How to Send SMS Campaigns That Keep Customers Coming Back

Sending SMS campaigns is easy, but making them effective is a challenge.

Many businesses struggle with timing, message relevance, and personalization, which leads to texts that feel generic or even intrusive. Without a clear strategy, messages can either be ignored or result in higher opt-out rates.

The difference between an ignored text and one that drives sales comes down to how it’s written.

A well-crafted SMS needs to be clear, engaging, and action-driven. But most importantly, it should sound like a human rather than an automated system.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to create SMS campaigns that capture attention and build lasting relationships. From understanding your audience to creating personalized messages, you’ll learn how to turn SMS into a powerful tool for growing your business.

SMS Campaign Tips That Turn One-Time Buyers Into Lifelong Fans

Not all SMS messages drive loyalty. Some are ignored, while others lead to higher unsubscribe rates.

The key to success is knowing how to send SMS campaigns that are relevant, well-timed, and engaging.

Many businesses spend too much on acquiring new customers but fail to engage the ones they already have. Studies show that retaining an existing customer is five times cheaper than acquiring a new one.

SMS marketing is one of the most effective ways to build repeat business. When used correctly, your text campaigns can create habit-forming engagement.

Here are some proven SMS campaign strategies that encourage customers to return, spend more, and stay loyal to your brand.

The ‘Next-Buy’ SMS Strategy

Customers don’t always remember to return to a brand unless there’s a reminder or incentive. If you track purchase behavior and use predictive messaging, it can increase repeat orders.

With automation tools like Textellent, you can set up trigger-based reminders so customers receive SMS messages when they are likely to need the product again.

This strategy is useful for consumable goods such as supplements, beauty products, coffee subscriptions, and household essentials.

The 3-Text Customer Retention Formula

One promotional text isn’t enough to keep a customer engaged. You have to use a structured SMS sequence, gradually building engagement to see higher repeat purchase rates.

A simple three-step SMS sequence can nurture customer relationships while increasing sales:

1. Thank-you text: Immediately after a purchase, send a warm message thanking the customer. This reassures them that they made a good decision and subtly plants the idea of returning.
2. Value-added follow-up: A few days later, provide useful content related to their purchase. For example, if they bought an air fryer, send a link to a quick recipe guide rather than another sales pitch.
3. Personalized offer: After a couple of weeks, send a targeted offer based on their last purchase. If they bought skincare products, offer them a special discount on a complementary item.

This strategy works because it keeps communication going without feeling intrusive.

Using Textellent’s SMS automation, you can schedule these message segments ahead of time. Instead of bombarding customers with promotions, it provides value first and then introduces an incentive to return.

The Power of SMS ‘Mini-Memberships’

A loyalty program doesn’t have to be complicated to be effective. While traditional loyalty programs require customers to sign up with accounts or use apps, an SMS-based VIP club can be much simpler.

Customers who feel like they are getting something unique are more likely to stay engaged with the brand.

The goal is to make the customer feel like they are part of an exclusive experience, which increases emotional attachment to the brand.

Textellent allows you to segment customers based on their purchase history and engagement levels, so only high-value customers receive VIP perks. This keeps the program rewarding while avoiding unnecessary messages to less engaged customers.

Abandoned Cart Reminders That Convert

Cart abandonment is one of the biggest challenges in e-commerce. A common mistake businesses make is sending generic “complete your order” messages.

A better approach is to personalize the reminder and create urgency without sounding aggressive. Instead of simply saying, “You left items in your cart,” a more engaging message would be:

“We saved your cart for you! Your special 15% discount expires in 24 hours. Grab your favorites now: [link].”

This message feels less like a demand and more like a helpful reminder. It also includes a limited-time incentive, which encourages faster action.

Some brands also include customer service contact information in their SMS, allowing customers to ask questions if they have hesitations about completing their order.

With Textellent’s automation tools, you can send transactional messages triggered by browsing behavior for seamless abandoned cart recovery.

