SMS marketing your customers are glad to get
We set up SMS the right way in Klaviyo or HubSpot, from consent and sending numbers to the flows and campaigns. Then we check what texts really earn, because a text can get credit for a sale just by arriving.
Free, 30 minutes, and you'll leave with at least one clear next step.
How SMS programs go wrong
Texting works because people read their texts. That same reason makes mistakes expensive, since an annoyed subscriber replies STOP and you can't win them back with a better subject line.
Texts used like a second inbox
Every email gets copied into a text. Subscribers hear the same thing twice in an hour and opt out.
Consent that won't hold up
Phone numbers came from checkout or an old import with no clear SMS opt-in. US law and carrier rules expect clear written consent for marketing texts, so sloppy records are a legal risk.
Messages sent at the wrong hour
A campaign set for 10 a.m. Eastern lands at 7 a.m. in California. Quiet hours and time zones were never set.
Revenue reports that flatter the channel
By default Klaviyo can credit a sale to a text if the order comes within 12 hours of delivery, even with no click. A customer who was already buying counts as SMS revenue.
What has to be set up before the first text goes out?
You need consent, a sending number and a set of sending rules in place first. Skipping any of them leads to the problems above.
Consent. We add an SMS opt-in to your sign-up forms and checkout with clear wording on what people will get and how to stop. The opt-in is kept separate from email consent, and every subscriber's consent is recorded with a time and source. If you have old phone numbers without that record, we don't text them.
A sending number. US carriers require your sending number to be registered or verified before you can send marketing texts at volume. In Klaviyo that usually means a toll-free number that goes through verification. Klaviyo says that takes about 2 to 5 business days (Klaviyo Help). We start it in week one so the program isn't held up.
The rules. We set quiet hours by each subscriber's time zone and cap how many texts one person gets in a week. We also check that subscribers don't get an email and a text with the same message close together. We're not lawyers, so we'll ask your counsel to review the opt-in wording and terms.
The texts we build
Welcome text
One short message that confirms the sign-up, delivers any offer and sets expectations for how often you'll text.
Klaviyo agencyCart and checkout reminders
A single text after an abandoned checkout, timed after the first email and skipped if the person already bought.
Email marketingDrops and restocks
Early access for subscribers when a new collection or a sold-out size comes back. Streetwear and fashion brands with limited drops get the most from these.
Fashion and apparelReorder reminders
A nudge timed to when a customer usually runs low, for supplements, beauty and food brands.
Supplements and wellnessShipping and delivery updates
Order and delivery texts that cut "where is my order" emails to your support team.
Klaviyo agencyVIP campaigns
Fewer, better texts for your best customers, such as first look at a sale or a thank-you offer.
EcommerceHow do you measure what SMS really earns?
We count clicks and orders from texts, and we treat delivery-based credit as a rough guide. Klaviyo's default settings credit a text if an order follows within 12 hours of delivery, and within five days of a click (Klaviyo Help). That can make SMS look bigger than it is, especially on busy sale days when people buy anyway.
For the campaigns and flows that matter most, we hold back a small random group that doesn't get the text and compare orders. That shows what the text added. We take out returns using Shopify data. Then SMS sits next to email and ads in one daily view, built the way our ad tracking and reporting service works. The holdout method is explained on our incrementality testing page.
Texts also cost more per message than email. Long messages and picture messages cost more again, so we write short and use images only where they earn it.
Klaviyo or HubSpot for texting?
We run SMS in both. Klaviyo is the usual pick for brands that sell online only, with texts and email sharing one set of Shopify data. Either way, the plan matters more than the tool. For First Stop Fashion, a New York streetwear brand, texts go out with email and paid ads for each product drop. That program more than doubled online sales in a year.
HubSpot fits when texts sit next to a service team or wholesale accounts. Charlie Hustle had no texting at all before moving to HubSpot. Now SMS campaigns run from the same account as email and service, using customer groups built from what each fan ordered.
Getting an SMS program live
- Week 1
Consent and number
Opt-in forms, consent records and sending number verification started.
- Weeks 2 to 3
Rules and flows
Quiet hours, frequency caps, email overlap rules, and the welcome and cart texts.
- Week 4
First campaigns
A text calendar for drops, restocks and sales, planned with the email calendar.
- Monthly
Holdout and report
A holdout on the biggest text flow and a monthly report on what SMS earned after returns.
SMS marketing agency questions
How many marketing texts should we send a month?
Fewer than most brands think. Flows like welcome and cart reminders send on their own, and on top of that a few well-timed campaigns a month is a common starting point. We watch opt-out rates after each send and adjust.
Can we text customers who gave us their number at checkout?
Only if they clearly agreed to marketing texts. A phone number for shipping updates is not consent for promotions. We set up a separate SMS opt-in and keep a record of each one.
Why does Klaviyo show so much SMS revenue?
Its default settings can credit a text for an order placed within 12 hours of delivery, even without a click. We report click-based revenue and run holdout tests to see what texts actually add.
Do you write the text messages?
Yes. We write every text, keep them short to control cost, and match your brand's voice. You approve them before anything sends.
Can we move our SMS subscribers from another texting app?
Usually, yes, as long as the consent records come with them. We export subscribers with their opt-in date and source, import them into Klaviyo or HubSpot, and rebuild the flows.
What's a good opt-out rate for marketing texts?
There's no single number, because it depends on how often you send and how people signed up. What matters is the trend. A jump after a campaign tells us that message or timing missed, and we change course.
Related
Check your SMS setup before your next big send
On the call we'll look at your opt-in, your sending rules and what your texts really earn, and point out the first thing to fix.