Ran out of inspiration? Don’t let that stop you from enjoying the benefits of bulk SMS marketing. We’ve prepared 31 SMS marketing ideas every business can take inspiration from, and use to grow their revenue with business texts.
Our SMS marketing ideas are suitable for most industries, covering everything from SMS opt in examples, ideas for retail text message marketing, business SMS drip campaign, sales messaging, to restaurant promotion messages examples, SMS event marketing, loyalty program SMS template, ecommerce SMS marketing, B2B SMS marketing, SMS for customer service, SMS marketing for agencies + bonus section at the end.
Enjoy!
SMS Marketing Ideas and SMS Opt in Examples
When collecting marketing phone numbers and growing your SMS list, you need to be careful about SMS opt-in. If you want to text your customers, they need to give you permission to do it. Getting SMS subscribers is the first step, and the most important one if you want to excel at SMS marketing.
Here are SMS opt in examples so you can start the right way:
- The [Company Name] would like to text you special discounts, including promo codes, new product launches, and restock information. If you want to subscribe to our SMS list, please reply YES.
- Website SMS opt in examples: Give us your phone number and tick the box to subscribe to our SMS list to get latest deals, special discounts, and a welcome promo code with 20% off your next purchase.
Pro tip: When persuading people to opt in for your SMS list, make sure you make it as easy as possible. Be concise, and transparent, and never sell their data to third parties!
SMS Marketing Ideas for Retail Text Message Marketing
When you’ve figured out the opt-in, it’s time to feel the full power of SMS marketing. There are multiple types of bulk SMS marketing, and retail stores can use most of them to increase their revenue. If you’re doing marketing for retail businesses, these ideas for retail SMS marketing will come in handy:
- Send welcome SMS.
The moment people subscribe to your SMS list, you should reward them for their loyalty. You can do that by sending automated welcome SMS, and in some cases a series of texts. Here is the idea for retail SMS marketing:
Thank you for subscribing to [Company Name]’s SMS list. We’re happy to have you! Show this SMS to the cashier on your next visit, and get 20% off your purchase.
If they use this perk in the next couple of days, great! If not, you can set up additional SMS, such as:
Have you forgotten to use your 20% off? Life can get busy, but why don’t you add a little spark and honor yourself with [Insert Product].
Business SMS Drip Campaign
Drip campaigns are a powerful tool no matter the channel. But a business SMS drip campaign feels even more personal and has better results. With a 98% open rate, you won’t regret running your next drip campaign via SMS.
Use SMS drip campaigns for the following types of bulk SMS marketing:
- Promotional SMS with special discounts.
- SMS announcements about a new product launch.
- Nurture new leads with SMS drip campaign.
- Send sequences of welcome SMS to new subscribers.
- Allow customers to take action and recover abandoned carts.
Pro tip: With SMS drip campaigns, timing is crucial. Schedule carefully every SMS your customers will receive and don’t overwhelm them with texts every day. The perfect interval is to send each SMS in 3-7 days.
SMS Marketing Ideas for Sales Messaging
SMS sales funnel can be extremely powerful, and convert like crazy. If you want to set it up the right way, be careful about the buyer journey stage. You don’t want to turn away customers who are not ready to buy just yet, but you also don’t want to bore customers who’re eager to buy immediately.
There are 3 main stages in buyer journey:
- Awareness
- Consideration
- Decision
For example, one of the most powerful ways to use sales messaging is as abandoned cart reminders. These people are ready to buy, but something stopping them. Why not offer a special discount and convince them there is no better time to buy from you than now?
Let’s see a sales text message example:
- Hey [first name], have you forgotten to confirm your order with [company name]? Here is a little reminder and 20%!
When you have these sales text message examples, you’ll absolutely nail sales messaging!
Restaurant Promotion Messages Examples
SMS Marketing for restaurants can be very lucrative. With the right restaurant promotion message examples, you’ll have to turn customers away because there just isn’t any table left.
Hey [first name], let’s celebrate your birthday together! Come dine at our restaurant and your first drink is on us!
If you’re opening a new location, you’d want your loyal customers to show up, right? Use SMS announcements to invite them to visit the new restaurant location and offer them valuable discounts in return for their loyalty.
