Did you know that SMS marketing campaigns achieve an open rate of over 90%? This data makes text messages a tremendously effective tool to connect with your customers.
The numbers speak for themselves. 63% of consumers feel that businesses that use SMS marketing offer a better experience. It’s no coincidence that during Black Friday, brands that sent SMS reached a conversion rate of 30.21% through this channel. More and more sectors are adopting this strategy, with healthcare (86%), e-commerce (84%) and consumer services (81%) standing out with the highest implementation rates.
Text marketing has advantages that you can’t ignore: your customers check their phones approximately 150 times a day and 98% of messages are read in less than 90 seconds. This explains why SMS campaigns generate a response rate of up to 45%, while email barely reaches 6%.
In this article, you’ll learn how to create truly effective SMS campaigns. I’ll show you everything from how to define clear goals to how to measure results, to selecting the perfect platform for your business. Remember that a well-planned strategy can multiply the impact of your mobile communications. Start!
Define your SMS marketing strategy
To create truly effective SMS marketing campaigns, you need much more than just sending messages. The first fundamental step is to define a solid strategy that guides all your actions. Without this foundation, your efforts will be dispersed and you won’t achieve the results you expect.
Set clear goals for your campaign
Before you send your first text message, you need to be very clear about what you want to achieve. A strategy without well-defined goals simply doesn’t make sense. That’s why it’s essential to set achievable goals for your SMS marketing campaign.
What do you want to achieve with your messages? Among the most common objectives we find:
- Increase sales of specific products or services
- Generate qualified leads for your business
- Improve existing customer loyalty
- Increase traffic to your website or physical store
- Get feedback through surveys
- Strengthen brand recognition
Remember that when defining these objectives you must include specific figures. For example, instead of simply “increase sales,” it states “increase sales by 15% over the next three months through personalized SMS promotions.”
Identify your ideal audience
The second crucial step is to know very well who you will send your messages to. Good audience segmentation will allow you to create relevant messages that connect with your recipients.
We recommend that you base your targeting on these criteria:
Demographic segmentation: Use data such as age, gender, location, education level, occupation, and income to create more accurate profiles. This basic information will help you tailor the tone and content of your messages.
Psychographic segmentation: Go beyond basic data and analyze your audience’s interests, values, lifestyles, and psychological factors. These elements will allow you to connect emotionally with your customers.
Behavioral segmentation: This is based on the actions your customer takes, such as purchase patterns or previous interactions with your brand. This information is extremely valuable in predicting responses to future campaigns.
Determines the type of SMS campaign (promotional, transactional, informational)
Finally, you need to decide what type of campaign you’ll implement, as each has different purposes and regulations.
Promotional SMS: They represent approximately 40% of the messages sent by brands. They are used to communicate offers, discounts, product launches or invitations to events. These messages directly seek to encourage commercial action.
Transactional SMS: They make up about 60% of the messages issued. They include order confirmations, appointment reminders, delivery notifications, and access codes. They do not require explicit consent and can be sent 24 hours a day.
Informative SMS: They work as a channel to keep your customers informed about relevant company news, changes in schedules or services, or important communications with no direct commercial purpose.
It is important to remember that the type of campaign will determine key regulatory aspects. For example, in many countries, promotional SMS cannot be sent between 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., or on Sundays or holidays, while transactional SMS does not have these restrictions.
A clean database starts by verifying the data of the contacts. By validating phone number, you can verify active lines and improve the quality of your records.
Choose the best SMS platform for your business
Selecting the right SMS platform is the fundamental step to ensure the success of your campaigns. This decision will make the difference between messages that convert and those that go unnoticed. Below, I’ll show you the keys to choosing the perfect tool for your needs.
Comparison of popular SMS platforms
In today’s market, you’ll find numerous SMS marketing platforms, each with particular features. Here is an analysis of the main options:
ActiveTrail stands out for its high deliverability and intelligent automation. It integrates seamlessly with e-commerce platforms like Shopify, Wix, and PrestaShop, allowing you to automate transactional notifications and promotions. Their SMS plans are flexible and adapt to the volume of sendings you need.
