Everyone knows the statistic: SMS has an open rate of over 95%. But most ecommerce brands treat SMS like a second, louder email inbox — and that is a recipe for high unsubscribes and brand fatigue.
At User Actually, we view SMS as a high-intent VIP channel, not a megaphone for every minor update. The brands getting the most out of SMS are the ones that treat the channel with the respect it demands — and use it sparingly, precisely, and in a way that feels genuinely useful to the recipient.
SMS is not email with a smaller word count. It's a different relationship entirely.
The SMS Golden Rule: Permission Is a Privilege
Unlike email, which arrives in an inbox a customer checks on their own schedule, an SMS vibrates in someone's pocket. It interrupts their day. If you abuse that access, you will be unsubscribed immediately — and unlike email, you rarely get a second chance.
The standard for SMS has to be higher. Every message needs a clear reason to exist. If you're sending an SMS and asking yourself "is this worth interrupting them for?", the answer should always be yes before you hit send.
The Early Access Hook
If you're launching a new collection or a limited-time sale, your SMS list should hear about it 2–4 hours before anyone else. This creates a genuine VIP feeling and ensures your most engaged customers get the stock they want before it sells out.
The key is that early access needs to be real. If the "exclusive preview" leads to a page that's already live to everyone, customers notice — and the next message feels less special.
The Two-Way Conversational Flow
Most brands use no-reply numbers. This is a missed opportunity. When you set up SMS to allow responses, you create a direct line for customer service that feels genuinely personal — and generates insights you can't get anywhere else.
Set up automated triggers that ask for feedback 48 hours after delivery. "Hey [Name], how are your new trainers fitting? Reply 1 for Great, 2 for Needs a Return." This builds trust, catches issues before they become reviews, and signals to customers that there's a real brand behind the messages.
Hyper-Segmentation
Never blast your entire SMS list with a generic offer. The same segmentation logic that applies to email applies here — but the stakes are higher, because the tolerance for irrelevance is lower.
- High LTV customers (spent over £500) — treat them as VIPs, not just subscribers
- Lapsed buyers (no purchase in 90 days) — win-back message, not a generic promo
- Product-specific browsers — only notify about restocks if they've viewed that category
- Recent first-time buyers — the post-purchase window is high-value; use it wisely
The Right Frequency
For most ecommerce brands, 4–6 SMS messages per month is the ceiling for broadcast sends. More than that, and unsubscribe rates climb sharply. Triggered, behavioural messages (like the post-delivery check-in above) are different — they're relevant to the recipient and expected, so they're tolerated at higher frequency.
The test is always: would the customer feel glad they received this, or would they feel interrupted? If it's the latter, hold it.
SMS done right is one of the most powerful channels in your mix. Done wrong, it's the fastest way to burn through a list you spent months building.
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