98% open rates. 45% click-through rates. SMS marketing is the most effective direct channel in Australia. Here's how to use it properly.
Send 1 hour after cart abandonment: "Hey [Name], you left items in your cart! Complete your order and get free shipping: [link]." Recovery rates of 15-25% are typical. One of the highest-ROI SMS campaigns.
"24-hour flash sale! 30% off everything. Use code FLASH30 at checkout: [link]." SMS drives urgency better than email. Send at 10am Tuesday-Thursday for best results. Always include a clear CTA and expiry.
"Hi [Name], reminder: your appointment with [Business] is tomorrow at [Time]. Reply CONFIRM or call us to reschedule: [phone]." Reduces no-shows by 30-40%. The single most valuable transactional SMS for service businesses.
Tuesday-Thursday, 10am-12pm gets the highest engagement. Avoid Monday mornings (inbox overload) and Friday afternoons (mentally checked out). Never send before 9am or after 8pm — it's rude and potentially illegal under ACMA rules.
2-4 messages per month is the sweet spot. More than weekly and unsubscribe rates spike. Less than monthly and people forget they opted in. Every message must provide value — promotions, useful info, or exclusive access.
Track: delivery rate, open rate (assume 98%), click rate (use short URLs with UTM), conversion rate, and revenue per message. A healthy SMS campaign generates $5-15 per message sent. If you're below $2, review your targeting and content.
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