Post-Purchase Follow-Ups That Build Trust

Customer relationships don’t end after a sale. Following up with customers after their purchase keeps them engaged and increases the likelihood of them buying again.

A post-purchase sequence should include:

1. Shipping updates: Keeping customers informed about their order status builds trust.
2. Helpful tips: If the product requires assembly or has special care instructions, send an SMS with a link to a quick guide.
3. Review request: Once they’ve had time to use the product, ask for a review or rating.

These small touches improve customer experience while reinforcing brand value.

Textellent’s automated messaging tools allow you to create these sequences without requiring manual follow-ups. Customers feel like they are getting personalized attention, while you stay top-of-mind effortlessly.

Use MMS for Richer Engagement

While SMS is text-based, a multimedia messaging service (MMS) allows you to send images, videos, or GIFs with your text messages. MMS can add a visual element to your campaign to make it more engaging and memorable.

For example, you can include an image instead of sending a plain text message about a new product. Visuals are much more appealing and can help convey the message.

MMS is also great for sending promotional materials like coupons or event invitations. Instead of sending a text saying, “Come to our sale this weekend,” you can include a visually appealing coupon or an image of the sale banner.

Send Seasonal or Holiday Messages

Take advantage of holidays or seasonal events by sending timely SMS messages that align with your marketing calendar. These messages can promote special sales, new product releases, or holiday greetings.

You can offer exclusive deals for holidays like Christmas, New Year’s, or Black Friday. A message like, “Celebrate the season with 25% off! Use code HOLIDAY25” encourages customers to take advantage of the offer. Since holidays are prime shopping times, a well-timed promotion can drive sales.

Automated birthday messages are also very effective. Sending a personalized message on a customer’s birthday, like, “Happy Birthday, Sarah! Enjoy 15% off your next purchase,” makes them feel valued and gives them a reason to return. It’s a simple way to build customer loyalty and drive sales.

These messages don’t always have to be about discounts. You can simply acknowledge the occasion, like “Happy Holidays from [Business Name]! Wishing you joy and happiness,” which adds a personal touch without being sales-focused.

Maintain Consistency in Messaging Frequency

While it is important to avoid overwhelming your subscribers with too many messages, you also don’t want to go too long without reaching out. Consistency is key to maintaining a healthy relationship with your audience.

You must establish a regular schedule for sending SMS campaigns. For most businesses, sending one or two monthly promotional messages works well without being too intrusive.

It’s also important to adjust your frequency based on the type of content you’re sending. For time-sensitive promotions or special events, you may need to send more frequent reminders leading up to the event.

Conversely, if you’re sharing general updates or tips, less frequent messages may be more appropriate.

How to Send SMS Campaign Effectively

Now that we’ve covered the benefits and effectiveness of text campaigns, let’s explore the process of setting one up. Below is a detailed step-by-step guide with actionable instructions on how to launch a successful SMS messaging campaign.

Step 1: Choose the Right SMS Marketing Platform

The first step to running an SMS campaign is choosing the right platform for your business. There are several SMS marketing tools available, each offering different features and pricing. 

Your choice should depend on your business size, the scale of your SMS marketing campaigns, and any additional features you might need (like automation, analytics, or segmentation).

For example, Textellent gives you full control over your campaigns, where you can automate, personalize, and optimize every message you send. You can schedule messages in advance, trigger follow-ups based on customer behavior, and analyze engagement in real-time.

Sign up for a free trial today and experience how personalized, well-timed messaging can keep customers engaged and coming back for more.

Step 2: Upload Your Subscriber List

Be aware that before starting a promotional-type SMS campaign, gathering a list of subscribers who have opted in to receive messages is essential. 

This ensures you reach an audience genuinely interested in your offerings and protects your business from violating regulations like the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). This opt-in requirement is not necessary for transactional and reminder-type messages, but it is still a good best practice.

To build your promotional marketing subscriber list, you can use opt-in forms on your website, such as incentives like discounts or exclusive content, or encourage in-store or social media signups.

