americans spend an average of over 4 hours on their phones each day, which is one-quarter of their waking hours, shows how important SMS marketing can be.
By using this channel, businesses can reach their audience on a device to which they pay a lot of attention. This direct method lets businesses send timely and personalized messages that people are more likely to see and interact with than other types of marketing.
3. Perfect for real-time updates
SMS campaigns are instantly received after you send them. Importantly, they’re read almost immediately as well.
It’s no surprise that a majority of SMS are read in the first three minutes. This makes SMS marketing campaigns great for hyper-time-sensitive offers.
Even if the phone isn’t nearby when your text arrives, most text notifications remain on screen until the message is read, giving your business an elevated communications platform.
4. Exceptionally high open rates
Roughly 98% of all business SMS messages are read by customers. That’s more than nine in every 10 members on your subscriber list.
The high level of readability is due to SMS messages being short and concise. Recipients also tend to prioritize messages they receive via text over other mediums.
Make your messages valuable and personal to customers, and they might receive even higher engagement rates.
5. Proven ability to sell
We found that about one-third of SMS recipients engage with the message’s CTA. Of that engaged group, 47% of them will make a purchase.
SMS marketing shines during the holiday season. On Cyber Ten 2023, there was a 41.2% increase in promotional SMS sent over 2022, which led to a 12.3% increase in orders compared to 2022. That may not seem like a big deal, but it represents tens of thousands of orders.
SMS marketing best practices
Because people are so connected to their phones, it’s important to get your SMS messages right the first time.
Here’s what you need to know about SMS dos and don’ts, key best practices, and what you need to know before embarking on an SMS marketing plan.
TL;DR? Check out the video here.
1. Get permission (and keep it)
The opt-in rules for email marketing apply to SMS marketing, too. Marketers are bound by law to gain explicit consent from customers or subscribers before sending marketing communications. This is why getting consent is one of the most important SMS best practices.
The easiest way to get consent is with a phone number field in your newsletter subscription signup. Popup forms also work great.
Here is an apt example. This crisp signup form by B-Wear gathers the phone numbers of users along with their email addresses when they subscribe to the newsletter. And as a gesture of gratitude, the brand offers an attractive discount too.
But getting permission isn’t the problem — maintaining permission is.
Start with full disclosure: tell customers what types of messages they can expect from your brand. And don’t abuse the permission granted. We advise using SMS marketing campaigns for time-sensitive and critical information. Overusing it can quickly send customers away.
Another convenient option for collecting and maintaining permissions is Omnisend’s Text to Join feature. Customers simply text a keyword to your number, which means all you have to do is promote that number to encourage texts and signups.
Since it isn’t dependent on people visiting your online store, Text to Join is a particularly convenient SMS marketing opt-in method: your customers can find this option anywhere you share it, including emails and social media.
If you’re an Omnisend user, you can get your own Text to Join number completely free.
Finally, each text message needs a way to opt-out. Allow customers to respond with “STOP” to instantly unsubscribe. If you’re sending messages to recipients outside the US or Canada, just insert an unsubscribe link like so:
Read more about how apparel store B-Wear uses SMS and data to drive sales:
SMS marketing case study
“We may have a ‘free shipping today only’ email that goes out. Some customers won’t get that email until the following day, when the sale is already over. We’re able to use SMS as an alternative to reach those customers.”
Your SMS recipients should immediately know who you are. Otherwise, they won’t understand the context of your message and will be more likely to unsubscribe as a result.
Identify yourself to customers in every message, adding your business name, customer rep name, or a short snippet about what you do.
Always include a clear call to action (CTA) in your SMS to encourage recipients to take the next steps. It’s a good idea to include a link that adds more context and traceability.
Some examples:
Subscribe through <link> to receive weekly email marketing news.
Use <code> at checkout before 6PM today for free shipping.
Answer our survey <link> for a chance to win prizes!
Visit <link> by midnight to snag clearance items before they’re gone.
Many CTAs for email marketing messages work well for SMS. Remember: they must be adapted to fit the medium. Make your customer’s next steps as frictionless as possible.
