28+ SMS Templates for Marketing That You Can Apply Immediately

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Do you want to uplift your marketing capabilities, sell more, or just drive greater awareness of your brand and products?

You don’t have to spend a fortune or rely on new, overly complicated technologies. If you desire a low-cost solution that drives results, you should try SMS marketing!

But where should you start?

To give you a head start on SMS marketing, we put together a list of the most effective SMS templates for marketing that can generate more leads and sales for your business.

Let’s explore!

Using SMS marketing templates for your business

Templates make your life easier. They save time and money as you don’t need to create messages from scratch. They get your messages across clearly and consistently. Not everyone in your team speaks or writes the same way. SMS templates give your business a unified voice when communicating with leads and customers.

Once you’ve created and saved SMS templates, employees can click on one template, update any custom fields, and then send without changing the original template.

Below are 28+ SMS marketing templates we’ve created for you. These templates will offer new and exciting ways to connect with your customers.

28+ ready-to-use SMS templates for marketing

Sales and promotions

Boosting sales is the ultimate goal of any marketing campaign, and this, of course, applies to SMS marketing campaigns. Sending sales and promotions via SMS can be effective thanks to how it connects to the 4.2 billion texters worldwide and 98% open rates. The prevalence of mobile phones, along with their instant connection to people, also add to the effectiveness of benefits of text-based marketing.

1. Direct sales text

Hi {first_name},
{business_name} is having a 30% off sale for all of August. Visit us today at {web_link} for your perfect fit!

The word to focus is “today” as it creates a sense of urgency. You can also use other urgent words, such as “right now,” “last chance,” “now or never,” “final sale,” etc.

2. Flash sales

FLASH SALE: Hi, {first_name}! Get 30% site-wide for the next hour! Hurry while stock lasts: {link}. Text STOP to opt-out. 

SMS campaigns excel, especially for time-sensitive offers. Due to their immediate cut-through, the addition of urgency compels customers to convert faster so that they don’t miss out on any great deal or offer.

3. Seasonal offerings

Wanna boost your text marketing strategy? Consider putting together promotions around the seasons or special days.

Hi {first_name}, summer is just around the corner! Check out our new {product_name} line to keep you cool this season: {link}

4. Reward program

Hi {first_name}, get a 30% discount on our daily specials at {business_name} right now by texting “Reward” to 123-123-1234.

The goal of this is to generate a more interactive SMS marketing campaign. Having a follow-up text message prepared is necessary: “Thank you for your response! Be sure to drop by today to get your 30% discount. Paying attention to your phone for more rewards!”

5. Updates to hours

Hi {first_name}, you can now shop in our store until 8 PM at {business_name} from Monday to Friday. No more rushing after work!

This could be a helpful message to send based on holidays, such as a flower shop sends this right around Valentine’s Day.

6. Website updates

Hi {first_name}, shop our latest collection 24/7 at {link}! The {business_name} website was just updated with new items that you will enjoy!

Make sure to tell people that there are new updates, don’t send them the link for no reason. Try to make it even much more personal by sending this to customers who have purchased similar products in the past.

7. Subscription invitation

Hi {first_name}, be an insider who knows about all the special offers and discounts coming from {business_name}. Subscribe now at {link}!

This will likely work as part of a larger subscriber push. Make sure to have some sort of offer ready for when people really subscribe, so they see the value of their subscription immediately.

8. Re-engagement

Hi {first_name}, it’s been a while, and we miss you so much. Come check out our NEW website and collections and get 20% off your next purchase: {link}!

SMS marketing works, especially when aiming to re-engage churning or lapsed customers. Serve them SMS campaigns that they can’t refuse!

New product announcements

Launching a new product, service, or collection? Sending text messages to interested or loyal customers can help you create awareness to get sales moving!

9.

Hi {first_name}, {product_name} is finally here! Hurry before it sells out. Buy now at {link}!

10.

Launch day reminder! Hi {first_name}, {product_name} is officially for sale starting May 20th at 8 AM EST. Worried you’ll forget? No sweat. Click this link now to automatically add a reminder to your phone’s calendar! {link}

11.

Hey VIPs! A friendly reminder that your exclusive launch access starts at 8 AM tomorrow. Be ready at {link} and enter your password at 8 AM EST to shop. 

12.

Hi {first_name}, {product_name} launches to the general public tomorrow at 8 AM EST! ⏰ Get ready to join our global community as we’ll change the way the world looks at summer skincare!

13.

Hi {first_name}, the day is finally here! {product_name} is officially ready to purchase! Place your order now for guaranteed shipping before the first day of summer ☀️ {link}

Contests and polls

Many brands choose to run contests and polls via SMS as it can vastly increase active participation in the campaign, instead of passively opening, reading, and then forgetting a message. Having a highly engaged audience is considered the most viable aspect of any SMS marketing campaign. Any business can do it and benefit!

14. Text to win

Hi {first_name}, to win a free {product_name}, text XXX to 123-123-1234 now. Winners will be announced on Saturday via SMS, so pay attention to your phone!

Sending a text-to-win message is pretty simple and straightforward. The trick here is building further engagement into your contest by requiring recipients to pay attention to messages from your business in the future. The goal is to create positive emotions towards messages coming from your business.

15. Ongoing contest

Hi {first_name}, text XXX to 123-123-1234 to be entered into your weekly/monthly contest for 30% off your next purchase. You could be a winner!

Running an ongoing contest takes a little bit more coordination, but the interest that it creates can be truly phenomenal.

16. Product research

Hi {first_name}, what is your favorite product/service offered by us at {business_name}? Text your reply to enter for an opportunity to get 30% off your next purchase!