SMS Event Marketing
Organizing an event is a hard job. No matter if it’s a small event or a big conference, you need to make sure everything is in perfect order. Anxiety is crawling up, and you’re praying everything will go smoothly. If you want to promote it right, use SMS event marketing to encourage people to show up. Here are a few tips for successful SMS event marketing:
- In the last week before the event, send approximately 3 SMS reminders about what they’ll get if they show up.
- Communicate important information with SMS, such as any changes in schedule, event agenda, or if one of the speakers cancelled.
- Create a buzz around your event with SMS marketing by encouraging engagement and offering incentives to your SMS subscribers.
After the event, ask participants to join your SMS event marketing list, and make sure your next event is even more successful.
SMS Marketing Ideas for Loyalty Program SMS Template
Are you already enjoying the perks of having a loyalty program? Use this loyalty program SMS template to make your customers feel appreciated immediately:
We’re excited you’ve joined our loyalty program! To prepare you for the unique benefits you’re going to receive, here is a 20% off your next order! And this is only the beginning.
We have a gift for you! We appreciate your loyalty to our brand so here is something in return. Get 20% off your next purchase by showing this SMS to the cashier.
SMS Marketing for Ecommerce
SMS marketing for ecommerce is an extremely broad topic, and we’ll cover it in depth. But before that happens, here is a sneak peek into SMS marketing ideas for ecommerce stores you can use right away:
- Black Friday is here, and so are amazing discounts on our website! Don’t miss out on them, use [promo code] at the checkout and enjoy great products at low prices!
- Launch a giveaway exclusively to your SMS subscribers. This will grow your SMS subscribers list and attract more people to buy from your ecommerce store.
- You can use SMS marketing for ecommerce to inform your customers about a delivery, a new product launch, and when the product is back in stock.
SMS for Customer Service
Not everything is about selling. Sometimes, showing customers you care can take you a long way. SMS for customer service is a great tool to keep in touch and resolve any problems customers have. It builds trust and loyalty, and exceeds customers’ expectations.
Use these SMS marketing ideas for customer service:
Hi [first name], thanks for reaching out! We’re working on resolving the problem with your order, and will let you know when it’s done. It can take up to 5 business days, thank you for the patience!
B2B SMS Marketing Ideas
Have you thought that SMS marketing is only for B2C businesses? Boy, have you been wrong!
B2B SMS marketing can be extremely powerful and lucrative. While not every B2B business will find it useful, here are some B2B SMS marketing ideas businesses take advantage from:
- Sales messaging. Message new subscribers and leads and shorten your sales cycle with B2B SMS marketing.
- Use SMS to schedule appointments.
- Nurture leads by sending them follow-up SMS after they get in contact with you.
- Send various reminders to make sure clients always know what’s going on.
- Share your new content with SMS subscribers to create a stronger bond between them and your business.
- Send them client satisfaction surveys to analyze how they perceive your brand, and how satisfied they are with your products or services.
SMS Marketing for Agencies
If you already think that all these businesses above can take advantage of SMS marketing ideas we’ve included, you’re not ready to here what we have for marketing agencies.
SMS marketing for agencies offers endless opportunities to both add another revenue stream to your agency, and offer your clients new channel that performs great. Here are the best SMS marketing ideas for agencies:
- Become a member of Emitto’s bulk SMS affiliate program and earn a commission for every SMS your clients send through Emitto. You can also run their SMS campaign and charge them for that service. They’ll be happy when they see SMS ROI, and you’ll continuously earn both active and passive income.
- Join our white label SMS platform and completely rebrand Emitto and use it as it’s your own software. With our tech and your marketing expertise, you’ll revolutionize what a high conversion rate means. The best thing about it? You can set up your own pricing and profit margins.
Bonus: Best Time to Send a Text Blast
The best time to send a text blast is when your customers spend on their phones. Easy, right? But how do you figure that out? The general rule of thumb is to completely avoid Mondays, because Mondays. Does anyone really like them?
When is the rush hour in their area? Avoid that time completely because they are already annoyed and won’t pay much attention to your SMS campaign.
The best time to send a text blast is definitely not early in the morning or late at night. Boundaries, right? If you have international customers, pay attention to the time zones as well.
What’s left?
The best time to send a text blast is 8 pm, when people are relaxed at their home, but not sleeping. Also, it’s great to send SMS campaigns when people are at work, which is 10 am-3 pm for most people.
