SMS marketing is the practice of sending promotional, transactional, or customer service messages to opted-in subscribers via text message. With 98% open rates and 90%+ of texts read within 3 minutes, SMS is the highest-attention direct marketing channel available.
But that attention comes with responsibility. Text messaging is personal — it goes to the same channel as messages from friends and family. Done right, SMS marketing drives significant revenue and loyalty. Done wrong, it burns trust and triggers spam complaints that can shut down your sending capability.
Why SMS Marketing Works
Unmatched open rates: Email averages 20-30% open rates. SMS averages 98%. Nearly every text you send will be read.
Speed: 90% of texts are read within 3 minutes of delivery. No other marketing channel reaches customers this fast — critical for time-sensitive offers, flash sales, or event reminders.
High purchase intent channel: Customers who opt into SMS are highly engaged — they’ve explicitly given permission for direct contact. This self-selection creates an inherently high-intent audience.
Low noise: People receive hundreds of emails a day. The average person receives far fewer marketing texts, making SMS stand out.
Complementary to email: Email and SMS together perform better than either alone. SMS for urgency and immediacy; email for depth and content.
SMS Marketing Compliance
This is non-negotiable. SMS marketing is regulated in the US (TCPA), Canada (CASL), the EU (GDPR), and UK. Violations carry substantial fines.
Required Legal Requirements (US)
Explicit prior written consent: Before texting anyone, you must have their explicit opt-in. “Give me your number to enter the contest” is not valid consent for marketing texts. You must clearly state: “By signing up, you agree to receive marketing text messages.”
Clear disclosure at opt-in:
- That they’re opting into marketing texts (not just any texts)
- Who is texting them (your brand name)
- Message frequency (e.g., “~4 messages/month”)
- “Message and data rates may apply”
- How to opt out (STOP)
Easy opt-out: Must honor STOP immediately and permanently. Cannot text them again without a new opt-in.
No third-party lists: You cannot purchase SMS lists or use lists collected for other purposes (email opt-in is not SMS consent).
Sending hours: TCPA prohibits texts before 8am or after 9pm in the recipient’s local time zone.
Registration Requirements (US, 2023+)
As of 2023, carriers require business SMS senders to register their brand and campaign use cases through the 10DLC (10-Digit Long Code) system. Unregistered numbers face message filtering and blocking. Register through your SMS platform.
Building Your SMS Subscriber List
The most important principle: never add subscribers without explicit consent. Your list quality directly determines your results and your compliance status.
List Building Tactics
Website opt-in: Pop-up or embedded form specifically for SMS. Be clear this is for text messages, not email. Incentivize with a discount or exclusive offer (“Text JOIN to 12345 for 15% off your first order”).
Checkout opt-in: During e-commerce checkout, offer to send order updates via SMS. Include a checkbox for marketing texts (separate from transactional).
In-store / QR code: Display QR codes at point of sale linking to SMS opt-in. Works for retail, restaurants, and events.
Keyword opt-in: Advertise a keyword — “Text DEALS to 12345” — in social media, packaging, receipts, and email. Simple and trackable.
Email list integration: Send a dedicated email to your email subscribers inviting them to opt into SMS for exclusive deals. This is a legal method — the email consent is separate from SMS consent, and the opt-in click creates a new SMS consent record.
Facebook/Instagram Lead Ads: Include phone number as a field with clear SMS consent language.
Types of SMS Marketing Messages
Promotional Campaigns
Time-limited offers, flash sales, new product launches, and exclusive discounts.
Best practices:
- Lead with the offer value: “20% off everything — today only”
- Include a direct link to the product or offer page
- Create genuine urgency with a real deadline
- Keep it concise: 160 characters for a single SMS (use MMS for more)
Example:
🔥 FLASH SALE: 30% off all orders today only. Shop now: [link] Reply STOP to opt out.
Triggered / Transactional Messages
Automated messages sent in response to a customer action:
Welcome message: Sent immediately after opt-in. Confirm subscription, deliver promised discount, set expectations.
Abandoned cart: “You left something behind” message with cart link. Among the highest-converting SMS automations — 10-15%+ conversion rates when sent within 1-3 hours.
Order confirmation and shipping updates: Customers expect these. High open rates; high customer satisfaction.
