How to run your first SMS campaign: 4 simple steps

SMS is one of the most direct ways to reach your customers: it lands in everyone’s pocket, with no app to install and no overflowing inbox. You still need to prepare your first campaign properly. A poorly targeted message, sent at the wrong time or without a clear goal, misses its potential.

Here is the method we recommend to our customers to launch an effective first SMS campaign, in four steps.

Step 1: set a clear goal and target audience

Before writing a single word, ask yourself one question: what should the recipient do after reading your SMS? Visit your shop, take up an online offer, confirm an appointment, answer a question… One goal per campaign: that is what keeps the message clear and the results measurable.

Then choose who will receive it. Rather than texting all your contacts, segment them:

• recent customers, to build loyalty or offer a complementary product;
• customers who have been inactive for several months, to bring them back;
• contacts in a given area, for an event or a shop opening;
• people who took part in a previous operation, for a targeted follow-up.

A smaller but relevant list almost always performs better than a mass send.

Check one thing right away: consent. For a commercial SMS sent to consumers, your contacts must have agreed to receive your messages. We explain the rules in our article SMS marketing and GDPR: the rules to follow in France.

Step 2: write a short, actionable message

A standard SMS is 160 characters long. Beyond that, it is split into several messages, each charged separately. It is a constraint, but also an opportunity: it forces you to get to the point.

A good marketing SMS contains four elements:

1. The sender: a recognisable name (up to 11 characters, such as your shop name) rather than an unknown number.
2. The hook: the benefit for the customer, in the very first words.
3. The call to action: what you expect them to do, with a deadline if the offer has one.
4. The opt-out mention: mandatory for commercial messages, for example « STOP to 36xxx ».

Example for a clothing shop:

MYSHOP: 20% off the whole autumn collection until Sunday, in store and on myshop.com with the code AUTUMN20. STOP to 36xxx

A few writing tips:

• Personalise with the first name when you have it: the message feels less generic.
• Be specific: a percentage, a date or a place beats « an exceptional offer ».
• Add a short link if the action happens online. It saves characters and lets you measure clicks.
• Avoid excessive capitals and strings of exclamation marks, which look like spam.
• Use emojis sparingly: they catch the eye, but a single emoji can change the message encoding and reduce the number of characters available. Our guide to emojis in SMS (in French) explains everything.

Step 3: choose the right time and schedule your send

An SMS is read soon after it arrives, so timing matters far more than for an email.

• Stick to reasonable hours: during the day, on weekdays, and never late in the evening, on Sundays or on public holidays. It is also a professional code of conduct.
• Think about your customers’ routine: a restaurant will send late in the morning, before lunch; a shop, before the weekend; an event organiser, the day before and on the day.
• Plan for peak periods: sales, holidays, back to school, Valentine’s Day… Prepare your sends a few days ahead.

With a sending platform such as SMS Reflex, you prepare your campaign in advance and schedule it for the date and time of your choice. Before the final send, always send yourself a test message: check the display, the sender name and the link.

Step 4: measure the results and adjust

An SMS campaign is easy to measure. Track at least:

• the delivery rate: the share of messages actually received. A low rate means your list needs cleaning (wrong or outdated numbers);
• the click-through rate, if your message contains a short link;
• conversions: sales made with the promo code, confirmed appointments, shop visits;
• opt-outs: a high number points to a message that is too frequent or poorly targeted.

Then compare two versions of the same message on two small samples (different hook, different sending time) before sending it to your whole list. This habit, known as A/B testing, quickly improves your results from one campaign to the next.

Mistakes to avoid in your first campaign

• Texting contacts whose consent you cannot prove (a list bought without guarantees, numbers collected at random): it is prohibited for consumers and damages your image.
• Forgetting the STOP mention on a commercial message.
• Sending too often: one useful SMS a month is better than a pointless message every week.
• Not planning what comes next: if your SMS links to a page, make sure it is ready, fast and mobile-friendly.

Take action

A successful first SMS campaign comes down to four words: a goal, a clear message, the right time, and a measurement of results. To get started, our SMS plans include the online platform, campaign management, scheduled sending and opt-out (STOP) management.

Would you rather have some help with your first campaign? Tell us about your project and we will help you prepare it.