Definition
SMS marketing is marketing via text messages to customers who've given consent, typically used for time-sensitive messages like launches, offers and flow-triggered reminders.
Also called: SMS marketing, Text message marketing, Text marketingScheduled send or individual trigger?
Campaign
A selected audience receives a planned message at a scheduled time.
Flow
A profile’s action or status triggers an individual journey.
Combined experience
Manage frequency and priority so the customer does not receive conflicting messages.
01A selected audience receives a planned message at a scheduled time.
Proximity and immediacy
SMS has open rates email can only dream of: messages get read almost always, and almost immediately. That makes the channel strong for the time-sensitive: a launch, a sale that's closing, an abandoned checkout reminder, a delivery update. Combined with email in flows, it reaches the customer on whichever medium works best in the moment.
But precisely because it's so direct, it's easy to abuse. SMS requires explicit consent, and people unsubscribe quickly if they're bombarded. Dosed right (few, relevant, well-timed messages), it's one of the strongest retention channels; overdone, it's a fast track to unsubscribes.
Frequently asked questions
Why does SMS have such high open rates?
Because text messages are personal and immediate: most get read within minutes. That makes SMS strong for time-sensitive messages, but also easy to abuse if the frequency gets too high.
Does SMS marketing require consent?
Yes, explicit consent, stricter than email. Contacts must actively opt in to SMS, and you have to make unsubscribing easy. Dose the messages, or unsubscribes climb fast.
From insight to action
See how it applies in practice.
Emails built around customer needs
At Cotonshoppen, email marketing supports the customer journey. The case connects the product range, communication and repeat purchases.
Read the caseKlaviyo and retention
Discuss your email flows
We start with your customer journey, existing flows and the data available to you.
Choose a time30 minutes · No obligation
About the author
Nicklas Segatz Mortensen
Growth hacker and fractional CMO with 10+ years' experience and hundreds of millions in managed ad spend behind him. Background from larger Danish and international scale-ups, and from the agency world.
Meet the team