4. Send at the right time
Pick the best time to broadcast your message to customers. You could do this manually by surfacing your open data or using automations like Omnisend to select the best time for each customer.
Remember that communicating via text is more intimate than other outreach methods. It’s best not to abuse that trust — especially with personal phone numbers.
Unless you’ve verified that your fan base wants constant messages, go about your SMS marketing frequency more conservatively than email campaigns.
5. Personalize your campaigns
A great SMS marketing tool allows you to incorporate segmentation well, and therefore target your contacts the same ways that many marketers do with email.
Use your subscribers’ first name if possible. Send pertinent messages based on the subscriber’s location or previous purchases to build and maintain relationships with your subscribers.
Personalization also involves sending an SMS at the right time. Many people have their text message notifications enabled. Deliver your messages during hours that people are typically awake — not too early or too late — to avoid aggravating anyone.
Sending irrelevant or impersonal messages can affect your campaign goals, lead to higher opt-out rates, and tarnish your reputation.
In other words, don’t do it.
6. Align SMS to your overall marketing strategy
A platform designed solely for SMS is a great first start. However, your marketing efforts will be so much easier — and better — when you can work multiple channels from a single command post, all without worrying about misaligned data.
SMS marketing should be part of your overall omnichannel marketing strategy. Operating a separate SMS marketing software can lead to lots of headaches later, not to mention weaker growth and lackluster response rates.
Let’s jump into some SMS marketing examples that demonstrate how ecommerce marketers can build better relationships with customers and subscribers.
1. Welcome offers
Everyone expects a welcome email, but adding SMS into the mix can make for a nice surprise.
If you offer an incentive for signing up, send the discount code or link via SMS, as in the example above. Next, follow up on that SMS with another email in case the SMS wasn’t enough to make the sale.
It’s always wise to send an email providing further details and images, neither of which SMS can’t accommodate.
2. Special time-sensitive offers
SMS is great if you have an extra-special promotion and want to make sure your customer has every opportunity to participate. For your very best sales and promotions, incorporate a bit of urgency in the language.
Looking for a different kind of offer? Skip the discount and play on the fear of missing out (FOMO). FiGPiN has a customer base eager to get ahold of its limited-edition collector pins. As FiGPiN Senior Marketing Manager Allison Caufield puts it, FOMO is “really, really high.”
Combined with the immediacy of SMS marketing, FOMO is a natural fit for success.
“The SMS has been extraordinarily successful because people want to see those drops right away, so that they don’t miss out on any sort of limited edition character or variant that they need to have for the collection,” Allison explains.
Learn more about FiGPiN’s SMS marketing strategy:
SMS marketing case study
“I started SMS several months ago just to kind of test it out. The ROI on it has just been absolutely insane. So we will continue to do it for our customer base.”
Your customer shouldn’t have to check their email to ensure their order was placed. And if the email is slow in arriving, your text also eliminates second-guessing.
It’s a great idea to follow up with SMS messages that also include tracking details.
Expert Quote:
“I think it just adds a layer of transparency to the order and shipping process. It also makes you feel more comfortable with the brand. It does have this kind of subtle psychological factor where it makes you feel like the brand’s got it together. You get that level of comfort, which I think you can’t buy just from branding and marketing, unless you’re a really established player.”
Greg Zakowicz, Senior Ecommerce Expert, Omnisend
4. Customer service
SMS messages aren’t just about sales. They can also be used to proactively address issues before they become problems.
For instance, consignment shop Once Upon a Child warned its SMS subscribers of their limited availability due to staffing shortages.
SMS marketing can also reassure customers experiencing hiccups with your business. As it’s a more intimate channel for subscribers, it’s a great way to keep customers in the loop and show off the human side of your brand.
Expert Quote:
“SMS can be utilized as an opportunity on the front end, or being a little more candid in your communication. People want it to be conversational. SMS is an opportunity to build that relationship deeper.”
Gabe Macaluso, Director of Customer Success, Omnisend
5. Time-limited sales and promos
When it makes sense, why not jump on a current event and send relevant texts that reflect your brand? This SMS marketing example from Mom Life Must Haves is a perfect case in point.
