SMS campaigns: Everything you need to know
Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2024 5:27 am
SMS campaigns have gained a front-row seat to almost every marketer’s customer communication strategy – and for good reason.
Here we highlight what an SMS campaign is, popular campaign ideas, best practices, and how you can set up your own.
What is an SMS campaign?
An SMS campaign is a series of text messages businesses send to customers to influence engagement or provide support – usually created to boost SMS marketing results. These messages can be automated and triggered by an action – for example, when an order confirmation is sent to a customer that opted-in to receive SMS order updates.
There are different types of SMS campaigns, including outbound and inbound (or one-way versus two-way) campaigns.
sms campaign example
Outbound SMS campaigns
The first thing most people think of when someone mentions SMS marketing are outbound campaigns. We immediately think about various types of promotional content that can be sent to customers. A general rule of thumb is that outbound campaigns aren’t meant to generate responses but rather to influence action.
And it works. According to TechJury, 80% of coupon redemption in the US will happen on mobile phones.
But, because of the personal nature of SMS, outbound SMS campaigns are hard to get right and can easily be interpreted as spam by your customers. For example, outbound SMS in the sales process can lead to conversion gains of more than 100%. However, sending messages before establishing contact with a lead or prospect can adversely affect conversion rates.
Inbound SMS campaigns
Unlike outbound campaigns, the main goal of an inbound SMS overseas chinese in worldwide data campaign is to generate responses. With that in mind, to run an inbound campaign, you’ll need a number which your target audience can reply to. This can either be a virtual long number or a short code. Once you get a number for your inbound campaigns and gather customer opt-ins, setting up an inbound SMS campaign can be easy.
Support ticketing is a good example of an inbound SMS campaign. In fact, 60% of consumers want to reach support via messaging. Enabling your customers to reach your customer service agents via SMS can reduce calls to your call center, increase response rates, and decrease wait times.
6 SMS campaign ideas
When looking at both outbound and inbound SMS campaigns, there are countless ways to engage customers. Here are just a few SMS campaign ideas to consider depending on the nature of your business:
Welcome or onboarding messages
Set up an onboarding SMS campaign by sending welcome messages to new customers that opt in. Include a link to your website or app to encourage them to explore your products or services – and introduce them to your SMS contact number.
Coupons and special offers
Send customers time-limited offers, coupons, and discounts with a link to your website or app to browse your products or services and complete their purchase.
sms campaign special offers
Card updates and reminders
Send an SMS reminder to persuade customers to revisit their cart and complete their purchase. Include offers on the items they left or provide a new discount such as free shipping on their order.
Shipping and delivery notifications
One of the easiest ways to engage customers via SMS is through order and delivery updates. Everyone wants to know when their order has been shipped and when it will arrive at their doorstep. You can include their order number, links to track their package, and real-time updates as the order makes its way to the customer.
Short surveys
Gather customer feedback through short surveys. Send a link to a mobile-friendly web survey – or engage customers with two-way SMS, enabling them to answer your survey questions directly in the chat.
Here we highlight what an SMS campaign is, popular campaign ideas, best practices, and how you can set up your own.
What is an SMS campaign?
An SMS campaign is a series of text messages businesses send to customers to influence engagement or provide support – usually created to boost SMS marketing results. These messages can be automated and triggered by an action – for example, when an order confirmation is sent to a customer that opted-in to receive SMS order updates.
There are different types of SMS campaigns, including outbound and inbound (or one-way versus two-way) campaigns.
sms campaign example
Outbound SMS campaigns
The first thing most people think of when someone mentions SMS marketing are outbound campaigns. We immediately think about various types of promotional content that can be sent to customers. A general rule of thumb is that outbound campaigns aren’t meant to generate responses but rather to influence action.
And it works. According to TechJury, 80% of coupon redemption in the US will happen on mobile phones.
But, because of the personal nature of SMS, outbound SMS campaigns are hard to get right and can easily be interpreted as spam by your customers. For example, outbound SMS in the sales process can lead to conversion gains of more than 100%. However, sending messages before establishing contact with a lead or prospect can adversely affect conversion rates.
Inbound SMS campaigns
Unlike outbound campaigns, the main goal of an inbound SMS overseas chinese in worldwide data campaign is to generate responses. With that in mind, to run an inbound campaign, you’ll need a number which your target audience can reply to. This can either be a virtual long number or a short code. Once you get a number for your inbound campaigns and gather customer opt-ins, setting up an inbound SMS campaign can be easy.
Support ticketing is a good example of an inbound SMS campaign. In fact, 60% of consumers want to reach support via messaging. Enabling your customers to reach your customer service agents via SMS can reduce calls to your call center, increase response rates, and decrease wait times.
6 SMS campaign ideas
When looking at both outbound and inbound SMS campaigns, there are countless ways to engage customers. Here are just a few SMS campaign ideas to consider depending on the nature of your business:
Welcome or onboarding messages
Set up an onboarding SMS campaign by sending welcome messages to new customers that opt in. Include a link to your website or app to encourage them to explore your products or services – and introduce them to your SMS contact number.
Coupons and special offers
Send customers time-limited offers, coupons, and discounts with a link to your website or app to browse your products or services and complete their purchase.
sms campaign special offers
Card updates and reminders
Send an SMS reminder to persuade customers to revisit their cart and complete their purchase. Include offers on the items they left or provide a new discount such as free shipping on their order.
Shipping and delivery notifications
One of the easiest ways to engage customers via SMS is through order and delivery updates. Everyone wants to know when their order has been shipped and when it will arrive at their doorstep. You can include their order number, links to track their package, and real-time updates as the order makes its way to the customer.
Short surveys
Gather customer feedback through short surveys. Send a link to a mobile-friendly web survey – or engage customers with two-way SMS, enabling them to answer your survey questions directly in the chat.