- One campaign, one goal, one call to action.
- Segment lists so each group gets a relevant message.
- Pair SMS with email, WhatsApp or voice rather than relying on one channel.
- Review reports after every send and adjust.
Start with a goal
Decide what a campaign should change: repeat purchases, appointment attendance, overdue payments or event sign-ups. A single goal keeps the message short enough for SMS and makes results easy to read.
Segment before you send
Group contacts by what they bought, where they are in the customer journey or how recently they engaged. A message to a segment of a few hundred relevant people beats the same message to everyone. Keep consent records for each group.
Choose message type and timing
- Promotional: offers and announcements, sent in permitted hours.
- Service: delivery, booking and reminder messages.
- Transactional: OTPs and alerts triggered by an action.
Send when the customer is likely to act: a payment reminder before the due date, an offer before a weekend. Our bulk SMS service supports scheduling and delivery reports for this.
Measure and improve
After each send, look at delivered and failed counts, link clicks and the result you wanted. Change one thing at a time, such as wording, send hour or offer, so you know what made the difference. Combine SMS with email for longer content and WhatsApp for conversations.
Mistakes to avoid
- Sending the same message to the whole list.
- Packing several offers into one SMS.
- Ignoring send time and DND preferences.
- Changing wording without re-approving the template.
- Judging success only by sends, not by outcomes.
A four-week plan (illustrative)
| Week | Message | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Welcome or thank-you to new customers | Set expectations, confirm the sender |
| 2 | Offer to a segment that bought before | Repeat purchase |
| 3 | Reminder to people who clicked but did not buy | Recover interest |
| 4 | Review and plan | Compare delivery, clicks and sales |
The table is a template to adapt. Volumes and results depend on your list and offer.
Tie SMS to the rest of your plan
Use email for the story, SMS for the nudge and WhatsApp for questions. A customer who clicks an SMS link should land on a page that matches the message. Read our marketing communication solution for how channels fit together.
Sources and further reading
Rules and platform requirements change. Last reviewed . This guide is general information, not legal advice.