Textellent makes managing and growing your subscriber list easy. Unlike many SMS platforms, it allows you to use shared short codes or long codes for inbound sign-ups.

What sets it apart is that all responses come from a real phone number, not a short code. This gives your messages a personal touch that many other SMS marketing tools lack.

Step 3: Craft an Engaging Text Marketing Message

Most people glance at a text for just a few seconds before deciding whether to engage or ignore it. The first few words determine everything.

SMS messages should be short, direct, and contain a clear call to action (CTA). With SMS marketing, your message must prompt action, whether to click a link, schedule an appointment, or redeem a coupon.

For a successful SMS:

• Be concise and to the point. While SMS has no strict character limit, it’s best to keep messages short to retain attention and consider including an image to convey more. 
• Personalize messages by using the customer’s name or referring to their past interactions with your business.
• Create a sense of urgency by offering time-limited deals or promotions.

It’s easier to send promotional text messages with Textellent. This platform offers template libraries for text and media (MMS) that make sure you can craft and send SMS messages tailored to your customers.

Also, this platform allows multiple tags to be applied and segmented, so you can target specific customer groups based on their preferences, purchase history, past events, or a combination of them.

Step 4: Schedule Messages

Scheduling your SMS campaign is essential for maximizing its impact. Messages typically arrive within seconds of being sent, with most mobile carriers delivering them in seconds. 

Textellent’s scheduling capabilities allow you to manage messages at different customer journey stages. 

Another differentiator for Textellent is that it integrates easily with third-party calendar apps and even provides its own integrated robust calendar if needed. 

As a result, Textellent provides a full suite of pre- and post-appointment messages, such as appointment confirmations, reminders to complete intake forms, review requests, and even follow-up messages for setting up additional appointments. 

This can lead to increased customer engagement and revenue, something many platforms don’t offer at the same depth.

Step 5: Use Segmentation for Targeted Messaging

Instead of sending the same message to everyone, you can use SMS segmentation to create targeted campaigns.

While using a recipient’s name in the message is a basic form of personalization, it can make a big difference. You can personalize messages based on:

• Customer behavior: Send messages triggered by actions like recent purchases, browsing history, or abandoned carts.
• Location: Use geographic data to send relevant offers or updates, such as promoting events or sales happening nearby.
• Loyalty or membership status: Reward long-term customers with exclusive deals or early access to new products, showing that you value their loyalty.

For example, instead of a simple “Hi John, get 10% off,” a message could say, “Hi John, as a loyal customer, you get early access to our VIP sale! Shop now and get 15% off before anyone else!”

Textellent offers segmentation capabilities that can segment your audience based on various criteria, including customer preferences, events they’ve attended, actions they’ve taken (such as receiving an estimate), or purchase history.

Step 6: Automate and Optimize With Drip Campaigns

Drip campaigns are a series of automated messages sent over time, and they can be effective for nurturing leads and following up with customers.

Textellent offers automated, personalized drip campaigns that can be triggered based on specific events, such as an inquiry, a new purchase, a preference change, etc.

Automated nurturing campaigns can help you keep customers engaged without requiring manual follow-ups. It can also follow up with drip campaigns to secure an appointment or convert a lead into a customer.

Step 7: Track and Measure Success

Monitoring the performance of your SMS campaign is essential to improving future campaigns. Textellent makes this easy by providing tools to track these key performance indicators (KPIs) directly from the platform.

Textellent can track response rates and conversions when links are included in your message. For example, if your message directs customers to a purchase site, Textellent’s system can track how many recipients clicked the link and completed a purchase.

Step 8: Monitor Compliance and Offer Opt-Out Options

Finally, compliance with legal regulations like the TCPA is essential. Always provide a clear way for recipients to avoid receiving future messages. This not only keeps you compliant but also builds trust with your audience.

Textellent helps you adhere to SMS compliance by providing easy-to-use opt-out management tools, including the ability to use artificial intelligence to monitor sentiment analysis. 

