15 Tips for Crafting Compelling SMS Messages (With Templates)

With the rise of mobile technology, SMS marketing has emerged as a powerful tool for businesses to reach their customers quickly and effectively. However, sending out a message that engages and resonates with your target audience is easier said than done.

Crafting a compelling SMS message requires a combination of creativity, brevity, and relevance. With the average person receiving dozens of messages daily, your message must stand out from the crowd.

That's why we've put together this blog to share tips on how to craft SMS messages that not only grab attention but also drive engagement and conversion. Whether you're new to SMS marketing or looking to improve your existing campaigns, these tips will help you create messages that leave a lasting impression on your audience. So, let's dive in!

1) Keep it short and sweet

When composing automated SMS messages, it's crucial to keep in mind that the character limit is only 160 characters. Therefore, it's essential to convey your message as efficiently as possible. Being succinct and to the point is vital in order to avoid exceeding the limit, as this can result in the message being truncated or even split into multiple messages. As such, it's best to carefully consider the wording of your message to ensure it's clear, concise, and easy to understand within the limited space available.

2) Personalize your message

Addressing customers by their names and incorporating other relevant information can significantly enhance the effectiveness of your automated SMS message. By personalizing your message, you're not only making it more engaging and memorable, but you're also showing that you value and respect your customer's individuality. This can help to establish a deeper connection and sense of trust, ultimately resulting in a more positive customer experience.

3) Use clear and concise language

When communicating with others, it's important to use language that is easily understandable to them. Avoiding technical jargon and complicated language can make your SMS marketing message more accessible and ensure that it's received as intended.

Clear and concise language is key to avoiding confusion and misunderstandings. Using overly complex language or industry-specific terms can create unnecessary barriers to effective communication.

4) Create urgency

Creating a sense of urgency can be a powerful tool in encouraging customers to take action. When crafting a call-to-action (CTA), using phrases like "limited time offer" or "today only" can effectively create a sense of urgency and prompt customers to act quickly. These types of time-limited offers convey a sense of exclusivity and can be especially effective in driving conversions.

By incorporating language that conveys a sense of urgency, you can motivate customers to take action and make a purchase or engage with your brand in some other meaningful way.

5) Include a clear call to action

A clear call-to-action (CTA) is crucial to getting customers to take the desired action. Whether it's making a purchase or confirming an appointment, your automated SMS message should include a clear CTA that guides the customer on what to do next. Using action-oriented words like "buy," "register," or "subscribe" can encourage customers to take action and make it clear what action you want them to take.

Additionally, using phrases such as "click here to learn more" or "reply YES to confirm your appointment" can help to make the CTA more specific and actionable, increasing the likelihood of a positive response.

6) Use emojis and multimedia

Incorporating multimedia elements like emojis, images, or videos can significantly enhance the impact of your automated SMS message. These types of elements can help to capture the reader's attention and make your message more engaging and memorable.

Emojis, for example, can add a touch of personality and emotion to your message, making it feel more human and relatable. Images and videos, on the other hand, can provide additional context and visual interest, helping to convey your SMS marketing message in a more compelling way.

7) Keep it simple

When crafting a call-to-action (CTA), it's important to keep it simple and straightforward. Your CTA should be easy to understand and complete, without any unnecessary steps or complications.

For example, if you're asking customers to make a purchase, providing a link to your website where they can complete the transaction with just a few clicks can help to streamline the process and increase the likelihood of a conversion.

8) Personalize your CTA

Personalizing your call-to-action (CTA) can make it more effective by creating a stronger connection with the customer. Using the customer's name or other relevant information can help to make the automated SMS message more personal and engaging, increasing the likelihood of a positive response.

By tailoring your CTA to the individual recipient, you can demonstrate that you value and understand their unique needs and preferences. This can help to establish a sense of trust and loyalty, leading to increased engagement and conversions over time.

9) Use the customer's name

Addressing your customers by name is a simple but powerful way to make your automated SMS message feel more personal and engaging. By using merge tags, you can automatically insert the customer's name into the message, helping to create a more tailored and customized experience.

This type of personalization can help to build rapport and establish a stronger connection with the recipient, increasing the likelihood of a positive response. In addition to using merge tags for names, you can also incorporate other relevant information such as past purchases or browsing history to further enhance the personalization of your message.

10) Send personalized offers

Leveraging customer data can help you send personalized offers that are tailored to the customer's interests and purchasing history. By analyzing their previous purchases and browsing behavior, you can identify patterns and preferences that can inform the types of offers you send.

For instance, if a customer has previously purchased a product in a particular category, you can set up an automated SMS message to send them a personalized offer for a related product that they're more likely to be interested in. This type of personalization can help to boost customer engagement and increase conversion rates by showing customers that you understand their unique needs and preferences.

11) Send personalized recommendations

Using customer data to send personalized product recommendations is a great way to offer customers relevant products that match their interests and needs. By analyzing their previous purchases, browsing behavior, and other relevant data, you can identify the types of products that they're more likely to be interested in.

This information can then be used to craft personalized recommendations that are tailored to their unique preferences. By providing personalized recommendations, you can help customers discover new products they may not have found otherwise, leading to increased engagement and loyalty.

12) Use location-based targeting

Using location-based targeting can help you send messages that are more relevant and personalized to the customer's location. By leveraging location data, you can send targeted SMS marketing messages to customers in specific areas, and offer them special promotions or deals that are only available at nearby stores.

For example, suppose you have a retail store in a particular area. In that case, you can send messages to customers in that area with a special offer or promotion, encouraging them to visit your store and take advantage of the deal.

This type of targeted messaging can help to increase foot traffic and drive sales, while also providing customers with a more personalized and relevant experience.

13) Segment your audience

Segmenting your audience based on customer data is a powerful way to send more targeted messages that are relevant to each group. You can identify different groups with distinct preferences and needs by analyzing customer demographics, interests, and behavior. This information can then be used to craft targeted messages that speak directly to each group, using language and offers that resonate with their unique characteristics.

For example, you can send automated SMS messages to customers who have previously purchased a particular type of product, offering them related products or promotions that are tailored to their interests.

14) Use interactive messaging

Interactive messaging techniques like polls, surveys, and quizzes can help you engage customers and gather valuable data about their preferences and interests. By creating interactive messaging experiences, you can encourage customers to actively participate in your marketing campaigns, which can lead to increased engagement and improved response rates.

Additionally, interactive messaging techniques can also help you gather important data about customer preferences and behaviors, which can be used to inform your marketing strategies and product development efforts.

15) Test and optimize

To optimize the effectiveness of your messaging, it's important to test different calls to action (CTAs) and SMS marketing messages to see which ones resonate best with your audience. A/B testing is a powerful tool that allows you to compare different versions of your messaging to determine which one drives the best results.

By testing different CTAs, you can determine which ones are most effective at encouraging customers to take action. Similarly, by testing different messages, you can identify which ones are most engaging and persuasive for your target audience.

SMS Templates

1) Welcome templates

2) Abandoned cart templates

3) New arrival templates

4) Back in-stock alert templates

5) Order confirmation templates

6) Event templates

Get any SMS template you want on Lifesight's template library!