WTF You Should Actually Be Doing With SMS in 2025

Alright, listen up. Text marketing is not dead – it's just evolved into something different. While everyone's fighting for inbox attention, your SMS strategy could be printing money if you're doing it right.

Here's the no-BS guide to SMS that'll have you wondering why you've been sleeping on this channel:

1. Hyper-Personalized Triggered Texts Based on REAL Behavior

Gone are the days of blasting your entire list with the same generic message. The winning SMS strategy in 2025 uses behavioral triggers based on ACTUAL customer data.

What this looks like:

• Someone abandons checkout with a high-ticket item? Instant text with a time-sensitive offer.

• Customer browsed the same product category 3 times? Text them about new arrivals in ONLY that category.

• Haven't purchased in 45 days? Send a "we miss you" text with their personalized recommendations.

The tech to do this exists right now and it's not complicated. Platforms like Postscript, Klaviyo, and Attentive make this brain-dead simple to set up.

2. Two-Way Conversational SMS That Actually... Converses

Most brands are still using SMS as a one-way broadcast channel. That's leaving money on the table. The most profitable SMS strategies in 2025 are actually allowing conversations to happen.

Customers expect to be able to text back and get a human-like response – whether that's through AI or an actual person.

Set up:

• Quick response templates for common questions

• SMS-specific customer service hours ("Text us back between 9-5ET for instant help!")

• AI-powered conversation tools that can handle basic questions and escalate to humans when needed

Brands seeing 3-4x ROI on their SMS are the ones treating it like an actual conversation, not a billboard.

3. Rich SMS with Interactive Elements

SMS isn't just plain text anymore. You need to be using rich messaging features like RCS (Rich Communication Services) that allow for interactive elements directly in the text message.

This means:

• Mini product carousels they can swipe through

• Buttons they can tap to take action

• Quick reply options

• Location sharing for store directions

• Apple Pay/Google Pay integrations for one-tap purchasing

These rich elements drive conversion rates through the roof compared to basic "Click this link" texts that feel like 2018 marketing.

4. SMS-Exclusive Drops & Flash Sales

The quickest way to make money from SMS this week? Create FOMO with SMS-exclusive offers.

Your best customers should feel like they're getting insider access. SMS is perfect for this because of its immediacy and high open rates (95%+ compared to email's ~20%).

Try this:

• "Text-subscribers only: Early access to our new collection 24 hours before anyone else"

• "Reply with your size to claim one of 50 limited-edition products we found in our warehouse"

• "Flash sale: Next 30 minutes only – first 100 to click get 40% off"

The key is ACTUAL exclusivity – not pretending it's exclusive when it's really not.

5. Zero-Party Data Collection via Text

With third-party cookies dying, collecting zero-party data (info customers willingly share) has become critical. SMS is the perfect channel for this because it feels conversational and low-effort for customers.

Smart SMS marketers are:

• Sending simple preference quizzes via text ("Reply with A, B, or C for your style preference")

• Using SMS to collect birthday/anniversary info for future marketing

• Running text-based surveys with incentives

• Creating "text to vote" campaigns for new product features

This data becomes gold for future personalization across ALL your channels.

The Stupid Simple SMS Audit You Need To Do Today

Look at your last 5 SMS campaigns and ask:

1. Would I respond to this if I got it from a brand?

2. Does this feel like a real person sent it?

3. Is there any personalization beyond my first name?

4. Am I giving the customer a reason to engage back with us?

5. Does this provide actual value or just ask for a purchase?

If you answered "no" to more than 2 of these, your SMS strategy is leaving serious cash on the table.

Bottom Line:

Stop treating SMS like "email but shorter." It's a completely different channel with different psychology. The brands making bank from SMS in 2025 are creating conversations, not broadcasts. They're leveraging timing, personalization, and exclusivity in ways email simply can't match.

And remember: One perfectly timed, personalized text can outperform 10 generic email blasts. Start small, measure like crazy, and scale what works.

P.S. - Ready to really take your email & sms marketing to the next level? Hit us up at www.bylders.io 

We're damn good at what we do and our monthly packages start at 1/3 the cost of a mid level employee.