Instead of allowing a six-hour shutdown of Facebook and its family of apps to impede their marketing efforts for the day, Mom Life Must Haves capitalized on the moment in the best possible way.
Of course, be mindful of the current events you choose to launch from. It might be best to stay quiet on potentially controversial issues — and save yourself from backlash or criticism.
6. Personalized offers
Show customers they’re more than just a number. Call out noteworthy occasions like their birthday, or highlight their one-year anniversary as a special rewards member.
An offer that lasts for a few days around this special time frame is even better. Personalized SMS messages are a great way to roll this out, especially with internal links.
Start by posting multi-day offers directly in your SMS messages, or use the SMS as a teaser to prompt recipients to check their inbox. Either way, the emotional impact will be priceless.
7. Thank you offers
Sometimes, the best way to engage your customers is just to say ‘thank you.’
Basic Piece does a great job of engaging customers with the magic words, as seen below:
For best results, enable two-way conversations for your SMS marketing campaigns. This will engage customers and foster meaningful connections at the same time — a boon for brand awareness and your bottom line.
8. MMS messages
Once you’ve got the basics of SMS, it will be time to graduate to the next level: MMS.
MMS (multimedia messaging service) is an enhanced version of SMS that features imagery, including stagnant attachments or animated GIFs. Character count can expand up to 1,600, which means you have a lot more opportunities to wow and delight your customers.
Crust Club does a great job with MMS marketing by showcasing a yummy-looking menu item, then taking advantage of the expanded real estate to list its ingredients.
MMS is a great tool for creating compelling messages that play on emotion. The only limit is your imagination — and great images to pull from as well.
Drive more sales with SMS campaigns using Omnisend’s features for free! Explore SMS features
How to use SMS marketing
If you want to drive more sales through a channel where your customers are — and who doesn’t? — then, it’s time to seriously consider an SMS marketing plan.
Enjoy a head start at using popups. Get in on our easy-to-use templates today
Your subscriber list is the most valuable piece of the SMS marketing puzzle. Here are some tips to help you grow your SMS list:
Opt-in consent: Always secure explicit opt-in consent from your contacts. This step ensures legal compliance and fosters trust
Compliance knowledge: Stay well-informed about SMS marketing regulations and compliance requirements. Keep up with any legal changes
Quality over quantity: Prioritize obtaining quality SMS subscribers with a genuine interest in your business. They’re more likely to engage with your messages and convert
Gamified popups: Implement gamified popups on your website, featuring contests, quizzes, or interactive games like Wheel of Fortune. These incentivize users to provide their phone numbers
Text to join: Provide a “Text to Join” option, allowing customers to subscribe by texting a keyword to your designated number. This method is highly effective, especially when combined with exclusive deals or coupons
The following example shows the concept of how fear of missing out (FOMO) can be effectively used to incentivize users to join an SMS list.
Get an SMS marketing app
SMS marketing software refines text marketing plans into cohesive strategies. Apps allow you to manage messages at scale by tracking compliance data and TCPA requirements. You can also automate your messages to send them at specific moments, putting more time back into your day.
If you’re looking to build an omnichannel strategy, SMS marketing apps are doubly effective. Platforms like Omnisend let you add text messages to your email automation workflows — saving you time and money.
Plus, most SMS marketing tools offer a slew of reporting data that provides deeper insights about your customers. Working in tandem with native dashboards, you can easily adjust your text campaigns over time and net the highest possible ROI.
Omnisend is a leader when it comes to email and SMS marketing. With an impressive 4.7 out of 5-star rating and more than 5,700 reviews on the Shopify App Store, it’s one of the most preferred platforms for businesses.
Users highly appreciate this feature-rich platform for its user-friendliness, high-quality templates, targeted campaign creation, competitive pricing, and award-winning customer support.
Supercharge your marketing efforts by combining email and SMS marketing
Creating an effective SMS campaign requires careful consideration and planning. One of the biggest challenges is the 160-character limit, which demands concise and impactful messaging.
