Create and Send a Marketing SMS

Use Mailchimp’s SMS Marketing to connect with your audience in a direct and personalized way. In addition to marketing emails, create and send marketing text messages to reach your subscribed contacts through an additional channel.

In this article, you’ll learn how to create and send a marketing SMS with Mailchimp.

Before you start

Here are some things to know before you begin this process.

• This article covers how to create and send an SMS. To learn more about how SMS Marketing works, check out About SMS Marketing with Mailchimp.
• SMS Marketing is available as an add-on with the Essentials plan or higher.
• SMS Marketing is available only to customers in the United States at this time. Additionally, you can only send text messages to mobile numbers based in the US.
• Before you can send a marketing text message, you need to submit an application and be approved.
• The average carrier processing time for applications is typically 2-5 business days. During this time, you can’t create or send marketing text messages.
• You must be an account Owner, Admin, or Manager to send an SMS. Learn more about the different user levels in Mailchimp.
• MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) is included with the Standard plan or higher.

Definitions

Here are some terms you’ll come across as you create and send a marketing SMS.

• SMS builder
  The space where you create, edit, and preview your SMS or MMS. This space includes functionality like adding emojis, merge tags, or media to your text message. You can also track your character and message counts, send a preview SMS, automatically shorten links in your text message, add opt-out instructions, or browse SMS templates.
• SMS checklist
  A page within the SMS builder where you can view all components of your SMS and trigger a send. This page includes a Message name, Recipients, and Content section. After you add content to your text message, return to this page to view the number of SMS credits required to complete your send.
• Opt out instructions
  The legal wording you can add to your text message that allows recipients to unsubscribe from your SMS marketing. This wording is: “Text STOP to opt out.”
• SMS templates
  Pre-built content that is designed to accomplish a specific SMS marketing goal. You can browse the SMS template options from within the SMS builder.

Tips for SMS marketing

SMS marketing involves sending targeted text messages that offer some type of immediate value to recipients. If you’re selling a product or service, you may consider pairing a discount code or exclusive promotion with a link to your website. We recommend that you enable the Automatically shorten and track links checkbox in the SMS builder to use shortened links in your text messages and to save on character count. It’s also a good idea to keep your text messages brief and relevant to your subscribed contacts.

Create an SMS from scratch

After your SMS application is approved and you have acquired opt-ins, you’re ready to create an SMS. You can only send text messages to contacts who opt in to receive SMS marketing from you. To learn how to acquire proper consent for your SMS marketing, check out Create and Promote an SMS Marketing Signup Form.

To create an SMS from scratch, follow these steps.

1. Click Campaigns, then click SMS.
   
2. Click Create SMS.
3. In the Message name section, click Edit. Enter the name of your SMS, then click Save.
4. In the Recipients section, click Edit to select a segment, group, or tag in your SMS audience to send your text message to. The audience you select during the application process is automatically connected to your SMS program. If you want to send your text message to all subscribed SMS contacts in your audience, select All SMS Subscribers from the Send to drop-down.
5. In the Content section, click Edit to access the SMS builder.

6. Enter your SMS copy in the Message text box. A preview of your message will automatically appear on the screen.
   
   The character count for your SMS appears in the Message text box. If your copy exceeds the character limit, your SMS will send as multiple text messages that require individual credits. The number of messages required to complete your send is also shown in the Message text box. To learn more about SMS credits, check out About SMS Marketing Credits.

7. To add an emoji to your SMS, click the Add emoji icon, then select the one you want to use. Emojis count towards character limits.
   

8. To personalize your SMS, click the Add merge tag(s) icon, then select the merge tag you want to add. You can also Set default merge tag values or Create a new merge tag.
   

   SMS merge tags work the same as email merge tags.

9. To add media to your SMS, click the Add media icon, select the file you want to add from the content studio or upload a new one, then click Insert. Depending on your pricing plan, you may not have access to this feature.
   

   Here are some things to keep in mind if you want to add media to your SMS.

