Advertising SMS

Step 1: You don’t speak to everyone the same way

You absolutely must segment your database before sending your commercial SMS messages. There’s no point talking to retirees, students, and real estate professionals all at once. Or at the very least, personalize your messages based on your target audiences.

How to target effectively?

• Because they’ve already bought from you:
  • “Hey [First Name], we noticed you loved our sneakers… Here’s a -15% code for your next purchase!”
• Because they abandoned their cart:
  • “Oops, looks like you forgot your cart! -10% if you complete it today: [link].”
• Because they’re in a specific area:
  • “Our [Name] coffee shop in Rouen is offering you a free coffee if you stop by today!”

Tip:

Use an Excel spreadsheet or a CRM (such as HubSpot) to organize your contacts and connect them to SMS Partner. On our platform, you can import your list in just 2 clicks (no expertise required).

Step 2: Write a message that makes people want to act

Your SMS should feel as natural as if you were sending it to a friend. No jargon, no lengthy sentences.

The structure that works every time:

1. An emoji or a hook word (“?”, “Good news”, “Last chance”).
2. The key offer or info (in under 10 words).
3. A shortened link (to avoid wasting characters).
4. The STOP mention (mandatory).

An example that works:
“? [First Name], your gift is waiting! -20% on your next order with code WELCOME20 → [bit.ly/your-gift] STOP SMS at 36XXX.”

Things to avoid at all costs:

• “Dear customer, we are pleased to inform you that our company is running an exceptional promotion…” → Too long, too formal.
• A link that’s 50 characters long → Use our URL shortener on SMS Partner — it’s free!

Tip:
Send the SMS to yourself or a colleague before the final send. If it makes you want to click, that’s a good sign. If it puts you to sleep, start over.

Step 3: Choose the right time

The worst time to send a promotional SMS? At 7am, when your prospects are rushing through their morning commute. Or at 9pm, when they’re watching Netflix, far from their phone.

The best time slots:

• Between 12pm and 2pm: During the lunch break, recipients take the time to check their phones.
• Between 5pm and 7pm: After their workday, they spend time on their smartphones and are more receptive.
• Preferably on weekdays, but depending on your offers you can send your promotional SMS on weekends: it is now tolerated on Sundays and public holidays, though we recommend avoiding it when possible.

Step 4: Analyze the results (and improve!)

3 metrics to monitor with every SMS campaign:

• Open rate:
  • 95%? Your SMS has reached its destination successfully.
  • Below 90%? Check your send time or the quality of your database with an HLR lookup.
• Click-through rate:
  • Over 20%? Your offer and link are working.
  • Below 10%? The CTA isn’t compelling enough or the offer isn’t attractive enough.
• Unsubscribe rate:
  • Too many STOP responses? Your targeting is off or your SMS frequency is too high.

How to do better next time?

✅ Test 2 versions of the same SMS (change only one thing at a time).

✅ Adjust your send times.

✅ Segment your contact database further.

We believe performance should never come at the expense of your data or the planet, so here’s what sets us apart from other SMS platforms:

Your data = Your property.

• No reselling, no sharing: Your databases are 100% yours. We don’t use them, we don’t analyze them to send you hidden ads.
• Privacy Protection Pact label: We are GDPR compliant, because trust has to be earned.
• No opaque algorithms: Unlike social media, you control who receives what, directly on their smartphone.

In short: With us, you’re in control. We’re just here to give you the best tools.

An eco-friendly approach to offset our impact

We’re not going to lecture you about climate change, but here’s what we’re concretely doing to reduce our impact:

• 100% carbon-neutral hosting: Our servers run on renewable energy.
• Refurbished hardware: Our computers get a second life (and they work just as well!).
• Remote work and coworking: Fewer offices = fewer CO₂ emissions.
• 1 tree planted for every million SMS sent: We work with PACTE, which plants trees notably in Tunisia.

Why do we do this?

Because we share the same values as you: we want a business that performs, but without sacrificing what truly matters.