Sender name

Some providers and plans allow you to customize the sender name (with Octopush, you can do this using our Premium SMS). It is the first thing your audience will read when you send them a message, so if you want to avoid being ignored or deleted by mistake, customize it and let them know it’s you. The more they see your name, the more they will recognize your brand.

Personalize your message

Use the data you have on your audience to tailor the messages you send them. They will feel more familiar, more personal, and they will be more attached to your brand. A simple way to do this is to use tags or variables in your automated messages. If you use a CRM or have an e-commerce site, you can easily do this using the Zapier app (check out our article on how to automate your SMS via your e-commerce).

Add a sense of urgency

There are many studies on the psychology of urgency , but what matters is that people are more likely to convert when they feel that time or resources are running out. Add urgency triggers like a deadline, a countdown, or limited stock; highlight potential price increases or item scarcity. If this is your strategy, you might as well include it in your CTAs.

For example: “Only 3 left. Get yours NOW,” “Last day! Make your reservations now,” “Prices will increase soon. Buy tickets at the promotional price.”

Opt-out

In some countries, it is mandatory to include a way to unsubscribe from your promotions (in France, for example, the law requires including “STOP to XXXX” in every marketing SMS you send). However, even if you could avoid this practice, it is always advisable to give your audience control over what they do or do not want to receive from you. We aim to satisfy our customers and engage with them, not to flood them with annoying messages they don’t want to receive.

Running an SMS marketing campaign might seem quite easy at first glance: just write a short message, select your recipients, and click “send.” It takes no more than 10 minutes, which is why it is so convenient for small and medium-sized businesses.

But what if you could maximize your results?

You can make a lot of progress in just 160 characters. Here, we will show you 8 essential elements that your message should include (and why) to get the most out of your SMS marketing campaigns.

Call to Action (CTA)

Let your customers know the next step. If you don’t know it yet, you might want to reconsider why you are sending the SMS in the first place. Think about the goal of your message, and the CTA will follow. Keep it simple but compelling, be direct, and avoid double meanings or difficult words.

For example: “Show this text,” “Click here,” “Enter GIFT at checkout,” “Come with a friend,” “Complete your purchase.”

Offer something of value

Put yourself in your customers' shoes: if you were choosing the perfect store to buy a jacket, why would you pick one over another? Give them something useful to help them decide. This usually takes the form of a coupon, a discount, or a free gift, but you could also run a contest. Get creative!

For example: "Buy one get one free," "get 10% off," "save $5," "a free dessert with your meal," "buy two get one free," "get $7 in credit."

Include your store name in your message

The goal is for your audience to remember your name. Give all your messages a special branding touch so they think of you—not just your store name, but your product names too. For example, if you have a spa, instead of offering a "spa day," offer the "luxury relaxation package." Pro tip: personalize your keywords as well.

URL

It is highly likely that almost all your recipients have mobile internet access. You have the option to include a URL to a relevant page on your site to extend your message beyond the 140-character limit of an SMS. Use it wisely! Direct them to meaningful, related pages on your site and make sure they are mobile-friendly, or in a word, responsive.

Pro tip: use URL shorteners to save characters in your SMS. There are tons of them out there, and we recommend using them frequently.

For example: "Find the store nearest you bit.ly/73hdn", "Learn more: bit.ly/jdh785", "Check our availability: bit.ly/79fhg4", "Buy your tickets here: bit.ly/7923gh"

Sender name

Some providers and plans give you the option to customize the sender name (with Octopush, you can do this using our Premium SMS). It is the first thing your audience will read when you send them a message, so if you want to avoid being ignored or deleted by mistake, customize it and let them know it's you. The more they see your name, the more they will recognize your brand.

Personalize your message

Use the data you have on your audience to tailor the messages you send them. They will feel more familiar, more personal, and they will be more attached to your brand. A simple way to do this is to use tags or variables in your automated messages. If you use a CRM or have an e-commerce site, you can easily do this using the Zapier app (check out our article on how to automate your SMS via your e-commerce).

Add a sense of urgency

There are many studies on the psychology of urgency , but what matters is that people are more likely to convert when they feel that time is running out or supplies are low. Add urgency triggers like a deadline, a countdown, or limited stock; highlight potential price increases or item scarcity. If this is your strategy, you might as well include it in your CTAs.

For example: "Only 3 left. Get yours NOW," "Last day! Make your reservations now," "Prices will increase soon. Buy tickets at the promotional price."

Opt-out

In some countries, it is mandatory to include a way to unsubscribe from your promotions (in France, for example, the law requires including "STOP to XXXX" in every marketing SMS you send). However, even if you can avoid this practice, it is always advisable to give your audience control over what they do or do not want to receive from you. We aim to satisfy our customers and engage with them, not to flood them with annoying messages they do not want to receive.