If someone indicates they had a bad experience with your company but didn’t say they wanted to opt-out, they can be automatically prevented from receiving future messages and flagged for review.

How Textellent Automates Repeat Business With SMS Campaigns

Textellent is a powerful tool that makes creating, scheduling, and managing text campaigns easy. Here’s how to get started:

1. Go to Textellent’s website and sign up for an account.
2. Choose a plan that fits your business needs (Textellent offers a range of pricing models depending on the number of messages you plan to send).
3. Set up your account by entering your business details, creating a profile, and verifying your phone number.
4. Once logged in, explore Textellent’s dashboard to familiarize yourself with the tools for building and managing your text campaigns.

Textellent offers personalized messaging, scheduled campaigns, customizable template libraries, and powerful analytics to track your campaign’s performance. It’s ideal for businesses of all sizes, offering a user-friendly interface that makes SMS marketing simple and effective.

An SMS drip campaign is a series of automated messages triggered by customer actions. Unlike a one-time promotional text, a drip campaign keeps the conversation and makes customers feel connected to your brand.

Pricing

Textellent offers flexible and scalable pricing plans designed to fit the unique needs of any industry:

• Start with a free 14-day trial, including 25 SMS credits and full access for one user.
• The Essentials plan is $49/month with 750 credits, which is great for small businesses.
• The Standard plan offers 2,000 credits for $99/month, ideal for growing businesses.
• The Premium plan provides custom solutions tailored to your needs.

For accounting and tax services, there is a special package that offers ready-to-go tax-specific campaigns and immediate integration with a wide range of tax software packages. Try the tax pricing calculator to get an exact estimate based on the number of returns you manage.

Optimize Your SMS Marketing for Success With Textellent

If your promotions, reminders, or updates aren’t being seen, you’re missing out on valuable opportunities to grow your business. SMS marketing changes that.

Text messages are read within minutes, giving you a direct, immediate way to connect with your audience and drive action.

With Textellent, you can create and automate SMS campaigns that feel personal and timely. You can schedule messages in advance, trigger texts based on customer behavior, and track engagement.

If you need to boost sales, confirm appointments, or re-engage past customers, SMS campaigns guarantee your messages get read and acted on. Textellent supports your entire customer journey, from initial contact to ongoing loyalty.

Don’t let your marketing efforts go unnoticed. Start sending SMS campaigns with Textellent today and connect with your customers in a way that’s profitable.

Sign up for a free trial or request a demo consultation today!

FAQs About Send SMS Campaign

What are shared short codes, and how do they differ?

A shared short code is a 5-6 digit number used by businesses to send SMS and sometimes receive messages, while a long code is a standard 10-digit phone number used for messaging. Shortcodes are great for sending important notices and alerts and can work for mass marketing but can feel impersonal, while long codes provide a more personal experience.

Textellent offers the best of both worlds. Their unique approach allows a business to share their short code 87000  for advertising purposes to promote opt-ins, yet the response comes from a real phone number to make interactions more authentic. 

What is the best time to send an SMS campaign?

The best time to send text messaging campaigns falls during regular business hours, between 10 AM and 6 PM. This is when customers are most likely to see and respond to your message.

You should avoid sending texts early in the morning or late at night, as this can annoy customers. You can experiment with different times to find what works best for your audience based on their engagement patterns.

Using an SMS editor, you can schedule messages ahead of time to make sure that they reach customers at the right moment.

How do I know if my SMS campaigns are working?

You can track the success of your SMS campaign by analyzing metrics like open rates, click-through rates (CTR), response rates, and conversion rates.

Most SMS platforms, including Textellent, provide built-in analytics inside the campaigns tab for tracking delivery reports, message segments, and customer interactions.

If open rates are high but conversions are low, you may need to adjust your message length, call-to-action, or offer timing. A/B testing different SMS formats and sending times can also help optimize performance.

Businesses registered under the campaign registry can also access detailed compliance and performance reports.