Customers today are bombarded by so many ads that business owners can feel like there’s no way left to cut through the noise and actually reach them. As frustrating as the current marketing landscape can be, there is a channel that gets you directly to your customers: SMS marketing. 

SMS marketing achieves instant delivery to customers with 98% open rates. What other channel offers that? (Hint: None.) And with automation, you can take the power of SMS marketing even further. Your automated texts will work 24/7 to engage customers at the exact right times. In this guide, you’ll learn how to set up SMS automation for your business and the essential best practices you need to succeed.

What is SMS automation? 

SMS automation is when businesses use software to automatically send personalized promotional text messages to customers based on preset triggers. These messages could look like:

  • Welcome series: When a new user signs up for the SMS contact list
  • Order confirmation and shipping updates: When a subscriber places an order 
  • Abandoned cart reminder: When a subscriber adds an item to their cart but doesn’t check out 
  • Event reminder: When an event is coming up
  • Birthday or anniversary offers: When it’s a special date for the subscriber

Sending all of these messages manually simply isn’t possible for busy small business owners. Many of the promotional messages your business sends to customers follow the same framework, repeated over and over again. Using SMS automation means you can let the marketing software handle those repetitive, routine tasks for you. 

SMS automation also has the advantage of ensuring targeted messages reach your customers at the exact right time. By setting up SMS automation, your software can send the right message as soon as a customer takes the specified action (or on a pre-set schedule determined by you).

SMS automation examples and use cases

You can set up SMS automations for any type of text message that you regularly send customers. If you’re not sure where to start, take inspiration from these two common SMS automation examples. 

Welcome series: Make a great first impression 

A welcome series is an automated sequence of messages that you send to new subscribers to introduce them to your brand. The series typically includes three to five messages sent every few days, starting on the first day they subscribe. Now is the time to capitalize on the fact that these new subscribers are showing an interest in your brand. 

These initial messages will also firm up the subscribers’ first impression of your brand. Use this opportunity to set subscriber expectations for how you communicate and what you have to offer.

Your welcome series might include messages such as:

  • Initial introduction: Send a message to let the new subscriber know a little bit more about your business. 
  • Social proof: Share positive reviews or testimonials from other customers to build trust with the new subscriber.
  • Product/service showcase: Highlight one of your best-selling products or services.

Exclusive offer: Give the new subscriber an exclusive discount or free gift to thank them for joining your contact list and encourage them to take action. 

Shoe brand Cariuma’s first SMS message entices new subscribers with a code for free insoles. Image: Cariuma

Abandoned cart recovery: Capture lost sales 

When a customer adds one of your products to their cart, it feels like you’re so close to a sale. However, on average, roughly 70% of online shopping carts get abandoned. But don’t assume that the opportunity is gone entirely when customers leave items sitting in their cart.

With the right message at the right time, you still have a chance to recover the sale from those abandoned carts. SMS automation is the perfect solution. 

Set up automation sequences so customers who abandon their carts on your website get messages such as:

  • An initial reminder: One or two hours after cart abandonment
  • A second reminder with a discount or other incentive: 24 hours after cart abandonment
  • A final urgent reminder: Three days after cart abandonment, with urgency such as a time-sensitive offer 
This abandoned cart reminder text from Casely highlights a sale to persuade customers to complete their purchase. Image source: Casely

Beyond discounts, you can also try asking customers if they have any questions about their carts or emphasizing urgency and low stock, if that’s the case. 

SMS automation legal guidelines and best practices 

In the U.S., the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, or TCPA, lays out rules that businesses have to follow when sending promotional messages to customers. Avoid compliance issues by following these TCPA requirements when running SMS marketing campaigns: 

  • Avoid quiet hours: Don’t send messages before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. in the recipient’s local time zone. 
  • Provide sender identification: Clearly state the name of your business or organization in each message.
  • Explain how to opt out: Let subscribers know how to stop receiving messages from your brand.  
  • Only send to subscribers who have given prior consent: Don’t send unsolicited texts. 

