Text Message Marketing Templates: 20 SMS Examples for Small Business (With Rules and Benchmarks)
Text message marketing templates, in short: every marketing text should name your business, do one job, fit in one 160-character segment where possible, and end with an opt-out such as “Reply STOP to opt out”. Send only to people who agreed to receive marketing texts, between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. their time. Below are 20 templates for welcome, reminders, reviews, offers and win-back, plus the benchmarks to judge them by.
SMS gets read, which is exactly why it is easy to overuse. A good template is short, specific and expected: the reader knows who it is from and why they are getting it. This guide gives copy you can adapt for the messages small businesses send most, the rules each one must follow, and the click and conversion rates other businesses see.
Key takeaways
- Name the business first in every message; the reader may not have your number saved.
- One message, one job: one offer, one reminder or one request, with at most one link.
- 160 characters fit in one standard segment; emoji and some symbols cut that to 70.
- Consent and opt-out: marketing texts need prior consent, and every campaign should say how to stop.
- Automated texts beat blasts: 20.34% click rate versus 12.39% for campaigns at Omnisend in 2025.
- Register first: US business texting from software needs 10DLC registration or toll-free verification.
What should every marketing text include?
| Element | Why | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Business name | Identifies you; many readers won't have your number saved | “Bright Smile Dental:” |
| The one thing you want | Texts with several asks get none done | “Book your cleaning” |
| A reason now | Gives the message a purpose today | “Saturday slots open this week” |
| One link or reply option | Makes acting easy | A booking link, or “Reply YES” |
| Opt-out | Required good practice and expected by carriers | “Reply STOP to opt out” |
Keep within one segment where you can. A standard text segment holds 160 characters; when a message runs longer it is split, and each part holds 153. Using emoji or certain special characters switches the whole message to a different encoding with 70 characters per segment (67 when split), which can triple the cost of a long message.
Welcome and opt-in confirmation templates
Send the confirmation as soon as someone opts in. It should say who you are, what they will receive and how often, that message and data rates may apply, and how to stop or get help.
| Use | Template |
|---|---|
| Opt-in confirmation | [Business]: Thanks for joining our texts! Expect up to 4 msgs/month with offers and updates. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help, STOP to opt out. |
| Welcome offer | [Business]: Welcome! Here's 10% off your first visit: [link]. Valid until [date]. Reply STOP to opt out. |
| Service business welcome | [Business]: Hi [Name], thanks for signing up. Questions about [service]? Just reply to this text and [Owner] will answer. Reply STOP to opt out. |
Appointment and booking templates
Reminders are the texts customers are most glad to get. Send one a day before and, for short-notice bookings, one a couple of hours before. More on timing is in how to reduce appointment no-shows.
| Use | Template |
|---|---|
| Booking confirmation | [Business]: You're booked for [service] on [day] at [time]. Address: [address]. Reply C to confirm or R to reschedule. |
| Reminder, day before | [Business]: Reminder: [service] tomorrow at [time]. Reply C to confirm, R to reschedule. |
| Reminder, 2 hours before | [Business]: See you at [time] today, [Name]! Parking is [detail]. Running late? Reply here. |
| No-show follow-up | [Business]: Sorry we missed you today, [Name]. Want to pick a new time? [link] |
Review request templates
Ask within a day of the job or visit, while it is fresh, and link straight to the review page. Ask every customer the same way; offering rewards for reviews or asking only happy customers can break platform rules. See how to get more Google reviews for the full system.
| Use | Template |
|---|---|
| Review request | [Business]: Thanks for choosing us today, [Name]! Would you share a quick review? It really helps: [link] |
| Gentle reminder (once) | [Business]: Hi [Name], if you have a minute, we'd love your feedback on [service]: [link]. Thank you! |
Promotion and announcement templates
Promotional texts go only to people who opted in to marketing, at most a few times a month. Make the offer specific and dated.
| Use | Template |
|---|---|
| Limited offer | [Business]: This week only, [offer] on [service/product]. Book or shop: [link]. Ends [day]. Reply STOP to opt out. |
| New service | [Business]: New! We now offer [service]. First [10] bookings get [benefit]: [link]. Reply STOP to opt out. |
| Event invitation | [Business]: You're invited to [event] on [date] at [time]. Save your spot: [link]. Reply STOP to opt out. |
| Seasonal reminder | [Business]: [Season] is here. Time to book your [service] before slots fill: [link]. Reply STOP to opt out. |
| Back in stock | [Business]: [Product] is back in stock. Grab yours: [link]. Reply STOP to opt out. |
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Follow-up and win-back templates
| Use | Template |
|---|---|
| Quote follow-up | [Business]: Hi [Name], just checking you got our quote for [job]. Any questions? Reply here or call [number]. |
| Missed call text-back | [Business]: Sorry we missed your call! How can we help? Reply here and we'll get right back to you. |
| Win-back | [Business]: We miss you, [Name]! It's been a while since your last [service]. Here's [offer] if you'd like to come back: [link]. Reply STOP to opt out. |
| Job update | [Business]: Your technician [Name] is on the way and should arrive around [time]. Questions? Reply here. |
| Referral ask | [Business]: Glad we could help, [Name]! Know someone who needs [service]? Share this link and you both get [benefit]: [link]. Reply STOP to opt out. |
| Last check before removing | [Business]: Still want texts from us? Reply YES to stay on the list; otherwise we'll stop texting after this week. |
The missed-call reply is covered step by step in missed call text-back, and the full re-engagement sequence in the win-back campaign guide.
