SMS marketing is a mobile marketing strategy that involves sending text messages to customers or prospects to promote a product, service, or offer. With a 98% open rate and 45% response rate, SMS marketing is an effective way to reach your audience and achieve your traffic and sales goals, whether online or in-store. In fact, studies show that SMS messages are read within 3 minutes of delivery 90% of the time, making it one of the most immediate and direct communication channels available to marketers today.
However, it is important to follow some best practices to ensure the success of your campaign. The mobile marketing landscape is highly competitive, and consumers receive dozens of promotional messages daily. To stand out and maintain subscriber loyalty, brands must implement strategic approaches that prioritize value, timing, and relevance.
Understanding SMS Marketing Fundamentals
Before diving into best practices, it's crucial to understand what makes SMS marketing unique. Unlike email marketing, which can sit unread in inboxes for days, SMS messages demand immediate attention. This immediacy is both an opportunity and a responsibility – an opportunity to drive quick actions and a responsibility to respect your audience's time and attention.
SMS marketing works particularly well for time-sensitive offers, appointment reminders, shipping notifications, and exclusive promotions. The average American checks their phone 96 times per day, and 75% of consumers are willing to receive SMS messages from brands they've opted into. This presents a significant opportunity for businesses to build meaningful connections with their audience.
Obtain Permission and Build Compliant Lists
Before sending messages to customers or prospects, whether via email or SMS, it is essential to obtain their permission. This is necessary to maintain a good relationship with your audience and to comply with GDPR regulations, as well as TCPA (Telephone Consumer Protection Act) requirements in the United States.
Explicit consent is non-negotiable in SMS marketing. This means customers must actively opt-in to receive messages, and the opt-in process should clearly explain what types of messages they'll receive and how frequently. Avoid pre-checked boxes or automatic enrollment – these practices can lead to high unsubscribe rates and potential legal issues.
Building and Maintaining Quality Subscriber Lists
If your database has not been sufficiently worked on or is too limited to meet your goals, consider partnering with providers who have this resource. An updated and qualified database will help ensure the success of your operation. To enrich your subscriber base, various collection methods exist:
- Website opt-in forms: Place SMS subscription forms strategically on your website, particularly on high-traffic pages like the homepage, checkout, and product pages
- Contests and giveaways: Encourage SMS sign-ups by offering entry into exclusive contests or chances to win prizes
- Point-of-sale enrollment: Train staff to ask customers if they'd like to receive text updates about sales and promotions
- Co-registration partnerships: Partner with complementary brands to cross-promote SMS lists
- Social media campaigns: Use your social platforms to promote SMS subscription benefits
- QR codes: Implement QR codes on packaging, receipts, or marketing materials for easy mobile enrollment
Remember to regularly clean your subscriber list by removing inactive numbers and honoring unsubscribe requests immediately. A smaller, engaged list is always more valuable than a large, unresponsive one.
Be Clear and Concise
Text messages have a character limit, so it is important to be clear and concise. Standard SMS messages are limited to 160 characters, though most modern phones can handle longer messages by automatically splitting them into multiple parts. However, keeping messages under 160 characters ensures optimal delivery and readability.
Avoid acronyms or abbreviations that your audience might not understand. Make sure your message is easy to understand and adds value for your subscribers. Use action-oriented language and include a clear call-to-action that tells recipients exactly what you want them to do.
Crafting Effective SMS Content
Every word in an SMS message counts. Here are key principles for writing compelling SMS content:
- Lead with value: Start your message with the most important information or benefit
- Use active voice: Active voice creates urgency and clarity
- Include your brand name: Always identify your business, especially early in your relationship with subscribers
- Create urgency: Use time-sensitive language like "today only" or "limited time"
- Personalize when possible: Use the recipient's name or purchase history to create relevant messages
Don't hesitate to enrich your SMS with a link (shortened) to your website to generate additional traffic and encourage conversions. URL shortening services not only save valuable character space but also provide tracking capabilities to measure click-through rates and campaign effectiveness.
Offer Added Value
Your audience is more likely to remain subscribed if you offer added value. This could be in the form of exclusive promotions (private sales, birthday gifts, for example), useful information, or relevant advice. The key is to make subscribers feel special and appreciated for joining your SMS program.
Make sure every message you send adds value to your contacts. Consider the subscriber's perspective: would this message be worth being interrupted for? If the answer is no, reconsider your approach.
Types of Value-Added SMS Messages
- Exclusive discounts: Offer SMS-only promo codes and early access to sales
- Product education: Share tips, tutorials, or how-to guides related to your products
- Industry insights: Provide relevant news or trends in your industry
- Personalized recommendations: Suggest products based on purchase history or browsing behavior
- VIP experiences: Invite subscribers to exclusive events or product launches
- Helpful reminders: Send appointment confirmations, renewal notices, or maintenance tips
Send Messages at the Right Time
Timing is important in SMS marketing. Sending a message too early in the morning or too late at night can annoy your subscribers. Make sure to send messages during business hours and avoid holidays and Sundays, unless your message is specifically holiday-related.
Optimal sending times typically fall between 9 AM and 8 PM, but this can vary significantly based on your audience and industry. B2B messages often perform better during business hours, while B2C messages may see higher engagement during evening hours when consumers are more likely to make purchasing decisions.