Getting proper consent 

To be TCPA compliant, you need to get written consent from each of your subscribers before sending them promotional text messages. So, what does proper consent look like for SMS marketing?

  • Ask interested customers to provide their phone numbers to join your SMS contact list. 
  • Make sure you include disclosures such as “Message and data rates may apply” and “Consent is not a condition of purchase.”
  • Provide clear unsubscribe instructions so it’s easy for anyone who wants to stop receiving your message to opt out. For example, you can have them text STOP to opt out of future messages from your brand.

You may also want to consider using a double opt-in system to reduce errors and make sure everyone on your contact list actually wants to be there. With double opt-in, you send each new subscriber a confirmation text message as soon as you get their number. You only add that number to your contact list if the subscriber clicks a link in that message or responds with confirmation that they want to join the list. Double opt-in eliminates issues such as typos in people’s phone numbers or customers providing fake numbers. 

Who can use SMS automation and when?

Any business or organization that wants to send text messages to subscribers can benefit from SMS automation. The key difference by industry is the types of automated messages these brands send. 

For example, common SMS automation use cases across top industries include: 

  • Retail and ecommerce businesses: Cart abandonment reminders, order confirmation, shipping details, and new product announcements
  • Health care and appointment-based services: Appointment reminders, medication reminders, and post-procedure follow-ups
  • Restaurants and hospitality: Limited-time discounts, reservation reminders, event promotions, new menu announcements, and feedback requests
  • Nonprofits and event organizers: Volunteer opportunities, event reminders, donor thank-yous, and donation appeals

SMS automation tools and costs 

The right platform makes all the difference when setting up SMS automation campaigns. 

While you’re shopping for SMS automation platforms for your business, look for crucial elements such as:

  • User-friendliness
  • Ability to integrate with your existing marketing systems
  • Affordability

These platforms vary a lot in cost, so try to set a budget ahead of time and stick to it. Small businesses looking for budget-friendly options may want to consider low-cost plans that offer less customization. Many platforms offer free trials so you can figure out if they’re right for your business before you commit to paying for them. 

Essential features for success 

Any great SMS automation platform will have these essential features:

  • Contact management and segmentation: To organize your contact list and create smaller groups for more personalized messages
  • Automation workflow builders: To set up your automated text message sequences and triggers
  • Analytics and reporting: To understand how your campaigns are performing
  • Compliance management tools: To ensure you comply with the TCPA and other regulations

Maximizing customer engagement with SMS automation 

What makes SMS marketing so effective is that you’re able to reach customers right away through their mobile devices. Take it a step further with these strategies:

  • Send messages when your target audience is most likely to be available and ready to engage.
  • Keep your messages short, sweet, and compelling with the call to action.
  • Integrate your SMS automation with other marketing channels, such as email marketing.
  • Personalize messages based on each subscriber’s purchase history, interests, previous brand interactions, and other data.

Getting started: Your first SMS automation 

Once you have an SMS automation in mind that you’d like to create, it doesn’t take long to get it up and running. Follow these steps. 

  1. Choose your first automation type — whether that’s a welcome series, order confirmation, or anything else that fits your brand. 
  2. Write the messages in the sequence. Keep in mind that you’re limited to 160 characters, so they can’t be longer than one or two sentences. Make them count!
  3. Set up the triggers and workflows. When do you want customers to get these messages? Specify the exact actions or timing for the automated messages to go out. 
  4. Test before launching your campaigns. Make sure the messages show up correctly and actually send when triggered. 

Transform customer communication with SMS automation 

SMS automation can transform how you communicate with customers by sending targeted, personalized text messages at just the right time without lifting a finger. 

If you’re worried it’s too technical or difficult to comply with legal standards, the process is probably much easier than you’re picturing — especially with the right SMS automation platform. 

Ready to start your SMS automation journey? The best first step is selecting an easy-to-use SMS automation platform such as Constant Contact. Constant Contact’s SMS automation platform includes a user-friendly SMS editor, an AI content generator to make composing messages a snap, and comprehensive analytics so you can see what’s working at a glance. Sign up today to create your first automated SMS sequence.