Back-in-stock alerts: Notify subscribers when a waitlisted item is available. High purchase intent — they were waiting.
Birthday messages: Personalized offer on or near birthday. Strong engagement and conversion.
Win-back: Re-engagement message for customers who haven’t purchased in 60-90 days.
Conversational / Two-Way SMS
Moving beyond broadcast to actual text conversations. A customer texts a question; a human or AI chatbot responds.
Use cases:
- Customer support and FAQ resolution
- Order status inquiries
- Appointment scheduling and reminders
- Product recommendations (guided selling)
Two-way SMS requires a platform that handles routing and response management.
SMS Campaign Best Practices
Message Length and Format
160-1600 characters: Longer SMS (concatenated) — delivered as multiple texts but appears as one. Slightly higher cost; avoid for most campaigns.
MMS (Multimedia): Supports images, GIFs, and up to 1,600 characters. 2-3x higher engagement than plain text. Worth the additional cost for promotional campaigns.
Format principles:
- Brand name first or in first line (recipients need to know who’s texting)
- Clear value immediately (“20% off” before the details)
- Single, clear link (use short links for tracking and character count)
- Opt-out instructions (“Reply STOP to opt out”) — required by law
Timing and Frequency
Best times to send:
- E-commerce promotions: Tuesday-Thursday, 12-3pm local time
- Flash sales: Weekend mornings (10am-12pm) for urgency
- Event reminders: 24 hours before, then 1 hour before
- Avoid: Before 8am, after 9pm (legal requirement), Mondays (high unsubscribe rates)
Frequency: Most SMS lists perform best at 2-6 messages per month. More than 8/month significantly increases opt-out rates. Less than 2/month and subscribers forget they signed up.
Personalization
Even basic personalization dramatically improves conversion:
- Use first name in the message
- Reference previous purchase or behavior (“You bought X last month — try Y”)
- Segment by purchase history, location, or engagement
SMS Marketing Automation Flows
E-Commerce SMS Automation Stack
Welcome flow (immediate after opt-in):
- Message 1 (immediately): Welcome + discount code
- Message 2 (3 days later if no purchase): Remind about the discount, add social proof
- Message 3 (7 days later if no purchase): Last chance on discount / new offer
Abandoned cart flow:
- Message 1 (1-3 hours after abandonment): “You forgot something” + cart link
- Message 2 (24 hours later if no purchase): Add urgency or offer
- Email is often sent in parallel; SMS and email together outperform either alone
Post-purchase flow:
- Order confirmation (immediate)
- Shipping notification (when shipped)
- Delivery confirmation (when delivered)
- Product review request (7-10 days post-delivery)
- Repurchase prompt (timed to product consumption cycle)
Win-back flow (60 days inactive):
- “We miss you” message with exclusive comeback offer
- If no response after 7 days: Final offer / off-ramp
SMS Marketing Platforms
| Platform | Best For | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Klaviyo | E-commerce (Shopify/Magento) | Unified email + SMS, behavioral triggers |
| Attentive | Mid-to-large e-commerce | Advanced segmentation, two-way SMS |
| Postscript | Shopify e-commerce | Shopify-native, compliance focus |
| SimpleTexting | SMBs and local businesses | Easy campaigns, two-way inbox |
| Twilio | Developers / custom builds | API-first, full flexibility |
| EZTexting | Local and service businesses | Affordable, simple interface |
Measuring SMS Marketing Results
List metrics:
- Opt-in rate (subscribers acquired / opt-in impressions)
- Opt-out rate (should be <3% per campaign)
- Net list growth (new subscribers minus opt-outs)
Campaign metrics:
- Delivery rate (should be 95%+; lower indicates list quality issues)
- Click-through rate: 10-30% for promotional campaigns is strong
- Conversion rate: 1-5% for promotional; 10-20% for abandoned cart
Revenue metrics:
- Revenue per subscriber per month
- Revenue per message sent
- SMS-attributed revenue (tracked via UTM links or discount codes)
Generate SMS campaign copy, automation sequences, and promotional text messages with AdsMG.ai — AI-powered marketing content for email and SMS.
Last updated: April 27, 2026
Turn the ideas in this article into live campaigns, content, and creative tests.
AdsMG AI helps growth teams move from strategy to execution without stitching together separate tools for copy, optimization, and reporting.