   • When you add media to your SMS, it automatically becomes an MMS.
   • You can add 1 image to an MMS.
   • Your file needs to be a JPEG, PNG, or GIF.
   • For the best display, we recommended images that are 600KB or less with an aspect ratio of 2:3.
   • MMS follow different carrier rate limits, and they have specific character limits.

10. If you want to shorten and track links in your text message, check the Automatically shorten and track links checkbox. If you want to add opt out instructions to your text message, check the Include opt out instructions checkbox.
    

    If it’s been 30 days or more since you last contacted a recipient, opt out instructions should be included in your message. Opt out instructions count towards your character limit.

11. Click Save and continue.

Create an SMS from a template

If you want to use pre-built content to create your text message, use an SMS template. Each SMS template is designed to accomplish a specific SMS marketing goal. SMS templates are also customizable so you can include your own company name, link, or discount.

Here are the SMS template options.

• Holiday: Holiday sale
  Alert your subscribed SMS contacts about a holiday sale and link them to your store.
• Holiday: Holiday best wishes
  Send your subscribed SMS contacts a personalized holiday greeting.
• Welcome: Welcome discount
  Welcome your new subscribed SMS contacts with a discount on their next purchase.
• Welcome: Welcome message
  Welcome your new subscribed SMS contacts with a greeting.
• Promotion: Sale
  Alert your subscribed SMS contacts about a specific discount and link them to your store.
• Promotion: Mega Sale
  Alert your subscribed SMS contacts about a big sale and link them to your store.
• Promotion: Exclusive offer
  Alert your subscribed SMS contacts about a personalized offer.
• Promotion: Limited time offer
  Alert your subscribed SMS contacts about a temporary sale.
• Product Updates: New product
  Alert your subscribed SMS contacts about a new product in your store and link them to the direct product.
• Win-back: Win-back campaign
  Send your subscribed SMS contacts a reminder to shop with you and include a personalized discount code.

To create an SMS from a template, follow these steps.

1. Click Campaigns, then click SMS.
   
2. Click Create SMS.
3. In the Message name section, click Edit. Enter the name of your SMS, then click Save.
4. In the Recipients section, click Edit to select a segment, group, or tag in your SMS audience to send your text message to. The audience you select during the application process is automatically connected to your SMS program. If you want to send your text message to all subscribed SMS contacts in your audience, select All SMS Subscribers from the Send to drop-down.
5. In the Content section, click Edit to access the SMS builder.
6. Click Browse templates.
7. In the Select a template pop-up modal, hover over the template you want to work with, then click Insert.
8. Fill in the placeholder content with your own information, add any additional content as needed, then click Save and continue. If you don’t update the placeholder text, you’ll get an error message to remind you.

Send a preview SMS

If you want to test your SMS content before you send a live text message to your subscribed SMS contacts, send a preview SMS. You can send 15 preview text messages per day. SMS credits aren’t required to send a preview SMS.

To send a preview SMS, follow these steps.

1. In the Content section of the SMS checklist, click Edit.
2. Click Send a preview.
3. In the Send a preview pop-up modal, enter the US phone number you want to send a preview SMS to.
4. When you’re ready to send a preview SMS, click Send.

Review or refill your SMS credits

After you create your SMS and test it with a preview, review or refill your SMS credits. Before you can send an SMS, you need to have enough SMS credits available or purchase additional SMS credits in the form of a one-time refill.

To review or refill your SMS credits, follow these steps.

1. From the SMS checklist, review the number of SMS credits needed to send or schedule your text message. If you have enough SMS credits available to complete your send, you don’t need to refill your SMS credits. If you want to finish your SMS at another time, click Finish later.
2. If you need to purchase additional credits, click Buy credits. On the Manage Credits page, click the drop-down, then select the number of credits you’d like to purchase. This is a one-time credit refill purchase, and it won’t impact your recurring monthly credits.
3. Click Next, then enter your payment, contact information, and billing information.
4. When you’re ready to purchase your SMS credit refill, click Pay now. The number of SMS credits you selected will be automatically added to your SMS Marketing program.

