SMS marketing isn't new. But in 2024, it's undergone a quiet revolution. While brands pour money into crowded social feeds and battle declining email open rates, text messaging has emerged as the most direct, highest-converting channel available to modern marketers. And it's not even close.
Those numbers aren't hypothetical. They're drawn from aggregate performance data across Shymo's customer base. Compare that to email's 21% average open rate or social media's sub-1% organic reach, and the case practically makes itself.
SMS vs. Other Marketing Channels
Let's be honest: every channel has its place. Email is great for long-form content and nurture sequences. Social builds brand awareness. Paid ads drive discovery. But when you need to reach someone right now with a message they'll actually see, SMS stands alone.
The difference comes down to behavior. People check their phones an average of 144 times per day. Text messages land in a space with zero algorithmic filtering—no spam folders, no "Promotions" tabs, no feed ranking. Your message shows up. It gets read. Usually within 90 seconds.
That said, SMS isn't a replacement for your other channels. It's the accelerant. The best-performing brands in our network use SMS alongside email, with each channel playing a distinct role in the customer journey.
Building Your SMS List (The Right Way)
The foundation of every successful SMS program is a healthy, opted-in subscriber list. Unlike email, where you might get away with questionable list-building practices (you shouldn't, but people do), SMS is governed by strict consent requirements under TCPA and GDPR.
Here's what works in 2024:
- Pop-up forms with an SMS field: Offer a compelling incentive (15–20% off first order is the sweet spot) and make the value proposition crystal clear. Brands using Shymo's smart pop-ups see an average 8.2% conversion rate on mobile visitors.
- Checkout opt-in: Add an SMS checkbox during purchase. These subscribers tend to have the highest lifetime value since they've already bought from you.
- Text-to-join keywords: "Text JOIN to 55555" works beautifully for in-store, events, packaging, and social media bios. Simple, frictionless, memorable.
- Cross-channel promotion: Use your email list, social followers, and website traffic to promote SMS. Emphasize exclusivity—VIP access, early drops, text-only deals.
- QR codes: We've seen a 340% increase in QR-driven opt-ins year over year. Print them on packaging, receipts, in-store signage, and event materials.
Segmentation: The Engine Behind Performance
Sending the same message to your entire list is the fastest way to burn through subscribers. Modern SMS marketing lives and dies on segmentation.
The segments that matter most:
- Purchase behavior: First-time buyers vs. repeat customers vs. VIPs. Each group needs a fundamentally different message.
- Browse behavior: What products are they looking at? Shymo's site tracking lets you trigger messages based on specific product or category views.
- Engagement recency: When did they last open a message or click a link? Segment active subscribers from dormant ones to protect your sender reputation.
- Average order value: High-AOV customers respond better to exclusive access and new arrivals. Price-sensitive shoppers convert on discounts and flash sales.
- Geographic location: Essential for local events, store openings, weather-triggered campaigns, and time-zone-aware sending.
Shymo's segmentation engine lets you combine these attributes with AND/OR logic to build highly targeted audiences. Our data shows that segmented campaigns generate 3.2x more revenue per message compared to full-list sends.
Timing Is (Almost) Everything
When you send matters almost as much as what you send. The general guidelines haven't changed much—weekday afternoons (1–5 PM local time) tend to perform best for promotional messages, while transactional messages should go out immediately regardless of time.
But "general guidelines" are just that—general. The real unlock is individualized send timing. Shymo's Smart Send Time feature uses machine learning to analyze each subscriber's historical engagement patterns and deliver messages when they're most likely to open and convert. Early adopters are seeing a 23% lift in click-through rates.
A few timing principles that hold true across verticals:
- Flash sales: Send 2–3 hours before the sale ends to create urgency. A reminder 30 minutes before close drives the final surge.
- Abandoned cart: First message at 1 hour post-abandonment, follow-up at 24 hours. Sending at 1 hour recovers 3x more carts than waiting until the next day.
- New product launches: Tuesday through Thursday mornings, 10–11 AM local time. Avoid Mondays (inbox overload) and Fridays (weekend brain).
- Re-engagement: 30, 60, and 90-day windows. After 90 days of inactivity, consider sunsetting the subscriber.
Personalization Beyond {first_name}
Every brand uses first-name personalization. It's table stakes. The brands winning at SMS in 2024 go much further:
Product-specific messaging: Reference the exact item they browsed, carted, or previously purchased. "Still thinking about the Midnight Serum? It's back in stock—and we saved one for you." That message converts at 4x the rate of a generic back-in-stock blast.
Behavioral triggers: Automate messages based on actions—or inaction. Browsed three times without purchasing? Trigger a social proof message. Haven't opened in 45 days? Send a "We miss you" with a comeback offer.
Conversational tone: SMS is inherently personal. Write like a friend, not a billboard. Short sentences. Casual language. Emojis where appropriate (but don't overdo it). The best SMS copy feels like it came from a real person.
Automation Workflows That Drive Revenue
If you're only sending manual campaigns, you're leaving money on the table. Automated flows run 24/7 and consistently outperform one-off blasts. Here are the five automations every brand should have running:
- Welcome Series: 2–3 messages over the first week. Introduce your brand, deliver the opt-in incentive, and highlight a bestseller. This flow alone generates an average of $2.40 per subscriber in our network.
- Abandoned Cart: The workhorse. A two-message sequence at 1 hour and 24 hours post-abandonment recovers an average of 18% of abandoned carts for Shymo customers.
- Post-Purchase: Thank them, set delivery expectations, ask for a review. This flow builds loyalty and drives repeat purchases.
- Browse Abandonment: Lighter touch than cart abandonment—a single message referencing the product they viewed, sent 2–4 hours after they leave your site.
- Winback: Target subscribers who haven't purchased in 60–90 days with a compelling offer. Include a clear "this is your last chance" message at the end of the sequence.
Measuring Success: The Metrics That Matter
Vanity metrics are everywhere in marketing. For SMS, focus on these:
- Revenue per message (RPM): Total revenue attributed to SMS divided by messages sent. The most important single metric for your program.
- Click-through rate: Aim for 15–30% on promotional messages. Below 10% means your copy or targeting needs work.
- Opt-out rate: Keep this below 2% per campaign. Spikes indicate you're sending too frequently or to poorly targeted segments.
- List growth rate: Net new subscribers minus opt-outs. A healthy program grows 10–15% month over month.
- Attributed revenue: Use Shymo's attribution window (default 24 hours for SMS) to understand the true revenue impact of each message and flow.
2024 Trends to Watch
AI-powered optimization is the biggest shift. From send time optimization to AI-generated copy suggestions to predictive segmentation, machine learning is making SMS programs smarter without requiring bigger teams.
RCS (Rich Communication Services) is slowly gaining traction on Android. Think SMS with rich media, carousels, and interactive buttons—no app download required. It's not mainstream yet, but forward-thinking brands are experimenting.
Conversational commerce is moving from buzzword to reality. Two-way SMS conversations powered by AI let customers ask questions, get recommendations, and complete purchases entirely within the text thread. Shymo's conversational AI features are driving 28% higher conversion rates compared to traditional one-way messages.
Privacy-first list building continues to matter. With cookie deprecation and increasing privacy regulation, first-party channels like SMS become even more valuable. Your SMS list is a durable, owned asset that no algorithm change can take away.
The brands that invest in segmentation, automation, and personalization today will own the most valuable marketing channel of the next decade. The question isn't whether SMS works. It's whether you're using it to its full potential.