6 SMS use cases for driving more sales, with 11 examples to inspire your next send
When Ohio-based apparel brand HOMAGE launched their first SMS campaign to promote the release of their 80s- and 90s-style NFL Starter jackets, they drummed up 100 orders in the first hour alone.
Ultimately, 87% of SMS customers clicked the in-message link, and 9% of fans placed an order. Even more impressive: The campaign delivered $167 in revenue per recipient (RPR).
Those numbers aren’t representative of all SMS campaigns. In fact, they’re miles above average—according to Klaviyo’s latest benchmarks report, SMS campaigns drive, on average, 11% click rates and $0.12 in RPR.
But in a data privacy-forward world, HOMAGE’s numbers do show just how impactful SMS can be as a marketing channel—for the ecommerce brands that know how to use it right.
How do you make sure that’s you?
Here are 6 SMS use cases that take advantage of the channel’s unique characteristics, complete with 11 examples of real-life SMS marketing campaigns and automations that check all the right boxes.
1. Promote product launches, sales, and discounts
Email is a strong marketing channel because it drives high-intent traffic to your site at a low cost. But SMS campaigns built around product launches, holidays, offers, and price changes can help generate incremental revenue and customer engagement, too.
Sending promotional text message campaigns to your customers or subscribers, in addition to email, will likely increase your overall performance.
“Promotional messages are large revenue drivers for SMS,” says Emma O’Rourke, email and SMS marketing manager/copywriter at CURIO Agency. “People check their text messages more quickly and frequently than they check their email, so it’s convenient for subscribers to hear about sales and new products directly through text and have the ability to quickly purchase right away.”
Jen Brennan, director of digital marketing at Northern, observes that flash sales, in particular, “are great SMS ‘rope drops.’ So many subscribers will see the message and action it well before they see an email and possibly miss out on a limited-time offer.”
Examples of promotional SMS campaigns from real-life brands
This promotional text from microdrink brand waterdrop® is personalized with the recipient’s first name, and gets straight to the point introducing the specs of a new product line.
Instead of relying on a discount code to promote the new product, waterdrop offers a simple reminder that shipping is free after $20.
Similarly, in this promotional text for a new line of body wash, clean beauty brand Each & Every makes the most of the higher character count of an MMS by pairing playful emojis with a beautiful, specific product image.
2. Coax abandoners back to their shopping sessions
Visitors who come to your site and browse the same product multiple times show high intent to purchase. And visitors who add a product to their cart but don’t purchase show even higher intent to purchase.
Even if you’re already using email to prompt those shoppers to take the final plunge, incorporating SMS into your existing flows could help you increase your conversion rates even more.
Unless the subscriber has consented to receive only email or only SMS, most of the flows at ethical jewelry brand Dana Rebecca Designs are hybrid, says Blair Peterson, VP of strategy. “If they’re an SMS subscriber, the first touchpoint is coming to SMS vs. email, and that’s where we’ve seen a greater return,” she explains.
In fact, the brand’s cart abandonment flow consistently earns the highest engagement from subscribers. “In the beginning, SMS was the second or third touchpoint within the flow. But we see a higher conversion rate from being able to send the reminder directly to the customer’s fingertips,” Peterson explains.
The team at ecommerce growth marketing agency Homestead Studio sets up hybrid email and SMS flows in Klaviyo by using conditional splits and time delays. “If someone’s getting a text, we want to delay that maybe 2-3 hours after the email, and then delay another day until the next email,” explains Jacob Sappington, head of email.
Similarly, you want to filter out anyone who recently made a purchase, or who has a history of not engaging with SMS—even if they’re still subscribed to the channel.
“Sending to disengaged audiences or those who have purchased within the last X hours is only going to hurt your KPIs,” cautions Kelly Cunningham, senior retention manager at Fireside Digital.
Example of an SMS abandonment flow from a real-life brand
Many ecommerce brands believe they need to include a promo code in their abandonment flows in order to drive conversions. But this example from Zend Coffee proves that’s not true.
Notice how the coffee brand uses simple, on-brand copy, a beautiful product image, and a prominent CTA to remind the subscriber of the product they intended to buy. No discount necessary.