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) offers a multi-channel solution that combines email and SMS marketing. It’s ideal if you’re looking to centralize your communications, although its specific SMS functionalities are more basic compared to specialized platforms.
Twilio is distinguished by its scalable infrastructure and global reach. It provides an easy-to-use API for integration, support for multiple sender IDs, and advanced messaging features. This will be especially useful if you have a large company with specific technical needs.
MessageBird offers global coverage, message personalization, and two-way communication. Its platform stands out for its reliability and scalability, making it an excellent option if you are looking to interact with customers internationally.
Octopush, of Spanish origin, guarantees a good delivery rate in Spain thanks to its direct connections with local operators. It has a powerful API, but its interface can be complex if you’re a beginner.
Key features to look for
What features should you consider when selecting your SMS platform? Here are the essential features that will determine the effectiveness of your campaigns:
- Personalization: Look for platforms that allow you to dynamically insert data such as names or purchase history, creating relevant messages that significantly increase conversion rates.
- Automation and segmentation: The best platforms offer behavior-based automation and detailed segmentation. For example, sending automatic reminders for abandoned carts or personalized messages based on purchase history.
- Advanced scheduling: The ability to schedule mailings at strategic times greatly improves the impact of your campaigns. Premium platforms allow you to optimize according to time zones and likelihood of interaction.
- Two-way communication: This feature facilitates the interaction of your customers through dedicated response numbers, short codes, or keywords, improving customer engagement and relationship.
- Analytics and reporting: Access to metrics such as open rates, click-throughs, and conversion tracking will allow you to evaluate the effectiveness of your campaigns and make data-driven decisions.
- Regulatory compliance: Platforms must include consent management and automatic opt-out to comply with regulations such as GDPR and avoid legal issues.
Integration with CRM and other tools
The ability to integrate your SMS platform with other systems is crucial to maximizing its potential. We recommend you consider these integrations:
CRM systems: Platforms such as Salesforce, Pipedrive or HubSpot can be synchronized with SMS tools to leverage customer data in personalized campaigns. An SMS platform properly integrated with your CRM keeps your customer data automatically updated between both systems.
E-commerce platforms: Integration with Shopify, WooCommerce, or PrestaShop makes it easy to send transactional notifications, promotions, and reminders to online store customers.
Email marketing tools: The integration between email and SMS allows you to create coherent omnichannel strategies, improving the overall effectiveness of your communications.
Integrations via API or Zapier: Platforms with robust APIs and comprehensive documentation will allow you to develop custom integrations, tailoring them exactly to your needs.
Remember that when selecting your SMS platform, you should consider not only the price but also the quality of technical support, the availability of tutorials, and the ease of use. This way, you’ll ensure that your investment in text marketing generates positive results for your business.
Automate and personalize your SMS campaigns
Automation greatly improves the effectiveness of your SMS campaigns. With it, you transform simple messages into personalized conversations that capture your customers’ attention just when you need it. Below, I’ll show you how to create unique experiences that drive your business results.
Advantages of automation in text marketing
By automating your SMS campaigns, you get benefits that no other channel can match. First, you optimize your time and resources by eliminating repetitive tasks, allowing your team to focus on higher-value strategies. Statistics confirm that automated SMS outperforms other channels, with an open rate of 98% compared to 20% for email.
The return on investment of SMS is impressive: X37.7 compared to X36 for email. Why this effectiveness? Mainly because of its immediacy, since 90% of messages are read in less than three minutes.
Remember that automation also provides you with real-time data on your customers’ behavior. This allows you to measure which messages generate the most response and adjust your strategies continuously.
How to use targeting to personalize messages
To maximize the impact of your SMS campaigns, segmentation is critical. According to recent studies, 72% of consumers interact solely with personalized messages. Therefore, dividing your database into strategic groups will significantly improve your results.
You can implement different targeting criteria:
- Demographic targeting: Use data such as age, gender, and location to tailor the tone and content of your messages.
- Behavioral segmentation: Analyzes previous buying patterns and interactions to predict future responses.
