The 5 Texts Every Customer Actually Wants to Get
In 2025, SMS marketing is no longer an experimental, “nice-to-have” channel — it’s becoming essential. Put simply: your customers are reading texts, and they’re responding. So if you’re running a small business — or you’re building a platform that enables small businesses to run effective SMS campaigns — you’ll want to know what kinds of texts customers actually want to get. Because the wrong kind of text can feel intrusive or spammy, undoing all the goodwill. Here are five types of texts that data, anecdote and smart practice all suggest customers actually welcome. Use these as pillars for your SMS strategy (and as content building blocks for your automation platform).
1. Confirmation & Reminder Texts
Customers expect clarity. They expect promises kept. Texts that simply reaffirm or remind perform well.
Why these matter
- According to the SimpleTexting 2025 report, 76 % of consumers list appointment/reservation reminders as a top reason they opt into business texts. (SimpleTexting)
- Further, 68 % say shipment tracking or order updates are a reason they signed up for business texts.
- The immediacy of SMS is a key factor: up to 90 % of SMS messages are read within three minutes of delivery. (Infobip)
What this means for you
- Texts like: “Your appointment for April 15 at 2 pm is confirmed. See you soon.” or “Your order #123 has shipped. Track it here: [link]” are exactly the kinds of messages customers opted in for.
- These build trust, reduce “what’s going on” inquiries, and reinforce your brand as reliable.
- On your automation platform, these should be architecture-free: simple triggers (booked / shipped) → short, clear text template → link if needed.
3. Relevant Offers or Promotions (with segmentation)
Yes, promotional texts can work — but only when they’re relevant, timely, and not overused.
What the data says
- Some studies put SMS click-through rates at 19–36 %, far ahead of email.
- One report shows SMS campaigns yield ~45 % response rate compared to ~6 % for email. (Infobip)
- In 2025, the opt-in rate for receiving business texts was reported at ~84 % in one survey.
Best-practice considerations
- Don’t broadcast “spray and pray”. Make sure the promotion is aligned with the customer’s behaviour or preferences.
- Frequency matters: one survey says most consumers prefer texts every other week (49 %) or weekly (34 %).
- Example: “Thanks for shopping last month. Here’s 15 % off your next purchase — valid this week only.”
- On your platform: allow segmentation (last-purchase date, category interest, VIP status) + scheduling + frequency cap to avoid fatigue or opt-outs.
4. Personalised Follow-Up & Re-Engagement
Customers appreciate brands that reach out after the fact — not just to sell, but to ensure satisfaction and build relationships.
Supporting data
- According to Klaviyo, 65 % of people who bought via SMS said they had already planned to buy — the text just nudged them earlier. (Klaviyo)
- Another survey: 52 % of consumers said they’d bought a product because of an SMS message.
Implementation ideas
- Post-purchase: “Thanks for your order! How did we do? Reply with any feedback and we’ll apply $5 credit to your next purchase.”
- Re-engagement: For customers who haven’t returned in 90 days, send: “We’ve missed seeing you! Here’s something just for you…”
- On your platform: automate based on “no purchase in X days” or “order delivered –> check-in after Y days”. Provide templating for “thank you” / “feedback” / “we miss you” texts.
5. Real-Time Alerts & Urgent Updates
When something unexpected happens, customers want to hear from you — and via SMS is often optimal.
Supporting data
- A study found that people check their phones ~90 times per day and 82 % keep their phones within arm’s reach.
- SMS is especially effective for time-sensitive outreach: “90 % of SMS messages are read within three minutes”. (Infobip)
Usage ideas
- “Your class scheduled for today has moved to 5:30 pm due to instructor availability. Reply YES to confirm.”
- “Power outage in your area: service will resume by 6 pm — here’s what to do in the meantime.”
- On your platform: include real-time triggers (weather, scheduling, status change) + SMS alert template + clear opt-out or manual override capability.
| Text Type | Customer Value | Typical Trigger | Key Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Confirmation & Reminder | Assurance, trust | Appointment booked / product ordered | Keep it short, include date/time or link |
| Delivery & Logistics Update | Reduce anxiety, show proactive service | Status change (shipped, en route) | Indicate timeframe, include tracking link |
| Relevant Offer or Promotion | Timely value, respect for interest | Based on past behaviour or special event | Segment, cap frequency, personalise message |
| Personalised Follow-Up/Re-engage | Relationship, not just transaction | Post-purchase or lapsed customer | Ask for feedback, offer value, show purpose |
| Real-Time Alert / Urgent Update | Immediate info when it matters | Service disruption, schedule change | Be clear, urgent, enable reply or opt-out |
Why this matters for small businesses in 2025
For small businesses — think local retail, services, hospitality, healthcare — SMS offers a direct line to your customers in a way other channels struggle with. According to a 2025 article in Forbes, SMS has “a staggering 98 % open rate — 3.7 × more than email”. (Forbes)
When your customer’s phone pings, you’re in their immediate attention zone. That makes the right message powerful.
Plus: budget-wise and ROI-wise, SMS wins. Earlier research showed click-through rates up to 19–36 % for SMS vs 1–10 % for email.
So: if you’re a small business looking to scale without huge advertising spend, or if you’re building a platform (like ours) that enables small businesses to automate this channel — you want to lean into these message types, build your flows smartly, and optimize around customer preference.
Why this matters for small businesses in 2025
For small businesses — think local retail, services, hospitality, healthcare — SMS offers a direct line to your customers in a way other channels struggle with. According to a 2025 article in Forbes, SMS has “a staggering 98 % open rate — 3.7 × more than email”. (Forbes)
When your customer’s phone pings, you’re in their immediate attention zone. That makes the right message powerful.
Plus: budget-wise and ROI-wise, SMS wins. Earlier research showed click-through rates up to 19–36 % for SMS vs 1–10 % for email.
So: if you’re a small business looking to scale without huge advertising spend, or if you’re building a platform (like ours) that enables small businesses to automate this channel — you want to lean into these message types, build your flows smartly, and optimise around customer preference.
In short: the five texts customers actually want are those that reassure, inform, reward, engage and respond. If you build your SMS flows around these — confirmation, logistics update, relevant offer, personalised follow-up and real-time alert — you’ll be speaking their language.
For small businesses in 2025, SMS isn’t optional — it’s a front-row channel. And as a platform enabler, you can give small businesses the templates, automation and logic to deliver these texts efficiently and elegantly.
Sources
- SimpleTexting. SMS Marketing Statistics 2025: Key Insights. Link
- Emarsys. 20+ SMS Marketing Statistics (With Sources) to Know in 2025. Link
- Constant Contact. The Ultimate Guide to SMS Marketing Statistics. Link
- Infobip. SMS Marketing Benchmarks: Key Stats by Industry. Link
- Klaviyo. 100+ SMS & Text Marketing Statistics 2025. Link
- Drips. SMS Marketing and Usage Statistics. Link
- Textellent. 30 SMS Marketing Statistics You Need to Know For 2024. Link
- Forbes. Is SMS Marketing An Affordable Small Business Growth Booster?. Link
