SMS Marketing Strategies & Examples for Every Stage of the Customer Journey
While email and social media dominate digital marketing, SMS marketing delivers unmatched immediacy and visibility.
With open rates as high as 98%, it’s one of the most effective ways to connect with customers. This guide explains what SMS marketing is, why it works, key laws, and proven campaign strategies with examples for every stage of the customer journey.
What is SMS Marketing and Why is it More Effective Than Email?
On average, people check their smartphones 96 times a day. This means that we’re seemingly never off of our phones. Most people only check their emails a handful of times a day, whereas SMS texts are often read directly from the locked screen. This gives you a far better chance of capturing your customers’ attention than with an email.
What else makes sms marketing superior?
Higher open rates: SMS has an impressive 98% open rate, far exceeding the average open rate of email marketing. While emails can languish in cluttered inboxes, marketing SMS messages are almost always read.
Personalized interactions: Businesses can segment their audiences based on behavior, demographics, preferences, etc., to tailor their text messaging marketing content to resonate more deeply with each customer with a concise message.
Improve customer relationships: Timely, personalized messages can strengthen the bond between a business and its customers, fostering loyalty and engagement.
Compliance and trust: When done according to SMS marketing laws (like TCPA, GDPR), messages build trust rather than annoy customers.
How to Create an SMS Marketing Campaign (Step-by-Step)
1. Get consent and build your SMS subscriber list
The foundation of any effective SMS marketing campaign is a strong subscriber list built through permission. Use various channels, such as web forms, social media campaigns, or in-store promotions, to encourage sign-ups. Always ask customers for permission to send them messages to avoid being marked as spam or blocked. Organize opt-in lists with SMS blast software to ensure you communicate with an audience genuinely interested in your offers. Always comply with SMS marketing laws like the TCPA in the U.S. and GDPR in Europe—failure can lead to fines.
Make sure to allow your SMS marketing recipients to opt-out easily to maintain a clean, compliant subscriber list. This ensures your messages are more likely to reach an engaged audience.
2. Identify your brand earlier in your SMS marketing messages
Since SMS messages are often brief, identify your brand at the beginning of each message for instant recognition. This prevents your messages from being mistaken for spam and ensures that customers know who the message is from immediately.
Explore more about the best practices for SMS marketing here.
3. Draft concise and action-oriented SMS marketing campaign messages to make every character count
With a 160-character limit, SMS messages must be concise and impactful. Start with your brand name to ensure recognition. Use personalization, engaging content, and a strong call-to-action (CTA) like ‘Shop Now’ or ‘Claim Discount.
4. Modern SMS platforms also use AI to personalize timing and content automatically, ensuring higher engagement
Engaging your audience only when they are ready and receptive to your message. To streamline and scale your efforts, use SMS blast tools that automate your campaigns. AI Automation allows you to schedule bulk messages to selected audience segmentation, and send messages at the ideal time.
By sending timely, relevant messages, like promotional offers following cart abandonment, businesses can maximize their chances of converting leads into customers.
Read more: How to use an SMS blast software to send automated bulk messages?
SMS Marketing Laws & Compliance
Staying compliant is critical in SMS marketing. Different regions have regulations to protect consumers from spam or misuse. Here are the key laws you should know:
TCPA (U.S.): The Telephone Consumer Protection Act requires businesses to obtain express written consent before sending SMS marketing messages. Every message must also provide a clear opt-out option.
GDPR (EU/UK): Marketers must collect and store proof of consent, provide transparency about data use, and allow subscribers to withdraw consent at any time.
CASL (Canada): Similar to GDPR, businesses must obtain express or implied consent before sending commercial SMS messages.
Best Practice: Always use opt-in forms, confirm consent via double opt-in when possible, and make opting out as easy as replying “STOP.” Compliance not only avoids legal risks but also builds customer trust.
SMS Marketing campaign examples: How to engage customers at every stage?
When executed strategically, text messaging marketing can effectively guide customers through each stage of the customer journey—from awareness to advocacy.
Awareness stage: Introducing your brand
At the initial stage of a customer journey, your goal is to introduce your brand to prospects and grab attention, without overwhelming your audience. Whether you're launching a new product line, announcing a grand opening, or offering a limited-time service, you can use SMS messages marketing by offering early-bird access.
