What is SMS Marketing?

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.

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 (see below).

What are automated SMS campaigns?

Automated SMS campaigns are text messages that a platform sends on its own when a condition is met, such as a date, a recurring schedule or a customer action, instead of being sent by hand each time. You write the message and set the rule once, and every contact who meets the rule receives the SMS at the right moment. This is also called SMS automation.

Every automated SMS has three parts: a trigger (a date, an event or an inactivity period), a rule (who receives it and when) and a message (the pre-written, personalized text).

Common triggers and examples

• Date-based: a birthday offer, a subscription renewal notice, a seasonal greeting. "Happy birthday Anna! Enjoy 15% off this week with code BDAY15. Reply STOP to opt out."
• Appointment reminders: a reminder the day before (and optionally a few hours before) to reduce no-shows.
• Signup or opt-in: a welcome SMS that confirms the subscription and explains how to opt out.
• Purchase and order events: confirmation, shipping and delivery updates, a review request a few days later.
• Abandoned cart: a reminder, typically within a few hours of the visit.
• Inactivity: a win-back offer for customers who have not bought in a set period.

More automated SMS examples

Why automate SMS campaigns?

• Right moment, every time: reminders and offers go out exactly when they are relevant, even at scale.
• Less manual work: recurring messages run on their own once set up.
• Consistency: every customer gets the same tested wording.
• Measurable results: delivery can be tracked for every message.

How to set up an automated SMS campaign

1. Collect opt-ins and store phone numbers in international format, with any fields you want to personalize (first name, birthday, appointment date).
2. Choose the trigger: a fixed date, a recurring schedule (weekly, monthly, yearly) or an event.
3. Write the message: name your business, one call to action, the opt-out instruction, ideally within one SMS.
4. Set the sender name where the country allows it. Alphanumeric sender IDs are supported in many countries but not in the US. See how to configure the SMS sender name.
5. Test on your own phone, then activate.
6. Measure delivery, clicks and opt-outs, and adjust timing and wording.

Consent, opt-out and compliance

• Opt-in first: collect explicit consent before the first marketing SMS and keep a record of when and how it was given. See how to collect SMS opt-ins.
• Identify yourself and offer STOP: name your business in the message and include a free way to opt out, commonly "Reply STOP". Process opt-outs immediately.
• United States: under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), marketing texts sent with automated systems generally require the recipient's prior express written consent, and some states add stricter rules. Since April 2025, FCC rules require honoring an opt-out made by any reasonable means within 10 business days. US carriers also require businesses texting from standard 10-digit numbers (10DLC) to register their brand and campaign, or messages may be filtered.
• Other countries: rules differ, including quiet hours and banned sending days. See SMS laws and restrictions by country.

This is general information, not legal advice. Check the rules of every country you send to.

Timing automated SMS

• Send in the recipient's local time zone and during daytime hours. In the US, the TCPA limits telemarketing to 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. local time, and some states set narrower windows.
• Send event-based messages soon after the event, while the action is still relevant.
• Cap frequency so automated and promotional texts do not stack up on the same day.

Keep each message to one 160-character SMS where possible (see the SMS character limit), with one clear call to action. For a full strategy, read how to do SMS marketing, and to coordinate both channels, combining SMS and email campaigns.

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

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 do I send an automatic birthday SMS?

Store each contact's birth date in a field, write the message once and set it to repeat yearly. Step-by-step instructions are in the FAQ automatic birthday SMS.

Do automated texts need consent?

Yes. Marketing texts, automated or not, require prior consent in most countries, and every message should explain how to opt out.

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.