SMS text advertising

SMS text advertising sends short text messages to customers' mobile phones. The advert arrives as a notification on a device that people check many times a day.

Why SMS works

• Targeted: a business can text the customers whose contact details it holds, so the message reaches people who have signed up or bought before.
• Low cost: each text costs only a few pence, so a small business can reach hundreds of customers for a fraction of the cost of a radio or newspaper advert.
• Read quickly: a text appears as a notification the moment it is sent, and many people check their phone within minutes, so the message is hard to miss — ideal for a spare appointment slot or a launch happening that day.
• A link to the website: the text can carry a link so the customer taps straight through to book or buy.

For example, a barber with a quiet afternoon texts regulars: "Hi Sam, a 4pm chair has freed up today — tap to book." Short, personal, and the customer can act immediately.

Limits and risks

• Very little detail: texts must be short, so there is no room for photos, specifications or terms — the website has to carry those.
• Annoying: a message that interrupts can irritate people, and many delete it unread, especially when the sender is unfamiliar.
• Blocked or opted out: a customer can block the number or reply STOP, and the business then loses that contact.
• Permission needed: a business may text only people whose numbers it holds and who have agreed to receive messages, so lists build slowly.
• Out-of-date lists: people change mobile numbers, so texts are wasted on phones that no longer belong to the customer.
• Spam and fraud fears: scam texts are common, so an unfamiliar sender lowers trust; naming the business clearly inside the message helps.

SMS suits a business with a database of consenting customers and a short, urgent message or link. It is weaker for building wide reach or explaining a product in detail.