SMS Marketing: The 98% Open Rate Channel Few Brands Use

There is a rather charming paradox in the marketing world: we spend hours worrying that our emails will land in spam, that our ads will be blocked, or that our posts will be suppressed by algorithm changes... Meanwhile, our customers' phones ring every day with a text message—and it is almost always opened and read.

That is SMS marketing, text message promotion. What I find unfortunate is that many Vietnamese businesses still treat this as a secondary channel, even though it remains one of the least competitive and highest-engagement avenues available. This article covers four major questions: what SMS marketing is, why it is worth trying right now, the rules you cannot afford to break, and which tools to start with.

What is SMS marketing and why it is still a wide-open field

Simply put, SMS marketing is a promotional strategy that uses text messages to converse with current and potential customers. Because text messages are naturally short, content usually revolves around timely messages: discount codes, sales events, new product launches, or low-stock alerts.

What stands out is something else. Across all digital marketing channels—social media, content, email, and advertising—SMS is one of the most underutilized tactics. Fewer users mean your customers' inboxes are not as flooded as their email inboxes. If someone has agreed to receive messages from you, the chance is very high that they actually read them rather than skimming and deleting.

• Low competition: Customers are not yet overwhelmed by brand texts the way they are with emails.
• Speed: Results come in almost instantly; you know right away whether today's text was effective.
• Personalization: Address customers by name, segment by behavior, and message what they truly care about.
• Low cost: All you need is a messaging platform and content—no elaborate image design required.
• Omnichannel support: SMS slips in precisely when customers are holding their phones, where emails are often forgotten.

Numbers that make it hard to look away

According to data compiled by Neil Patel, about 90% of users open new text messages within the first 3 minutes. The open rate for SMS reaches up to 98%, which is about 5 times higher than the average open rate of email marketing. Click-through rates (CTR) typically fall between 21–35%, while unsubscribe rates are only 1–2%.

For a small store, the implications of these numbers are very practical: you do not need a massive advertising budget, just a list of a few thousand people who have agreed to receive messages, and you instantly have a fast-responding sales channel. But I must be frank: these are industry averages, not a magic shield. On the same channel, a thoughtful sender will see beautiful results, while a careless sender will prompt mass unsubscribes.

Channels do not annoy customers. Senders do.

Rule number one: ask for permission before texting

Just like email, you must obtain genuine consent from customers before sending marketing texts. In the US, businesses must comply with the TCPA (Telephone Consumer Protection Act); each country has its own regulations, and your job is to follow the laws where your customers live. It sounds heavy, but the process is simple: collect phone numbers the exact same way you collect emails for newsletter signups.

An effective trick is to turn the opt-in into a polite offer. Many brands put pop-ups on their websites inviting visitors to leave their email and phone number in exchange for a first-order discount code. Customers benefit, you get a new subscriber—a win-win. But remember one thing: never buy phone number lists. Saving a few bucks today could get your brand permanently marked as spam.

Writing a 160-character text that still packs a punch

The limit for a single SMS is 160 characters. This is both a barrier and a gift: it forces you to state the most important thing clearly. Nobody wants to open a text and see a wall of text—unless it is a storytelling message from a close friend.

Three things to do in every message: clearly state your brand name at the very beginning (because not everyone saves your number), state what is happening concisely, and end with a specific CTA. Examples like Casper always open with their brand name, or Snuggle Me always ends with a clear action invitation like "Shop now".

• One message, one idea. Do not cram three promotions into 160 characters.
• Prioritize specific numbers: "15% off", "only $9.99", "20 spots left".
• Always include opt-out instructions, such as "Reply STOP to stop".
• Test links on a real phone before blasting them to your entire list.

Send at the right time, in the right dose

Timing SMS is much more sensitive than email. Emails sit quietly in the inbox; texts make phones buzz immediately. Under the TCPA, businesses must not send messages between 9 PM and 8 AM in the recipient's local time. Practical experience shows that the window from 10 AM to 5 PM–6 PM is generally a safe zone with strong response rates.

Regarding sending frequency, analysis from the Attentive platform shows that sending more than 10–15 texts per month can cause unsubscribe rates to skyrocket. A reasonable rate is 1–2 texts per week, sometimes dropping to 2–4 texts per month. Unlike email—where some industries send daily—SMS should be treated like a conversation with an acquaintance, not a loudspeaker in a marketplace.

Do not just text for sales

Many brands use SMS exclusively for promotions, then wonder why customers leave. Broaden your purposes: invite them to events, share loyalty program details, or send links to useful website content. Brands like Enfamil do this quite skillfully: they balance promotions with educational content so recipients do not feel constantly pitched to.

Two small but decisive details: your website must be mobile-friendly, since customers almost always click links on their phones; and unsubscribing must be effortless. If customers struggle to find a way to stop messages, they will not just stop—they will get annoyed and block your brand entirely.

Tools worth trying to get started

You do not need a complex system to get started. Below are the platforms mentioned in the original guide, along with reference pricing to help you visualize costs:

• Textedly: Great for bulk texting and 1:1 chats, suitable for appointment reminders and review requests. First 50 texts free, paid plans start at $26/month for about 600 texts.
• Attentive: Combines SMS and email on a single platform with RCS support. Contact required for pricing.
• Twilio: An omnichannel customer engagement platform (SMS, email, voice, video) with variable pricing based on usage.
• SimpleTexting: Strong in customer care via text, starting at $39/month for 500 texts.
• Textmagic: Sends SMS and email from a single dashboard, around $37.50 for 500 texts and 500 emails per month.
• SlickText: Great for automated workflows and customer segmentation, starting at $29/month for 500 texts.
• EZ Texting: Includes AI tools to help draft content, starting at $20/month for 500 contacts.

My advice: do not choose tools based on price lists first. Choose based on the question "what do my customers need to be texted, and when?" Tools are merely vehicles; strategy is what generates revenue.

I will leave you with a perspective you might disagree with: many people say SMS is an intrusive channel, something to avoid. I think the opposite—a text sent to the right person, at the right time, with exactly what they need can be the most pleasant experience across all marketing channels. The problem has never been the text message, but the person pressing send.

If you have a small but loyal customer list, try an SMS campaign over the next two weeks. Start with a permission text, a small offer, and a thank you. You might be surprised by the response speed.

What about you—have you ever received a marketing text that you found genuinely useful, or do they all make you want to reply STOP immediately? Tell me in the comments section; who knows, your story might be a valuable lesson for someone just starting out.