Every few years someone declares SMS marketing dead, and every year businesses keep using it. There is a simple reason: a text message does not compete with an algorithm, a promotions tab or a busy feed. It arrives on the phone people carry everywhere, and it is usually read soon after it arrives.
That makes SMS powerful, but also easy to get wrong. Used carelessly, it feels intrusive and people opt out. Used well, it is one of the most direct ways to bring customers back. This guide covers both sides.
Why text messages still work
- They are short. There is no room for waffle, which forces a clear message and a single action.
- They are personal. People keep their text inbox for friends, family and businesses they have chosen to hear from.
- They are immediate. A text suits anything time-sensitive: today's offer, tomorrow's appointment or the last few tickets.
- They work on any phone. Your customers do not need an app, a social account or a particular handset.
Where SMS works best
The most effective texts are useful first and promotional second. Good uses include:
- Appointment and booking reminders, which cut no-shows and are welcomed rather than tolerated.
- Time-sensitive offers, such as filling a quiet afternoon or announcing a flash sale.
- Event reminders the day before, with a link to the details.
- Order and stock updates, such as "your order is ready to collect" or "back in stock".
- Loyalty clubs, where members have asked to hear about offers first.
- Alerts for your own team. For Beyond The Pale, a micro bar in Leek, we built a stock-alert system that sends a text each morning listing the items running low.
Where it does not
SMS is the wrong tool for long content, detailed product news or anything you would send several times a week. If you have a lot to say, a short text with a link to a page on your website works far better than a wall of words. And texts to people who never asked to hear from you do more harm than good.
The rules in the UK
Marketing texts are covered by the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) as well as UK GDPR. In plain terms:
- You need consent to send marketing texts, given clearly and actively, not through a pre-ticked box.
- The "soft opt-in" exception lets you text existing customers about similar products or services, as long as you collected their number during a sale or enquiry and gave them a simple way to opt out at the time.
- Every message needs an easy opt-out, such as replying STOP, and you must act on it.
- Say who you are, so the recipient knows which business the text is from.
- Keep a record of when and how each person agreed to hear from you.
Never buy a list of numbers. Apart from the legal risk, people who have never heard of you will not respond. The Information Commissioner's Office publishes clear guidance on electronic marketing if you want the detail.
How to write a text that works
- Lead with your business name so the message is recognised straight away.
- Make one point. One offer, one reminder or one piece of news per message.
- Give a clear next step, such as a link, a code to show at the till or a reply keyword.
- Watch the length. A standard text holds 160 characters. Longer messages are split into parts and usually charged per part, and some characters, including most emojis, reduce how much fits.
- Pick your moment. Avoid early mornings and late evenings, and send offers when people can act on them.
Building your list
The best list is one people join because they want to. Ways to grow it include:
- Keywords: customers text a word such as JOIN to your number and are added automatically. Promote it on posters, menus, receipts and social media.
- Your website: add an optional mobile number and a clear marketing tick box to booking and contact forms.
- In person: ask at the till or when taking a booking, and record the consent.
- Guest WiFi: venues can invite guests to opt in when they sign in to the free WiFi, which is what our guest WiFi marketing platform is built for.
Measuring results
SMS is easy to measure if you plan for it. Delivery reports show which messages arrived, a link to a dedicated page on your website shows how many people clicked, and a code shown at the till or entered at checkout shows how many bought. Replies to a two-way number tell you what customers think. Compare each campaign against an ordinary day so you know what the text actually added.
Automating the useful texts
Some of the most valuable messages are not campaigns at all. Booking confirmations, appointment reminders and "your order is ready" texts can be sent automatically from your website, booking system or CRM through an SMS platform's API. Once set up, they run in the background and save your team time every day.
The short version
SMS marketing is still worth it when it is wanted, relevant and occasional. Get consent, keep messages short and useful, make opting out easy and measure what each campaign brings in.
We plan and send SMS campaigns for businesses using Textplode, the bulk SMS platform, and we can connect texts to the systems you already use. If you are wondering why your website is not turning visitors into enquiries in the first place, our guide to why websites do not generate leads is a good next read.
