Text messaging remains one of the most direct, personal, and effective ways to reach your audience. With open rates around 98% and most texts read within minutes, SMS marketing continues to outperform other channels when it’s done right.
What is SMS Marketing?
SMS marketing is the practice of using text messages to communicate directly with customers -sharing updates, offers, reminders, and alerts in a quick, personal, and measurable way. When done right, it builds trust and engagement through clear, permission-based, and timely communication.
Even though it is simple to send a text, doing SMS marketing well requires a few fundamentals that are easy to overlook. Here’s a quick refresher on the basics and a few small habits that can make a big difference.
1. Always get clear permission
The best SMS campaigns start with consent. Make sure people have opted in to receive messages, whether that’s through a sign-up form, a keyword like “Text JOIN to 34001,” or an in-store registration.
It’s not just about compliance, it’s about trust. When your audience chooses to hear from you, your messages are welcomed, not ignored.
Pro tip: Send a short welcome message right after they join. It sets expectations for what kind of texts they’ll receive and how often.
2. Keep it short, clear, and personal
The sweet spot is usually 120–160 characters, short enough to read instantly but long enough to deliver value. Focus on one idea per message, like a reminder, an offer, a confirmation, or a link. If it takes more than one scroll, it’s probably too long.
Example:
“Hi Sara, our spring sale starts today! 💐 Get 20% off all orders through Friday: [link]”
Personalization does not have to be complicated. Even small touches, like using a name or sending at the right time, show attention and care. Emojis make a difference too!
3. Timing matters more than you think
Your message might be great, but if it lands at the wrong time, it gets lost.
Avoid early mornings, late nights, and weekends unless your audience expects it. Midday or early evening often works best, but test what fits your audience rhythm.
Think of timing as tone: respectful, not intrusive.
4. Give them a way out (and learn from it)
Always include an easy way to stop receiving messages, like “Reply STOP to unsubscribe.”
People appreciate transparency, and the data can help you understand what drives churn, such as too many messages, irrelevant offers, or timing issues.
When people trust that they are in control, they are more likely to stay.
5. Measure what matters
Don’t just count how many messages were sent. Look at delivery rates, click-throughs, replies, and opt-outs to understand engagement. Tracking these SMS marketing metrics helps you see what truly connects, not just what gets sent.
Small tweaks, like a new send time or a more conversational tone, can improve engagement.
6. Make automation your quiet advantage
Once you’ve nailed the basics, start automating what works.
Welcome messages, confirmations, event reminders, and follow-ups can all run automatically, triggered by simple conditions or keywords.
Automation does not make your communication less personal. It helps you stay consistent, fast, and relevant at scale.
Start simple, and let the right tools do the rest
The power of SMS lies in its simplicity. The goal is not to do everything at once, but to do a few things really well. When you combine permission, clarity, timing, and automation, your messages naturally build trust and engagement.
With Telerivet’s Campaign Manager, you can take these fundamentals further — whether you’re running your first campaign or coordinating millions across multiple countries. Easily segment audiences, schedule messages, set quiet hours, manage drips, enable one-click opt-outs and more.
It is SMS marketing made simple, smart, and scalable.
And if WhatsApp, Viber, or another chat app is more common in your region than SMS, no problem. Telerivet supports those channels too, and the same fundamentals apply: clear, respectful, and timely communication always wins.
Start your next campaign with Telerivet - the platform that makes SMS marketing simple, smart, and scalable across every channel.