SMS Marketing Examples & SMS Ideas for Businesses

Sending bulk SMS marketing messages is one of the most direct and effective ways to communicate with your customers.

After all, the vast majority have their phone with them at all times and check their notifications for the latest news at regular intervals every day. No other form of marketing contact is as likely to reach and be read by more of your core audience with such immediacy.

The most successful SMS marketing campaigns are invariably those tailored to a specific set of marketing objectives and unique business opportunities, combined with data-led modifications based on insightful reporting. Your customer base only wants to receive useful, relevant text messages from you, so it’s crucial that every text you send fulfills an established need at the right time or a potential point of interest for the future.

At Textlocal, we understand the need for tangible results from your SMS marketing activity. We’ve pulled together some of our most practical SMS marketing tips for business, segmented by some of the most popular business types to help you finetune your campaigns or give you an idea of how bulk SMS messaging could work for you.

Check out our handy checklist for some simple steps to help make sure your SMS campaigns deliver real value and results.

Download checklist

SMS marketing tips for retail

Whether a shop is online or on the high street, mobile SMS marketing in the retail sector can boost sales and customer satisfaction levels.

Send timely SMS alerts before launching a sale or special offer, or notify your customers when a sought-after product is back in stock.
Create branded vouchers for your mobile database to create exclusivity and attract new subscribers.
Let your customers know when their order is scheduled for delivery or ready for collection.

SMS marketing tips for restaurants and takeaways

Bulk SMS marketing for restaurants and dining trades can create a loyal following of regular customers as well as streamlining delivery.

Notify your customers of new menus or dishes, special offers and events.
Send booking reminders with a cancellation option to minimise no-shows, and fill last minute empty tables.
Set up a loyalty club through your text message database with exclusive offers.
Keep your customers up to date with the progress of their food delivery, from store to door.

SMS marketing tips for tourism and travel

SMS marketing for travel and tourism industries can make use of text messaging in many innovative ways.

Create attractive mobile tickets containing all the personalised travel information your customers need.
Send live travel updates to keep your customers informed of anything that could affect their journey, such as delayed flights or heavy traffic.
Use a short code to allow customers to text and request real-time travel updates for your services.

SMS marketing tips for hotels

SMS marketing in the hospitality trade can act as an extension of on-site customer service, giving guests a complete experience from the moment they book.

Make use of bulk SMS marketing to send booking confirmations, reservation numbers, live travel information and welcome messages in the run up to guests’ arrival.
Create a virtual concierge service with the option to book restaurant tables or spa treatments and receive recommendations of things to do in the local area.
Thank your guests for staying with you and ask them for feedback on your travel review pages.

SMS marketing tips for sports and leisure clubs

Bulk SMS messaging for gyms and leisure clubs can maintain engagement throughout the year, and create a feeling of inclusion for fans of sports clubs.

Send regular text updates to gym and leisure club members with schedules, class information and competitions to combat patchy attendance.
Keep members in the know about class cancellations, venue changes, updates to opening hours and fill last minute class spaces.
Connect with fans and followers of a sports club by sending them fixtures, news, results and information about social events.

SMS marketing tips for bars and pubs

Timing is key when creating SMS marketing campaigns for bars and pubs – bulk texts should be sent to allow for customers’ busy lives.

Let your customer base know about a drink or entry promotion a couple of days before it’s due to happen as leaving it too last minute could mean they have already made plans.
Send SMS messages ahead of pay days, or on weekdays to promote quieter day offers.
Use short codes to allow customers to book VIP tables or drinks on arrival, or run instant drinks promotions on a busy night for immediate results.

SMS marketing tips for recruitment agencies

Recruiters can use SMS marketing to stay in touch with jobseekers and to speed up the many stages of recruitment.

Section your mobile database of jobseekers by sector and send alerts to newly available jobs accordingly.
Streamline the process of hiring by sending job vetting questionnaires to candidates to narrow down numbers.
Confirm interviews with candidates and send helpful interview tips and advice and good luck texts.

SMS marketing tips for charities

Bulk text marketing can work wonders for fundraising campaigns, giving supporters the quickest and easiest route to donating.

Text donating is a quick, easy and very convenient way to collect funds. Use a short code and keyword to enable supporters to instantly give a set amount to a particular campaign.
Use SMS donating to compliment any face-to-face fundraising you do, making it easy for people who don’t have time to stop and talk.
Enable regular supporters to skip a monthly donation to allow for greater flexibility and to minimise cancelled donation plans.

SMS marketing tips for healthcare

Healthcare providers can send bulk SMS messages to both patients and staff to save on valuable time and resources.

Send appointment reminders to patients to cut down on missed appointments and get them rearranged without the need for time-consuming phone calls.
Include patient information or results through SMS messages by using a click through or request to call to protect patient privacy.
Personalise text messages to contain patient-tailored health advice.
Use SMS messages to keep in touch with staff members, including several at once with group messaging.

SMS marketing tips for taxi companies

Text message marketing is a widely-used form of customer communication for taxi and private hire companies, and can also improve contact between drivers and dispatchers.

Encourage customer loyalty at busy seasonal times by sending SMS marketing promotions and special offers.
Let customers know when their taxi is en-route, the registration, car make and model to expect, as well as a photo of the driver for passenger peace of mind.
Keep drivers and dispatch in constant contact with shift information, pick up details and drop off and fare confirmation.

Speak to the SMS marketing experts

Whatever your business type, Textlocal can offer expertise tailor-made to your industry and marketing goals. Talk to us today about how we can help your business harness the full potential of SMS marketing. If you’re wanting to send some something more visual, then talk to the team about our MMS marketing product.

And don’t forget, we’re always on hand to make practical and effective recommendations to get you the absolute best from your campaigns through our specialist SMS marketing Support Portal.

SMS marketing for business