SMS marketing is a powerful acquisition channel. Nearly all your clients — if not all — own a smartphone. In fact, 84% of French consumers have one, and they use it for over 3 hours a day.
Studies show that 98% of SMS messages are read, with the majority opened immediately. Why not take advantage of this? This guide offers key tips to help you run successful SMS marketing campaigns.
What Is SMS Marketing?
SMS marketing is a communication strategy based on sending targeted messages by text to prospects or customers who have opted in. It’s used for:
- Notifications
- Surveys
- Time-limited promotions
- Event alerts
- Transaction confirmations
There are two main types of SMS:
- Transactional SMS – to validate an action, confirm a delivery, send a code, etc.
In 2021, over 6.8 billion such messages were sent. - Promotional SMS – used for drive-to-store, advertising, and direct marketing
In 2021, 4.5 billion promotional messages were sent by brands.
Why Use SMS Campaigns?
- Reach: 84% of people aged 12+ own a smartphone
- Speed: 95% of SMS messages are delivered in under 10 seconds; 99% within 10 minutes
- Urgency: 9 out of 10 messages are read immediately
- Cost: Just a few cents per message with a strong ROI (97% read rate)
SMS campaigns are fast to set up and help you build an instant connection with your audience — locally, cross-border, or internationally. Bulk SMS is also a great tool to enhance customer satisfaction and boost loyalty through timely updates and offers.
Best Practices for SMS Marketing Campaigns
1. Define Your Goals
What are you aiming for?
- Increase store visits
- Raise revenue for specific products
- Promote a special offer
- Get inquiries about a new service
- Attract new customer segments
Set clear, measurable objectives to assess campaign success.
2. Choose the Right Type of Campaign
Examples:
- Informative messages: store updates, schedule changes
- Reminders: appointments or events
- Invitations: contests, webinars, product launches, flash sales
- Personal messages: birthday wishes, personalized promotions
- Transactional updates: order confirmations, pickup notifications
3. Use a Bulk SMS Platform
These tools allow you to:
- Import contacts
- Personalize messages
- Automate sending
- Schedule delivery time
You can use:
- Your own opt-in SMS contact list
- A rented database from a provider like Dataventure
Pro tip: Perform Home Location Register (HLR) lookup to ensure deliverability.
4. Send at the Right Time
Study your audience’s behavior to identify optimal send times. Ideal windows are:
- Tuesdays or Thursdays,
- 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. or 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Commercial SMS must not be sent:
- Between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m.,
- On Sundays or public holidays
A/B testing can also help determine the most effective timing.
5. Keep It Short and Clear
Remember: it’s a text, not a novel. Keep your message under 160 characters.
Include:
- Brand name or recognizable sender
- Strong call-to-action
- Optional link to website, landing page, map location, or product page
Avoid anonymous 5-digit sender numbers — personalize your sender ID.
6. Customize Messages
Tailor content to different audience segments using marketing automation tools. Set up CRM workflows for:
- Abandoned carts
- Churn prevention
- Birthdays
- Upselling/cross-selling
- Post-purchase surveys
7. Know Your Audience
The golden rule: know your target. Use:
- Buyer personas
- Market research
- Behavioral analysis
The better your audience understanding, the higher your campaign’s ROI.
8. Track Campaign Performance
Define key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure success:
Deliverability Rate
Percentage of messages successfully delivered. A low rate suggests your contact list needs cleaning — remove inactive, wrong, or unsubscribed numbers.
Check delivery speed too — most SMS should be received in seconds.
Open Rate
Shows how many messages were read. Influenced by send time, frequency, and message relevance.
Click Rate (for SMS with links)
Measures interest in your offer. Tools show:
- Number of link clicks
- Who clicked your landing page
- Who interacted with rich SMS (scratch cards, shake messages, etc.)
Tip: Mention your brand name to build trust and increase click-through rates.
Conversion Rate
The number of users who took your desired action (e.g., used a promo code, downloaded content, requested a quote).
Bounce Rate
Number of failed deliveries. Causes include network issues or invalid numbers.
Growth Rate (Opt-in)
Tracks changes in subscriber numbers post-campaign.
Unsubscribe Rate (Opt-out)
Lower is better. If high, assess the reasons and adjust.
Cost per Customer
Calculated by dividing the cost per message by your conversion rate.
Now you’re equipped with the essential strategies to build high-performing SMS marketing campaigns.
Need help?
Dataventure supports you in developing this high-impact acquisition and retention channel — from store traffic generation to qualified lead capture.
Contact us to launch your custom Interactive SMS Campaign!