What rules apply to marketing texts in the US?
- Consent: marketing texts sent with automated systems need the recipient's prior express written consent under the TCPA. Keep a record of when and how each person agreed.
- Opt-out: honour STOP and similar replies promptly, and don't text again except to confirm the opt-out.
- Hours: send between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. in the recipient's time zone; some states are stricter. See calling and texting hours by state.
- Registration: carriers filter unregistered business texts. Register for A2P 10DLC on a local number or complete toll-free verification on a toll-free one.
- Sample messages: registration asks for examples; templates like the ones above, with your business name and opt-out, are what reviewers expect to see.
An appointment reminder that also pushes a discount is a marketing text. Keep reminders and offers in separate messages, and send offers only to people who opted in to marketing.
What click and conversion rates do marketing texts get?
Automated texts, sent when someone does something, outperform scheduled blasts. These figures are from online stores, where the click usually leads to a purchase.
| Message type | Click rate | Conversion rate | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campaign (blast) | 2.87% to 8.01% | 0.12% to 0.54% | Postscript, middle half of stores, 2025 |
| Welcome series | 4.65% to 10.85% | 0.67% to 2.67% | Postscript |
| Abandoned cart | 9.53% to 17.28% | 3.97% to 7.84% | Postscript |
| Post-purchase | 4.68% to 14.26% | 0.45% to 1.51% | Postscript |
| Win-back | 2.72% to 6.36% | 0.20% to 0.89% | Postscript |
| Automated vs campaign, average | 20.34% vs 12.39% | 0.77% vs 0.12% | Omnisend, 2025 |
| “Good” campaign range | 8.9% to 14.5% | 1.0% to 2.0% | Klaviyo, US customers |
Unsubscribes matter as much as clicks. Postscript's middle half of stores saw 0.33% to 0.88% unsubscribe per campaign, and Klaviyo describes 0.6% to 1.4% as a normal range. If one message is well above your usual rate, it was too frequent, too pushy or sent to the wrong people. Clicks are also measured differently by each platform, so track your own trend first.
How Scalry handles this
In Scalry, SMS campaigns have their own message body, can be scheduled, paused or cancelled, and can target segments rather than the whole list. Links are tracked per recipient, replies land in the shared inbox with the contact's history, and workflows can send reminder, review-request and follow-up texts automatically. Sending texts needs a paid plan and your own number, and you remain responsible for consent and carrier registration. More guides are in the marketing automation and funnels hub; for calls and texting rules, see the calls, SMS and voice AI hub.
Benchmark sources, checked on 26 October 2026: Postscript 2026 SMS benchmarks (17,000+ Shopify stores, 1 January to 15 December 2025; figures are the 25th to 75th percentile); Omnisend SMS marketing statistics (321 million messages, 2025); Klaviyo SMS benchmark ranges (US customers). These come from online stores; service businesses should treat them as a rough guide. Legal points are general information, not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
What should a marketing text message say?
Your business name, one clear purpose, a reason to act now, one link or reply option, and an opt-out such as “Reply STOP to opt out”, in about 160 characters.
How long can a marketing text be?
One standard segment holds 160 characters; longer messages are split into 153-character parts. Emoji and some symbols reduce a segment to 70 characters, so keep promotional texts short.
Do marketing texts need “Reply STOP to opt out”?
Recipients must be able to opt out, and carriers expect marketing texts and the opt-in confirmation to say how. Adding it to every campaign message is the simplest way to comply.
How often should a small business send marketing texts?
A few times a month at most for promotions, and say the frequency in your opt-in confirmation. Reminders and replies can go whenever they are needed.
What is a good SMS click-through rate?
It depends on the type: Postscript's middle half of stores saw 2.87% to 8.01% on campaigns and 9.53% to 17.28% on abandoned cart texts in 2025. Klaviyo calls 8.9% to 14.5% a good campaign range.
To send reminder and review texts from workflows, see Scalry's funnels and automation.
Pick the three templates you'd use every week, add your business name and opt-out line, and set the reminder up as an automation. You can rebuild one real campaign inside Scalry before moving anything else.
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