Example:
[Brand]: Great news! Our new summer collection has arrived—shop now and get 15% off with early access! Claim your discount here: [link]
Consideration stage: Nurturing potential buyers
Once a customer is aware of your brand, they begin to evaluate their options. They need reassurance and incentives to move forward. At this stage, SMS marketing messages should focus on building interest and keeping your brand top-of-mind. Tailor messages based on customer behavior or preferences to nudge potential buyers towards making a purchase.
Example:
Hi {First name}, we noticed you're interested in {Product}. For a limited time, enjoy 10% off your purchase. Use code SAVE10 at checkout
Conversion stage: Sealing the deal
A well-timed SMS marketing message can be pivotal in turning interest into a sale. Businesses can minimize checkout friction and create urgency to push customers toward completing their purchases upon this stage.
Additionally, following up with transactional SMS messages after a purchase reassures customers that their order has been confirmed. Keeps the interaction positive by delivering a smooth and trustworthy buying experience.
Read more: Check out our blog on Text Message for Business: Strategies, Examples & Best Practices for more insights
Examples:
"[Brand]: We noticed you left something in your cart! Complete your purchase now and enjoy 15% off. Use code CART15 at checkout: [link]."
"[Brand]: Thank you for your purchase, {name}! Your order is confirmed, and we’ll notify you once it’s shipped. Track your order here: [link]."
Loyalty Stage: Encourage repeat purchases with upselling/cross-selling rewards
Loyalty is built on satisfaction, trust, and consistency. Customers are more likely to return if they have had a positive experience with your brand. Therefore, your focus should now be building long-term loyalty to extend their lifetime value. Businesses can leverage text marketing for loyalty program updates, personalized special occasions promotions, or even upsell and cross-sell with exclusive offers.
Example:
"[Brand]: Happy birthday, dear {First name}! As a token of appreciation for being with [brand], check the rewards and redeem them before expires: [link].”
Advocacy stage: Encouraging referrals and reviews
Satisfied customers often become brand advocates by referring others to your business, leaving reviews, or promoting your brand on social media. Send SMS campaigns messages to encourage and facilitate these advocacy efforts with incentives. These customers are your “micro-influencers” who can help your business build brand credibility and expand your brand’s reach through word-of-mouth marketing.
Example:
"Love your purchase with [brand]? Share your experience on Instagram and tag us to get 15% off your next order!"
Integrate all messaging channels into one platform
Forget about the old-school way to chat. Team up with colleagues to boost productivity instantly.
Why should you use omnichannel software for your SMS marketing service?
Today’s customers connect with brands across multiple channels — SMS, email, social media, and in-app messages.
This multi-channel journey brings both opportunities and challenges: inconsistent messaging across platforms can confuse customers and weaken brand trust
This is where an omnichannel communication strategy comes into play. An omnichannel strategy consolidates, streamlines, and automates your marketing campaigns across SMS and other channels, ensuring that your messaging is cohesive and consistent.
Automate and broadcast SMS marketing campaign with SleekFlow
With SleekFlow’s SMS marketing services, you can easily implement an omnichannel strategy that enhances your marketing efforts, engages customers more effectively, and drives better results for your business
Achieve consistent messaging across all channels, including WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and SMS, within a unified inbox.
Automate customer interactions with AgentFlow: Design intelligent, no-code workflows that trigger personalized messages, route chats, and nurture leads automatically across all channels.
Automatically blast SMS text and messages for other channels to re-engage your lists of potential customers at the right time.
Streamline your business operations by automating workflows such as audience segmentation, follow-up communications, data transfer, and more.
Integrate with external data sources, such as HubSpot, Salesforce, etc. for a comprehensive customer profile alongside the chatbox for personalized engagement.
Track and analyse your marketing campaigns' effectiveness across channels with a conversation and conversions analytics dashboard.
Discover how SleekFlow’s SMS marketing services automation empowered the fashion styling platform to send timely outfit recommendations, delivery updates, and exclusive offers. By unifying SMS and WhatsApp into one SleekFlow inbox, Wear That’s stylists respond faster, personalize follow-ups, and boost engagement. Explore how SleekFlow helped Wear That elevate customer experiences and conversions.
{{__phrase_faq-title__}}
Want to outcompete your peers with SleekFlow's help?
Book your personalised demo with SleekFlow today and unlock the potential of seamless communication
{{__phrase_faq-title__}}
{{__phrase_share-article__}}
