wiki/knowledge/email-marketing/sms-marketing-strategy.md · 555 words · 2025-11-24

SMS Marketing Strategy

One-way SMS marketing via Twilio, integrated with GoHighLevel, offers a low-cost, high-engagement channel well-suited to flash sales, promos, and time-sensitive offers. This article captures the platform rationale, cost model, list-building tactics, segmentation approach, and KPIs established during initial strategy discussions.

First applied: ^[1] (approved 2025-11-24 for a 6-month trial)

Why SMS

Higher open rates than email — texts are read faster and feel more personal
Lower production barrier — short copy, quick turnaround
Speed to audience — messages land and get read within minutes, ideal for flash sales
Pay-as-you-go cost model — no spend in quiet months

Platform: Twilio + GoHighLevel

Twilio is the recommended SMS provider based on direct experience. Key reasons:

Seamless integration with GoHighLevel, keeping email and SMS in one platform
Pay-as-you-go pricing: $0.0083 per outbound message (one-way marketing)
Two-way messaging available at higher cost — recommended to start one-way and evaluate

Setup note: Twilio requires a billing card at account creation. Coordinate with the client to provide payment details before setup begins.

One-Way vs. Two-Way

Mode	Use Case	Cost
One-way (outbound only)	Promos, flash sales, announcements	~$0.0083/msg
Two-way (conversational)	Service scheduling, customer replies	Higher (evaluate later)

Recommendation: Start with one-way for marketing. Revisit two-way if service-center use cases (e.g., tune-up reminders, storage confirmations) justify the added cost.

List-Building Tactics

Website

Footer opt-in: "Sign up for exclusive deals via text"
Pop-up with incentive: 10–15% discount for SMS sign-up
Add SMS opt-in field to all existing forms (contact form, landing pages, Google Ads forms)

In-Store

QR code flyers placed at key locations — customers scan to opt in
Staff ask at checkout if customers want to be added to the SMS list

Outreach

Dedicated email campaign announcing the new SMS channel
Social media posts explaining how to join
Optional: giveaway (e.g., free accessory) to drive initial sign-ups — confirm prize with client

Segmentation

Segment the list from the start to ensure message relevance and protect deliverability:

Segment	Description
New customers	First-time buyers
Past buyers	Returning purchase history
Website visitors	Browsed but haven't purchased
Service customers	Tune-ups, winter storage, repairs

Keep service customers in a dedicated segment — their messaging (maintenance reminders, storage availability) differs meaningfully from sales-focused segments.

KPIs

Track the following once campaigns are live:

Subscriber growth — is the list growing at a healthy rate?
Click-through rate (CTR) — are recipients engaging with links?
Opt-out rate — high stop-rates signal irrelevant content or over-messaging

Review KPIs at the 6-month trial checkpoint to decide whether to continue, expand, or adjust.

Implementation Timeline (Reference)

Milestone	Estimated Time
Twilio account setup + segmentation defined	~1 month
In-store QR flyers created	Within same month
Website pop-up + form opt-ins added	~2 weeks after setup
First campaigns and giveaway details	After above complete

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