- Psychographic segmentation: Considers values, interests, and lifestyles to create stronger emotional connections.
Modern SMS platforms allow you to use dynamic fields to automatically insert personalized information such as names, recent purchases, or loyalty point balances. This way, each customer receives a unique and relevant message.
Examples of effective automated flows
The most successful workflows are triggered by specific behaviors of your customers. Among the most effective we find:
The abandoned cart reminder automatically sends a message when a customer leaves unpurchased products. We recommend including a discount code to incentivize purchases.
Reactivation campaigns can be scheduled to automatically contact inactive customers after a specific period. You can remind them of accrued benefits or send them personalized offers.
Automated welcome messages make a positive first impression, while appointment reminders have been shown to reduce absenteeism by up to 25%.
To implement these flows effectively, you’ll need to integrate your SMS platform with other tools such as your CRM, e-commerce platform, or booking software, thus creating a coherent communication ecosystem.
A/B testing is essential for refining your automations. They allow you to experiment with different elements such as content, timing, and calls to action to determine which combination generates better results for each segment.
Comply with regulations and protect reputation
Regulatory compliance in your SMS marketing campaigns is not only a legal obligation, it is also essential to protect your brand’s reputation. Did you know that knowing and correctly applying the regulations guarantees a relationship of trust with your customers? In addition, you will avoid economic penalties that can be really significant for your business.
Consent and mandatory opt-in
Obtaining explicit consent from your recipients before sending them promotional messages is a non-negotiable requirement. Current regulations establish different types of consent that you should be aware of:
- Simple opt-in: The user grants permission only once. Keep in mind that this can lead to less qualified databases with lower engagement.
- Double opt-in: Requires double confirmation from the user, creating a more qualified list with a higher open rate and a better response rate to your campaigns.
- Soft opt-in: Applies when there is a previous business relationship, but you must always inform about the possibility of inclusion.
Remember that consent must be free, specific, informed and unambiguous. It is essential to properly document when and how you obtained such permission for future audits or verifications.
How to make opt-out easy correctly
Just as important as getting consent is making it easier for your users to unsubscribe whenever they want. Best practices include:
- Include clear unsubscribe instructions in each message sent.
- Use simple keywords such as “STOP”, “DOWN” or “CANCEL”.
- Confirm the cancellation immediately and at no additional cost.
Not only is this procedure compliant, but it also builds trust in your brand. We recommend that you keep detailed records of unsubscribe requests to avoid unwanted submissions that could damage your reputation.
Key regulations: TCPA, GDPR and more
The regulatory landscape varies by region, but there are key regulations you should be aware of:
- GDPR (GDPR): In Europe, this regulation requires explicit consent and the right to be forgotten, with fines of up to 4% of annual global revenue for non-compliance.
- TCPA: In the United States, it requires written consent and clear opt-out options, with penalties of up to $1,500 per unauthorized message.
- LOPDGDD: In Spain, it specifically regulates the processing of personal data and digital rights.
In addition, you should check the specific regulations of the country where you operate, as there may be additional restrictions such as permitted shipping times or special rules for certain sectors.
The investment of time in understanding and applying these regulations will be more than recouped by avoiding fines and building a quality database that generates better results for your campaigns.
Measure results and continuously optimize
The analysis of the performance of your SMS marketing campaigns is the factor that separates mediocre strategies from extraordinary ones. To achieve outstanding results, you need to constantly monitor, measure, and optimize your actions.
Key metrics: open rate, clicks, conversions
To properly assess the impact of your campaigns, you should focus on these key indicators:
Open rate: With an average of 98%, it far exceeds the 20% of email marketing. This metric shows you the immediate reach of your message.
Click-through rate (CTR): Measure how many recipients interact with your links. SMS reaches an impressive 36% CTR, while email barely reaches 3.4%.
Conversion rate: Tells you the percentage of people who completed the desired action after receiving your message. SMS campaigns achieve an average conversion rate between 20% and 27%.
Exclusion rate: Allows you to see what percentage of people request to unsubscribe. Remember that a healthy rate should be kept below 1%.
