Email is not the only way to reach your customers anymore. People check their text messages within 90 seconds of receiving them on average, compared to 90 minutes for emails. That difference in response time makes SMS one of the most powerful channels for time-sensitive communications.
Brevo built SMS marketing directly into their platform alongside email, which means you can coordinate campaigns across both channels from a single dashboard. This guide walks through everything you need to know to launch effective SMS campaigns.
Why SMS Marketing Works Different From Email
Text messages feel more personal and immediate than emails. When your phone buzzes with a new message, you look at it almost reflexively. This immediacy is both SMS marketing’s greatest strength and its biggest responsibility.
People guard their phone numbers more carefully than email addresses. Someone who gives you their mobile number expects you to respect that access. Send too many messages or irrelevant content and they will opt out permanently — often with negative feelings about your brand.
SMS works best for flash sales and limited-time offers, appointment reminders and confirmations, shipping and delivery notifications, account security and verification codes, time-sensitive announcements, and urgent customer service communications.
SMS does not work well for lengthy educational content, complex product explanations, regular newsletters or updates, or promotional messages sent more than 2-3 times per month.
Building Your SMS List the Right Way
You cannot simply add people to your SMS list without their explicit permission. Legal requirements are stricter for SMS than email. In most countries including the United States, you must get clear opt-in consent before sending any promotional text messages.
The best ways to build an SMS list include adding a checkbox to your email signup forms asking if people also want text updates, offering an SMS-exclusive discount or early access perk, using keywords that people text to a short code, promoting your SMS program on social media and your website, and collecting phone numbers at point-of-sale if you have physical locations.
Always explain what they are signing up for. “Get 15% off your first order when you join our VIP text list — 2-3 messages per month with exclusive deals” sets clear expectations.
Setting Up SMS in Brevo
Brevo’s SMS feature is available on all paid plans. The setup process takes about 10 minutes. Navigate to the SMS section in your Brevo dashboard, purchase SMS credits (pay-as-you-go pricing based on message volume), choose your sender ID (this appears as the sender name on recipient phones), create or import contact lists that include phone numbers, and start building campaigns.
One important detail: make sure phone numbers in your contact list include the country code. Brevo needs the full international format to deliver messages correctly. A US number should look like +12025551234 not just 2025551234.
Writing Effective SMS Messages
You have 160 characters to make your point. This forces clarity. Every word must earn its place in the message.
Start with the value proposition or most important information first. Do not bury your offer in the middle. “Flash Sale: 40% off everything. Today only. Shop now: [link]” gets straight to the point.
Include a clear call-to-action. What should someone do after reading your message? Click a link? Reply with a keyword? Call a phone number? Make the next step obvious.
Use link shortening to save character count. Brevo automatically shortens URLs in your SMS campaigns and tracks clicks, so you do not need to use a separate URL shortener.
Personalize when possible. “Hi Sarah, your order ships tomorrow” feels better than “Your order ships tomorrow.” The personal touch matters even more in SMS than email because of the channel’s intimate nature.
Time your messages carefully. Sending a text at 2 AM will anger people. Respect time zones and send during reasonable hours — generally between 9 AM and 8 PM in the recipient’s local timezone.
SMS Campaign Types That Perform Well
Flash Sales and Limited-Time Offers
The immediacy of SMS makes it perfect for short-window promotions. “Next 3 hours: Free shipping on all orders. No code needed.” This creates urgency and drives quick action.
Abandoned Cart Recovery
Email works for cart recovery, but SMS adds an extra layer of effectiveness. “You left something in your cart! Complete your order in the next hour and get 10% off. [link]” This message sent 2-3 hours after abandonment can recover sales that emails miss.
Order and Shipping Updates
Customers appreciate knowing where their package is. “Your order is out for delivery today by 8 PM. Track it here: [link]” These transactional messages add value and reduce support inquiries.
Appointment Reminders
For service businesses, SMS reminders reduce no-shows dramatically. “Reminder: Your appointment with Dr. Smith tomorrow at 2 PM. Reply C to confirm or R to reschedule.”
Back-in-Stock Alerts
When a popular product returns to inventory, SMS notifies interested customers immediately. “Good news! The item you wanted is back in stock. Grab it before it sells out again: [link]”
Combining SMS with Email Campaigns
The real power comes from using both channels together strategically. You might send a teaser email about an upcoming sale, then follow with an SMS when the sale actually starts. The email builds anticipation and provides details. The SMS creates urgency and drives immediate action.
In Brevo, you can set up automation workflows that send both email and SMS based on the same triggers. Someone abandons a cart? Send an email after one hour and an SMS after 24 hours if they still have not completed the purchase.
Segment based on engagement. Your most engaged subscribers might appreciate both email and SMS. Less engaged subscribers might only want SMS for truly important updates.
Compliance and Best Practices
Always include an opt-out option in every promotional SMS. A simple “Reply STOP to unsubscribe” at the end of your message keeps you compliant and gives recipients control.
Honor opt-outs immediately. Brevo automatically handles STOP requests and removes people from your SMS lists when they reply with that keyword.
Keep a record of how and when people opted into your SMS list. Regulations require you to prove consent if questioned.
Never sell or share phone numbers. People trust you with their contact information. Violating that trust damages your brand and likely violates privacy laws.
Measuring SMS Campaign Success
Track your click-through rates on links included in SMS messages. SMS typically achieves much higher click-through rates than email — often 15-30% compared to 2-3% for email.
Monitor opt-out rates. If people are unsubscribing from your SMS list frequently, you are either sending too often or sending content that is not valuable enough.
Calculate revenue per message. SMS credits cost money, so each campaign should generate enough revenue to justify the spend. Most businesses find that SMS is more expensive per send than email but generates higher revenue per message.
Compare SMS performance against email for similar campaigns. You might discover that flash sales perform better via SMS while educational content performs better via email.
SMS Pricing in Brevo
Brevo uses pay-as-you-go SMS pricing that varies by country. Sending messages to US numbers costs around $0.01-0.02 per message depending on your volume. International messages cost more, with prices varying widely by destination country.
You purchase SMS credits in bundles — for example, 1,000 credits might cost $15-20. Credits do not expire, so you can buy in bulk when prices are favorable without worrying about waste.
This pricing model works well for businesses with moderate SMS volume. If you are sending tens of thousands of messages per month, negotiate with Brevo for volume discounts.
SMS is not meant to replace email. It is meant to complement email by adding a direct, immediate channel for your most important messages. Used strategically, it can significantly boost engagement and revenue without overwhelming subscribers or breaking your budget.
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