To craft a successful SMS campaign, consider the following tips:
Focus on providing value to your customers with each message
Use proper grammar and avoid uncommon text abbreviations or slang to maintain a professional tone
Differentiate your message content from the subject line to create engaging and conversational text messages
Drafting compelling SMS campaigns may seem challenging initially, but with practice and experience, it becomes more manageable.
Omnisend simplifies the process of sending your first SMS campaign by following these four steps:
Gather phone numbers: Collect phone numbers for your SMS campaigns using online signup forms or by requesting existing customers to provide their numbers and validate them with OTPs
Send the first SMS campaign: Launch your SMS campaign either as a standalone campaign or as part of a multi-channel strategy
Track your results: Analyze the performance of your SMS campaign, including open rates and generated sales, to determine the ROI of your efforts
Use automation workflows: Incorporate SMS into your multi-channel automation workflows to deliver a consistent experience to your audience rather than limiting automation to email alone
Define timing and send
Choose the time (or frequency) at which customers receive SMS messages. The right timing ensures customers are more receptive to what you have to say, letting them evaluate your offer from a place of happiness.
If you decide to pick times manually, research suggests sending messages during active hours (8 AM to 5 PM). Additionally, you could use automation platforms like Omnisend to automatically choose the best time for each SMS.
As a side note, remember that SMS messages are more immediate than emails and other marketing messages. Reserve this channel for your most exciting or compelling messages so customers are always happy to hear from you — and not incessantly annoyed.
Automate as necessary
Wig retailer Divatress generates an average of $15,000 in monthly sales from SMS marketing campaigns. Owner and founder Rob Lin says he can’t imagine operating the business without SMS marketing. Divatress’ automated abandoned cart series averages a 29% conversion rate, accounting for 28% of all revenue generated through their Omnisend marketing while only making up 5% of all sends.
The workflow operates like so:
An email is sent about an hour after the cart is abandoned
A second email is sent 10 hours later if there’s no activity
A third message is sent 24 hours later — either an SMS or web push notification, depending on customer subscription — accompanied by one final email
Here’s more on how Divatress uses SMS marketing and different types of SMS messages to increase customer loyalty and boost business.
SMS marketing case study
“At this point, I can’t imagine a world without SMS marketing. It’s really taken off. Our SMS subscribers are growing much faster than email subscribers. SMS is just becoming more and more important for us and it’s definitely not going anywhere.”
Yes, SMS marketing is legal. However, there are important regulatory requirements that businesses must adhere to.
In the United States, SMS marketing is governed by laws like the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and the CAN-SPAM Act. The TCPA, in particular, outlines rules for obtaining consent from customers before sending promotional messages via SMS.
To ensure SMS marketing compliance, businesses should:
Obtain explicit opt-in consent
Avoid misleading or deceptive content
Identify themselves and the purpose of the message
Respect do-not-call lists and time restrictions for sending messages
Provide clear and easy opt-out options
Opt-out options typically allow customers to reply with “STOP” to unsubscribe from further messages.
It’s crucial to understand and follow these regulations to avoid potential legal issues and reputational damage. Using a reliable and compliant SMS service provider can help.
SMS marketing is a powerful tool for businesses, offering cost-effective and direct communication with customers.
It boasts high open rates, immediate delivery, and a proven ability to drive sales.
To use SMS marketing effectively, start by legally building a quality subscriber list.
Then, utilize SMS marketing apps like Omnisend to streamline campaigns and create personalized, concise messages. Timing and frequency matter, so you want to be strategic in your approach.
Align SMS with your overall marketing strategy, and consider using MMS for richer content.
Start leveraging SMS marketing today to boost engagement and sales.
Ready to supercharge your marketing strategy with SMS? Register with Omnisend today
Richard is a Content Marketing Manager at Omnisend. An avid writer, he's said to have been born holding a pencil. Fascinated by all things handmade, if he's not reading or writing he can often be found practicing leathercraft.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
related features
These are the Omnisend features that can help you get the results mentioned in the article.
OFFER