Advanced Timing Strategies
You can also personalize the sending time based on your subscribers' reading history. Advanced SMS platforms offer features like:
- Time zone optimization: Automatically adjust send times based on subscriber location
- Send time optimization: Use AI to determine the best time to reach each individual subscriber
- Behavioral timing: Send messages when subscribers are most likely to be active based on past engagement
- Frequency capping: Limit the number of messages sent per day or week to prevent fatigue
Segmentation and Personalization
One of the most powerful ways to improve SMS marketing performance is through strategic segmentation. Segmented campaigns can generate 3x higher click-through rates compared to mass messaging approaches. By dividing your subscriber list into smaller, more targeted groups, you can deliver more relevant messages that resonate with specific audience segments.
Effective Segmentation Strategies
- Demographic segmentation: Age, gender, location, income level
- Behavioral segmentation: Purchase history, website activity, engagement patterns
- Psychographic segmentation: Interests, values, lifestyle preferences
- Geographic segmentation: Location-based offers for drive-to-store campaigns
- Lifecycle stage: New customers, repeat buyers, lapsed customers
Personalization goes beyond using a customer's name. Dynamic personalization can include product recommendations, location-based offers, and customized content based on individual preferences and behaviors.
Automation and Triggered Messaging
Automated SMS campaigns can significantly improve efficiency while delivering timely, relevant messages. Triggered messages based on customer actions or dates typically see 152% higher click-through rates than traditional promotional messages.
Essential Automated SMS Campaigns
- Welcome series: Greet new subscribers and set expectations for future communications
- Abandoned cart reminders: Recover lost sales with timely follow-up messages
- Order confirmations and shipping updates: Keep customers informed throughout the purchase process
- Birthday and anniversary messages: Celebrate important dates with special offers
- Re-engagement campaigns: Win back inactive subscribers with compelling offers
- Post-purchase follow-up: Request reviews, suggest complementary products, or provide usage tips
Measuring Success and Key Metrics
To optimize your SMS marketing strategy, it's essential to track the right metrics and continuously analyze performance. Key performance indicators (KPIs) for SMS marketing include:
- Delivery rate: Percentage of messages successfully delivered to recipient phones
- Open rate: While SMS messages don't have traditional "opens," you can track link clicks as a proxy
- Click-through rate (CTR): Percentage of recipients who clicked on links in your messages
- Conversion rate: Percentage of recipients who completed desired actions
- Unsubscribe rate: Percentage of recipients who opted out after receiving messages
- Revenue per message: Total revenue generated divided by number of messages sent
- Customer lifetime value (CLV): Long-term value of customers acquired through SMS campaigns
Regularly analyze these metrics to identify trends, optimize messaging, and improve overall campaign performance. A/B testing different message formats, timing, and offers can provide valuable insights for future campaigns.
RCS... the Next Generation SMS
Despite its strengths (instant delivery and visibility), the SMS format has evolved little until now. Today, new possibilities are available to brands wishing to integrate this channel into their marketing strategy.
One notable example is RCS (Rich Communication Services), which allows sending enriched SMS to compatible smartphones. RCS represents the future of mobile messaging, offering capabilities that bridge the gap between traditional SMS and modern messaging apps.
New features offered by this format include: sender verification (to confirm the brand's identity to the recipient), the ability to add HD images, a Call To Action, or links to articles viewed on the website. These new possibilities enhance the strengths of SMS while providing a more engaging user experience.
RCS Capabilities and Benefits
- Rich media support: Include high-resolution images, videos, and audio files
- Interactive elements: Add quick reply buttons, carousels, and suggested actions
- Brand verification: Display verified business information and logos
- Read receipts: See when messages are delivered and read
- Longer message limits: Send up to 8,000 characters in a single message
- Enhanced analytics: Track engagement metrics similar to email marketing
While RCS adoption is still growing, early adopters are seeing 11x higher engagement rates compared to traditional SMS messages. As smartphone compatibility continues to expand, RCS will likely become the standard for business messaging.
Compliance and Legal Considerations
SMS marketing is heavily regulated, and non-compliance can result in significant penalties. Understanding and adhering to legal requirements is crucial for sustainable SMS marketing success.
Key Compliance Requirements
- Explicit consent: Obtain clear, documented permission before sending marketing messages
- Clear opt-out instructions: Include easy unsubscribe options in every message
- Honor opt-out requests: Process unsubscribe requests within 24 hours
- Maintain records: Keep detailed records of consent and opt-out requests
- Time restrictions: Respect quiet hours and time zone differences
- Message identification: Clearly identify your business in every message
Integration with Omnichannel Marketing
SMS marketing works best when integrated with other marketing channels. Cross-channel integration can increase campaign effectiveness by 250% compared to single-channel approaches.
Consider how SMS can complement your email marketing, social media, and advertising efforts. Use SMS to drive traffic to email newsletters, promote social media contests, or reinforce advertising messages with time-sensitive offers.
Effective Integration Strategies
- Consistent messaging: Ensure brand voice and offers align across all channels
- Progressive profiling: Use SMS responses to enrich customer data for other channels
- Cross-channel retargeting: Follow up email non-openers with SMS messages
- Social media amplification: Use SMS to drive participation in social campaigns
- Unified customer journey: Map SMS touchpoints throughout the customer lifecycle
In conclusion, SMS marketing is an effective strategy to reach your audience and achieve your goals. Particularly suitable for Drive to Store or promotional campaigns, it now complements brand visibility and traffic strategies. By following these best practices, you can get the most out of your mobile marketing strategy and maximize its potential for your business.
The future of SMS marketing lies in personalization, automation, and integration with emerging technologies like RCS and AI-driven optimization. Brands that invest in building compliant, value-focused SMS programs today will be well-positioned to capitalize on the continued growth of mobile commerce and communication. Remember that successful SMS marketing is about building relationships, not just driving immediate sales – focus on long-term subscriber satisfaction and engagement for sustainable growth.
