How to Get Started with SMS Marketing

November 20, 2025 Marketing

In 2025, SMS marketing isn’t just a “nice-to-have” side channel—it’s becoming a core way for small businesses to reach customers where they are: on their phones, in their notes and notifications, ready to make decisions. If you’re a small business owner or marketer at heart, here’s why you should care — and how to get started.

Why SMS Marketing Matters in 2025

Instant, ubiquitous reach

  • Studies show that SMS messages have open-rates up to ~98%, with many consumers reading within 3 minutes of delivery. (Textellent 2024)
  • Consumers report checking their texts multiple times per day and viewing the inbox as a trusted space for immediacy. (SimpleTexting 2025)
    This means your message is extremely likely to be seen—and quickly—making SMS a highly effective channel for time-sensitive offers, alerts and reminders.

High engagement, comparatively

  • Benchmarks suggest SMS click-through rates (CTR) typically fall in the ~19% to 36% range, with conversion-rates often in the 21% to 40% band. (Sakari 2025; Infobip 2025)
  • To compare, email marketing often has CTRs in the low single-digits and opens in the ~20-30% range. (Constant Contact 2024)
    In short: SMS gives you attention + action far more efficiently than many other channels.

Growing adoption & budget

  • The SMS-marketing market is projected to hit $12.6 billion in the U.S. by 2025. (Drips 2024)
  • According to learning platforms, roughly 58% of consumers are open to brand texts several times per week, and ~72% at least weekly. (G2 Learning 2025)
    That tells us: customers are saying “yes” to texts. The budgets follow.

Small-business friendly

For small businesses, SMS ticks many boxes: low cost, immediate effect, easy to integrate with other channels (email, push, in-store). It’s also one of the few channels where you still get “real-estate” in someone’s personal phone without being buried.

Getting Started: A Step-By-Step Roadmap

Here’s how you can launch a strong SMS program—with realistic expectations and ROI.

1. Collect Opt-Ins

Before you do anything else, you’ll need consent. Because SMS is personal, the rules matter—and so does trust.

Tips:

  • Ask for mobile numbers at checkout, online signup, or in store.
  • Clearly explain what the subscriber will get: “We’ll text you 1-2 offers a week & appointment reminders.”
  • Offer something of value: a discount, early access, exclusive content.
  • Keep your opt-in form simple and mobile-friendly.

2. Build Your List (and Keep It Clean)

A large list helps, but relevance matters more. To maximize ROI: segment, personalize, and give people reasons to stay.

Checklist:

  • Separate subscribers by interest, purchase history, location, or behavior.
  • Establish cadence rules: for example “max one promo text per week” or “one reminder only.” Some sources suggest most consumers are comfortable receiving texts up to several times per week. (G2 Learning 2025)
  • Automate list hygiene: remove invalid numbers, honor opt-outs, monitor complaint rates (industry opt-out average appears to be ~1-2%). (SimpleTexting 2024)

3. Define Use Cases

Not all SMS have to be hardcore promos. Use the channel where it shines:

  • Appointment reminders / booking confirmations
  • Flash offers / limited-time deals
  • Cart-abandonment prompts
  • Loyalty/ VIP updates
  • Event or location-based alerts

You’ll want to avoid “spray and pray” tactics. According to benchmarks, the highest-performing SMS programs use segmentation and relevance rather than broad blasts. (Klaviyo 2025)

4. Craft the Message

Short, clear, value-driven. Text length matters. Tone matters. Relevance matters.

Good structure:

  • Sender name: make sure it’s recognizable
  • Lead with offer: What’s in it for the recipient?
  • Call to action: Clear next step (“Tap the link”, “Reply YES”, “Show code in-store”)
  • Opt-out option: Required by regulation, builds trust

Example:

“Hi [First Name], thanks for shopping with us! Use code SAVE10 for 10% off your next purchase this week. Click here: [link] Reply STOP to opt-out.”

5. Send At The Right Time

Timing makes a huge difference in SMS results. Because text is intimate, you don’t want to bother people.

  • Avoid very early mornings or late nights.
  • Consider local time zones.
  • Test different send times based on your business & audience.
  • Track response peaks and refine timing accordingly.

6. Track, Measure & Optimize

As with any channel, you’ll need metrics. For SMS pay attention to:

  • Open rate: rarely known precisely in SMS (but anecdotal 90%+ figures exist)
  • Click-through rate (CTR): current industry averages ~19-36% depending on use case. (Sakari 2025)
  • Conversion rate: many reports show a range of ~21-40% in strong programs. (Infobip 2025)
  • Revenue per recipient (RPR): how much you make per person you text
  • Opt-out and complaint rate: keep opt-outs under industry average (~1-3%)

You can put these in a simple tracking table like:

MetricTarget-Range
CTR~19 %–36 %
Conversion Rate~21 %–40 %
Opt-out Rate< 1-3 %
RPR(Varies – track for your business)

7. Stay Compliant & Respectful

Even though SMS is powerful, misuse can burn goodwill and trigger regulatory issues.

Watch for:

  • Consent/opt-in documentation
  • Clear opt-out instructions (“Reply STOP”)
  • Frequency: avoid being annoying
  • Relevance: if you send irrelevant messages you’ll raise opt-outs
  • Message sender identification: clearly brand your texts

Staying ethical builds trust—and trust powers your long-term list health.

Why Small Businesses Should Prioritise SMS Now

For many small and medium sized businesses, budget is tight and attention is even tighter. Here’s why SMS stands out:

  • Low cost + high impact: Compared to many digital channels, SMS has one of the best cost-to-engagement ratios.
  • Direct to mobile device: No algorithm, no feed competition. If you have opt-in, you have access.
  • Immediate real-world effect: Whether it’s a flash sale, appointment reminder, or store closing alert – SMS drives action fast.
  • Customer experience win: When used for helpful service messages (e.g., confirmation, reminders) it builds loyalty and brand favor.

As budgets tighten and consumer attention fragments across platforms, having a high-performing, trusted channel like SMS can give your business an edge.

If you’re not already using SMS marketing, 2025 is a great time to get started. With strong benchmarks, high open and engagement rates, and a customer base that actually wants real-time messages, the opportunity is there. What matters is doing it right—building your list, using relevance, measuring results, and treating SMS as a strategic channel, not just “another blast”.

Sources

Textellent Blog: SMS Marketing Statistics (2024) – Textellent

OptiMonk: SMS Marketing Statistics for 2025 – OptiMonk

SimpleTexting: 2025 Texting and SMS Marketing Statistics – SimpleTexting

Tabular/Sakari: SMS Marketing Benchmarks 2025 – Sakari

Infobip: SMS Marketing Benchmarks – Infobip

Constant Contact: SMS Marketing Statistics (2024) – Constant Contact

Drips: SMS Marketing and Usage Statistics (2024) – Drips

G2 Learning Hub: Mobile Marketing Statistics (2025) – G2

Klaviyo: SMS Marketing Benchmarks (2025) – Klaviyo