SMS Marketing

Overview

SMS marketing achieves 98% open rates and click-through rates 5–10× higher than email, making it one of the highest-performing direct channels for ecommerce. However, SMS is heavily regulated — TCPA in the US requires explicit written consent, and violations carry fines up to $1,500 per message. Dedicated SMS apps (Postscript, Attentive, Klaviyo SMS) handle compliance, opt-in flows, and 10DLC registration automatically. Custom Twilio implementation is only needed for headless stores.

When to Use This Skill

• When launching an SMS marketing channel alongside existing email automation
• When needing TCPA-compliant opt-in flows at checkout and via pop-ups
• When wanting to segment SMS campaigns by purchase history, lifecycle stage, or location
• When sending transactional SMS (shipping updates) vs. marketing SMS to different opt-in lists
• When auditing an existing SMS program for compliance issues

Core Instructions

Step 1: Choose the right SMS platform