SMS marketing is the practice of sending promotional or informational text messages (SMS) to customers' mobile phones, with their prior consent, to share offers, reminders, alerts and updates. Because a standard SMS is short (160 characters) and lands directly on the phone, SMS marketing is used for messages that need to be seen quickly.
SMS marketing works on any mobile phone, with no app or internet connection needed, and Mailpro's SMS page cites a 98% open rate for text messages. Many businesses use it alongside email marketing: SMS for short, time-sensitive messages, email for detailed content. See texting vs email.
Full guide: how to do SMS marketing: how it works, rules and costs
Types of SMS marketing messages
- Promotional campaigns: a one-off send to a list, such as a flash sale, a new collection or an event invitation.
- Transactional and informational messages: order and shipping updates, confirmations, account alerts.
- Automated SMS campaigns: messages sent automatically by a trigger or on a schedule, such as birthday offers and appointment reminders. See SMS automation.
SMS marketing vs bulk SMS vs transactional SMS
| Term | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| SMS marketing | The whole channel: using text messages to promote, inform and keep customers, with their consent. | A loyalty program that texts offers, reminders and news. |
| Bulk SMS | A sending method: one message sent to many recipients at once. It can carry marketing or plain information. | A flash-sale text sent to 5,000 subscribers. |
| Transactional SMS | An individual message triggered by a customer action or account event, with no promotion in it. | An order confirmation or a delivery update. |
Key facts about SMS marketing
- Length: one standard SMS holds 160 characters, or 70 when it contains emojis or special characters. Longer texts are split into several billed parts. See the SMS character limit.
- Consent: marketing texts require the recipient's prior consent in most countries. See how to collect SMS opt-ins.
- Opt-out: every marketing SMS should name the sender and give a free way to stop, commonly "Reply STOP".
- Sender name: alphanumeric sender IDs (a brand name instead of a number) work in many countries but not in the US. See how to configure the SMS sender name.
- Cost: SMS is usually priced per message, and the price depends on the destination country. See SMS pricing.
SMS marketing in Mailpro
With Mailpro's SMS platform you upload your list and send bulk SMS from your account, with no phone needed. You can schedule SMS campaigns days, weeks or months ahead and cancel before sending, set up automatic SMS that repeat monthly, weekly or yearly for birthdays, appointment reminders and seasonal messages, personalize each text with dynamic fields, and measure delivery with SMS statistics. Developers can trigger texts from their own application with the SMS API. See SMS pricing.
SMS marketing FAQ
Is SMS marketing legal?
Yes, when recipients have opted in and can opt out at any time. Rules differ by country, for example the TCPA in the United States and the GDPR in Europe. See SMS laws and restrictions by country. This is general information, not legal advice.
What is the difference between SMS marketing and SMS automation?
SMS marketing is the whole channel; SMS automation is the part where messages are sent by rules and triggers instead of by hand.
How often can I send marketing SMS?
Less often than email. Tell subscribers at signup what to expect, keep promotional texts occasional, and watch your opt-out rate.
To plan a campaign step by step, read the full guide how to do SMS marketing, and to coordinate both channels, combining SMS and email campaigns.
Mailpro and SMS marketing
SMS marketing from the same account as your email
Upload your list, write your text and send or schedule bulk SMS campaigns from your computer, with delivery statistics for every message.