Send or schedule an SMS

Send your SMS immediately during an available time or schedule it for a future time. Marketing text messages can only be sent between 8 am and 9 pm in your selected time zone. The hours outside of this time frame are considered quiet hours for your subscribed SMS contacts. Mailchimp's default quiet hours are the hours outside of 11 am-9 pm ET. If you want to set custom quiet hours, visit the SMS settings page.

To send or schedule an SMS, follow these steps.

1. From the SMS checklist, click Send or Schedule.

2. In the Send or Schedule pop-up modal, click Send now to send your SMS immediately outside of quiet hours. If you’ve set custom quiet hours, you can send your message within your designated time frame. If you try to send an SMS during quiet hours, we automatically queue it to send at the next available time.

3. In the Send or Schedule pop-up modal, click Send later to schedule your SMS, then select a future date and a time from the drop-downs. You'll need to select a time between 8 am and 9 pm in your selected time zone or outside of the custom quiet hours you set. If you need to change your SMS Marketing program's quiet hours, click Edit quiet hours.

4. When you’re ready, click Send or Schedule.

Excellent! You’ve sent or scheduled your SMS. If you scheduled an SMS, the credits required to complete the send are considered scheduled credits and deducted from your available balance. If you sent an SMS right away, the credits required to complete the send are considered used credits and deducted from your available balance.

Manage your text messages

View and manage your sent, scheduled, paused, or draft text messages in the Recent messages section on the SMS overview page or on the All campaigns page.

On the SMS overview page, view, pause, or delete an SMS.

On the All campaigns page, filter by SMS type or sending status, organize your text messages into folders you create, pause a scheduled SMS, or delete an SMS.

If you click a paused SMS on the SMS overview page or the All campaigns page, you can edit it, then resume sending when you’re ready.

Delete an SMS

To delete an SMS, follow these steps.

1. Click Campaigns, then click SMS.
   
2. In the Recent messages section, click the arrow drop-down next to the SMS you want to delete, then click Delete.
3. In the Delete SMS campaign pop-up modal, click Delete.

Edit a scheduled SMS

To make changes to a scheduled SMS, pause its sending, then unpause.

To edit a scheduled SMS, follow these steps.

1. Click Campaigns, then click SMS.
   
2. In the Recent messages section, click Pause and edit next to the SMS you want to pause.
3. Make any changes you need, then click Resume campaign.
4. In the Send or Schedule pop-up modal, click your preferred option and schedule a new send date if needed.
5. When you’re ready to send or reschedule your SMS, click Send or Schedule.

Nice! Your SMS will show as Scheduled again in the Recent messages section of the SMS overview page and on the All campaigns page.

Next steps

Now that you’ve created and sent a marketing SMS, consider these resources to optimize your experience.

• About SMS Marketing with Mailchimp
  Learn about rate limits, quiet hours, and more.

• Import SMS Marketing Contacts to Mailchimp
  If you have contacts who have already opted in for your SMS marketing, import them to your Mailchimp audience with a CSV or TXT file.

• Create and Promote an SMS Marketing Signup Form
  Use an SMS signup form to add new subscribed contacts to your audience who want to receive SMS marketing from you.

• View and Manage Inbox Messages
  Use Mailchimp Inbox to view and manage 1-to-1 conversation threads with your subscribed SMS contacts.

• About SMS Reports
  View a report for each SMS to see how your text message performed. Track your SMS marketing performance with engagement and Shopify e-commerce metrics.

• About Campaign Manager
  Use Campaign Manager to schedule SMS touchpoints and streamline your marketing efforts.

• Use Send SMS Actions Send marketing text messages automatically with the Customer Journey builder.

• All the Starting Points
  Learn more about the SMS starting points available with the Customer Journey builder. Welcome new subscribed contacts with a text message, or send an SMS to subscribed contacts who text a specific keyword.