Actually, this is a contest disguised as product research. It’s a common tactic to help gauge the interest of the most engaged people in an audience.

17. Audience research

Hi {first_name}, for 30% off your next purchase, text us for preferred option by replying:
A. Thing 1
B. Thing 2
C. Thing 3

The goal of this is to find out the specific interests of your audience. This should be related to your future content generation, location and device-use data needs, or product development.

18. Didn’t win

Hi {first_name}, thank you for entering the {contest_name} contest. Unfortunately, you did not win. Please pay attention to our messages for more chances to win!

They lost, but it is possible to end on a positive note. Gently let them down with a glimmer of hope for winning in the near future so that they keep paying attention to your messages.

19. Won the contest

CONGRATULATIONS, {first_name}! You are the lucky winner of our {contest_name} contest. Get 30% off at {link} before {date_time} by claiming this code at checkout: {discount_code}.

This allows the winner to use their prize immediately through the use of a discount code redeemed during the checkout process.

20. Email cross-promotion

Hi {first_name}, send your email address to 123-123-1234 in order to enter our {contest_name} contest! You’ll be notified via your email address if you win!

Sometimes, SMS marketing isn’t entirely about driving SMS goals. Doing some cross-promotion can drive other marketing campaigns, with social media being another one to include.

Event invitations

You don’t always need to push customers to an immediate sale. Consider creating in-store or virtual customer experiences to make recipients feel special and positive about your brand.

21.

Hi {first_name}, have a great March break with free entry for kids 12 and under at {business_name} every weekday! Find our hours at {link}!

22.

Hi {first_name}, we’ve launched our first-ever {product_name} in {business_name}’s history! To celebrate, we’re throwing a party and you are invited. Reply Y to RSVP or STOP to opt-out.

23.

Hi {first_name}, we are hosting an annual sale at our store this weekend. We’d love to have you come by! Here’s a link to details: {link}!

24.

Hey {first_name}! Join us this Saturday at 8 PM for live music along with a special Happy Hour menu featuring new appetizers, craft cocktails, and local beers. Visit our website at {link} to learn more. Hope to see you there!

25.

Hey {first_name}! Tickets available now for the {event_name}. Buy 2 tickets in order to get a surprise present! More information at {link}.

Fundraising requests

Every charity supports an essential cause, so the key here is to engage recipients on an emotional level. Get your messages across in a meaningful way with the following templates!

26.

Hey {first_name}! {statistics}. Every dollar you donate can bring us closer to finding a cure. Please support the {charity_name} at {link}!

For example: Hey John! The 5-year relative survival rate for women with stage 0 or 1 breast cancer is now close to 100%. Every dollar you donate can bring us closer to finding a cure. Please support the WE CARE BREAST CANCER today at {link}!

27.

Hi {first_name}, do you know {fact}? Come by the clinic, and then save someone’s life! More information at {link}!

For example: Hi John, do you know that a single pint of blood can save 3 lives? Come by the clinic, and then save someone’s life. More information at {link}!

28.

Hey {first_name}! Your donation of {amount} helped {statistics} last year. In case you would like to give the gift of {benefit} to people in need, please make another contribution or share it with your family and friends. More information at {link}!

For example: Hey John! Your donation of $100 helped 500 people last year. In case you’d like to give the gift of a healthy meal to people in need, please make another contribution or share it with your family and friends. More information at {link}!

29.

Hey {first_name}! The holidays should be a happy time. Give these children a reason to celebrate with an unforgettable gift: {link}

30.

Hey {first_name}! Would you like to be a hero? Visit us now at {link} to be a blood donor, and you’ll be giving someone the gift of life. 

How to write an SMS for marketing purposes

To get the most out of your text marketing efforts, you’ll want to use an SMS marketing platform. With automation features, such as auto-replies, scheduled messages, templates, and keywords, SMS marketing platforms will save you from wasting time with repetitive tasks, while keeping you organized when texting all your customers.

You can explore the best SMS marketing platforms right here.

When you are ready to write your text message, consider the following:

• Let the recipient know who you are. They might not have your business number saved on their phone. That’s why you should introduce yourself upfront or save it for your text message signature.

• Keep your message short. Texts are meant to be quickly read, so get right to the point. SMS marketing platforms may come with a high SMS character count for longer messages if applicable, but if you find that your text is getting too long, you may need to send an email instead.

• Include an image. If your text is about a new product or you are advertising a sale, include a simple image of the featured item(s). By doing so, you can increase the chance of a click-through when compared to sending a plain text alone.

• Include a CTA (call to action). No matter if you want recipients to redeem an offer code or visit your store, you should include a clear, straightforward CTA to spur your recipients into action.

• Don’t use a URL shortener. If you aim to drive traffic to your website, use a link as your CTA. When including a link in your message, you should use the entire link instead of using a link shortener. Phone carriers can see shortened links as suspicious and may flag your message as spam.

• Never send texts without permission. It goes against SMS marketing laws/rules, and your recipients may feel like you have invaded their space.

• Don’t overwhelm recipients with too many promotional or marketing messages. SMS marketing is meant to enhance other forms of marketing and promotional outreach, not replace them. Thus, send only relevant and valuable texts to your audience and send them every now and then. When and how many actually vary from business to business.

The bottom line

Every SMS marketing campaign is different, with goals and audiences that have different needs to succeed. 28+ SMS templates for marketing above can guide a wide variety of these goals, as well as push anyone towards easily creating effective and successful text messages.

In order for any SMS marketing campaign to be successful, the use of an SMS marketing platform, such as AVADA Commerce, is practically a requirement. The platform allows for greater organization, data collection, automation, and makes it so that it doesn’t need to be conducted through an actual phone.

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