ROI: A good SMS marketing indicator can exceed 3000%, making this channel one of your most profitable investments.
How to A/B test SMS campaigns
A/B testing is essential to optimize your strategy. We recommend following these steps to get reliable results:
Step 1: Clearly define your hypothesis before starting any tests.
Step 2: Test a single item at a time to identify exactly what’s making the most impact.
Step 3: Divide your audience into equal and representative groups.
Step 4: Measure results using the metric most relevant to your goal (conversions, clicks, etc.).
Items you can try include:
- MMS vs. Simple SMS
- Presence or absence of emojis
- Message length
- Variations in calls to action
- Different Shipping Times
Common errors when interpreting results
Do you want to avoid mistakes when analyzing your campaigns? Pay attention to these common mistakes:
Focus on a single indicator: To get a complete picture, you need to consider all relevant metrics together. Don’t just stick to the open rate.
Don’t compare equivalent data: Make sure to use consistent criteria, methods, and sources when evaluating different campaigns. Comparing holiday periods with normal seasons will give you distorted information.
Confusing correlation with causation: Verify that the observed links between variables are really significant before drawing conclusions. Not all relationships indicate cause and effect.
Not considering context: Factors such as seasonality, competition, or external events can significantly influence your results. Keep the big picture in mind.
To get reliable results, you need to constantly analyze the performance of your campaigns and implement data-driven improvements. Only then will you be able to maximize the potential of your SMS marketing strategies and achieve response rates that other channels simply cannot match.
Conclusion
SMS marketing campaigns are an incredibly powerful tool for any digital communication strategy. Throughout this article, you’ve seen direct-to-mobile message reach open rates of over 90% and drive conversions that other channels simply can’t match.
The success of your SMS campaigns depends fundamentally on a well-defined strategy. To start, you need to set clear and measurable goals. Then, properly segment your audience to customize the content to their specific needs. Remember that the choice between promotional, transactional, or informational campaigns will determine both the approach and the applicable regulatory restrictions.
Choosing the right platform is equally crucial. Personalization, automation, and analytics capabilities will make the difference between mediocre and extraordinary campaigns. Therefore, we recommend that you carefully evaluate the options available according to your particular needs.
Automation dramatically improves the effectiveness of your messages. Automatic workflows based on specific behaviors allow you to reach the customer at the right time with relevant information, significantly improving response and conversion rates.
A clean database starts by validating phone number. By validating a phone number, you can verify active lines and improve the quality of your records.
Regulatory compliance is a non-negotiable aspect. Regulations such as GDPR, TCPA, and LOPDGDD require explicit consent and simple opt-out mechanisms. Respecting them not only avoids penalties but also strengthens trust in your brand.
Finally, constantly measuring results using key metrics and A/B testing will allow you to continuously optimize your strategies. The world of SMS marketing is evolving rapidly, so you need to adapt just as quickly.
Effective SMS marketing combines art and science: concise and persuasive messages backed by rigorous data and analysis. Now you have all the tools you need to create SMS campaigns that truly connect with your customers and drive exceptional results for your business.
FAQs
Q1. What is the average open rate of SMS messages?
The average open rate of SMS messages is 98%, making them an extremely effective marketing tool compared to other communication channels.
Q2. What types of SMS campaigns are there?
There are three main types of SMS campaigns: promotional (for offers and discounts), transactional (order confirmations, reminders), and informational (company news and updates).
Q3. How can I improve the personalization of my SMS messages?
You can improve personalization by targeting your audience based on demographics, buying behavior, and interests. Also, use dynamic fields to include customer-specific information in each message.
Q4. What regulations should I take into account when carrying out SMS marketing campaigns?
It is essential to comply with regulations such as the GDPR in Europe, TCPA in the United States and LOPDGDD in Spain. These regulations require obtaining explicit consent, facilitating the option to unsubscribe, and protecting users’ personal data.
Q5. What are the most important metrics for evaluating the success of an SMS campaign?
Key metrics include open rate, click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate, opt-out rate, and return on investment (ROI). It’s important to analyze these metrics together to get a complete picture of campaign performance.
