6 SMS Drip Campaigns You Could Be Using Right Now [2024]

SMS, with its “cut-through-the-noise” touch, reaches people right where they’re looking.

Which means you can get people to actually see your messages.

But what’s even better than that?

Being able to reach people automatically.

SMS drip campaigns allow you to set up a series of automated messages that “drip out” over a designated period of time.

That way, you can sit back while your text messages work their magic.

But what kinds of SMS drip campaigns should you send?

Here are some examples of how actual businesses use SMS drip campaigns…

(Note, the specific example templates are not from real customers, but the general concept of the types of campaigns you can send are based on real customer activity.)

“Attended” or “Missed” Webinar

If your sales funnel involves hosting webinars, you may want a way to send text messages both to registrants who attend the webinar and to those who don't.

You could first start all registrants on the same campaign reminding them of the upcoming webinar in order to help drive up attendance.

Then after the webinars are over you can drip out another series of text messages…

• If they attended the webinar, your series of messages can nurture them toward a sale
• If they didn’t attend the webinar, you could try to get them to watch the replay

EXAMPLE

Day 0 (immediately after the webinar):

“

Thank you for attending our webinar on '5 Tips for Boosting Email Open Rates.' As promised, here's the link to download the slide deck: [URL]. Stay tuned for the replay recording within the next few days!

Day 2:

“

Quick fact: personalized email subject lines can increase open rates by up to 50%? Check out our free guide on writing compelling subject lines: [URL]

Day 5:

“

Based on the Q&A from the webinar, building an engaged email list seems to be a top priority for many. Check out our free email list building toolkit: [URL]

Day 8:

“

Looking to take your email marketing to the next level? Save 20% on our Email Marketing Mastery course this week only with code WEBINAR20: [URL]

Day 12:

“

Segmentation can double your email engagement rates. Reply SEGMENT to get a free email list segmentation template.

Day 19:

“

Thanks again for attending our webinar! You can get answers to any and all of your questions by replying NEED to this message.

Lead Follow-Up

New leads are the backbone of many (perhaps most) businesses.

We all know that it’s important to stay connected with leads and follow up with them.

Normally our follow-ups are by email—sometimes by phone call (although less and less so), and sometimes via social media.

But, for some reason, we rarely use SMS as a follow-up tool.

Well, why not start now?

You can put those leads on an automated drip campaign in order to maximize the use of your SMS.

EXAMPLE

Day 0 (after capturing a new lead):

“

Hi [First Name], thanks for your interest in [Company]! Here’s a complimentary guide on [Topic] to get you started. Reply ONBOARDING if you have any questions."

Day 3:

“

[First Name], here’s a quick case study on how [Company] helped [Client] achieve [Benefit] by using [Product/Service]. Would you be interested in learning more about this?"

Day 7:

“

Just checking in, [First Name]. Would you be interested in a quick call to discuss how [Company] can potentially help you with [Pain Point]?

Day 10:

“

Hey [First Name], how did you enjoy [Content]? You can get a complimentary follow-up guide with additional tips on [Related Topic] if you’re interested. Just reply YES to this message.

Day 14:

“

2-day only offer! Get 25% off [Product/Service] when you schedule a demo this week. Just reply DEMO to claim, [First Name].

Day 21:

“

Hi [First Name]. Is [Company] still a good fit for your needs right now?

Course / Program Welcome

If you sell a course or offer some kind of program…

Do you ever run into the problem of people not taking advantage of the services they paid for?

Of course you do!

One way to combat this issue would be to set up a series of messages welcoming people to the course and driving them to interact with the trainings or offerings provided.

Having an SMS-based sequence of messages like that can help you get more engagement in your course so that people can be more successful.

We’re all busy, after all, and we all need reminders!

EXAMPLE

Day 0 (upon enrollment):

“

Congratulations on enrolling in [Course Name], [First Name]! Get ready to [Key Benefit]. Your first lesson is available now at [URL]. Reply QUESTIONS if you have any questions!

Day 2:

“

How's the course going so far, [First Name]? Here are a few tips to help you get the most actionable insight: 1) Take notes 2) Ask questions on the community forum 3) Practice what you learn. You've got this!

Day 5:

“

Don't forget to complete this week's assignment by [Date], [First Name]. It's a crucial step in mastering [Key Concept]. Reply SOS if you need any help.

Day 8:

“

You've made it to [Milestone], [First Name]! Here's an exclusive [Bonus Resource] to help you get even more out of the course material: [URL]

Day 12:

“

Hi [First Name], I noticed you haven't logged in for a few days. Remember, consistency is key! Reply STUCK if you're having trouble with any of the material so far and I’ll reply back within 2 business hours.

Day 18:

“

You’re halfway through [Course Name]! Take a moment to celebrate your progress, [First Name]. And don't forget to [Upcoming Assignment] by [Date].

Day 25:

“

The end is in sight! Here's a sneak peek at what you'll learn in the final section of Video/Summary].

Customer / Prospect Needs [X] or [Y]

Perhaps you have a survey or an onboarding form that you have customers/prospects fill out giving you more information about their needs.

Whatever the case, if you know that your customer or prospect needs X as opposed to Y, you can set up SMS drip campaigns for either or both paths.

Then your recipient can receive a personalized journey tailored to what they told you they needed—and the more tailored it is, the better results you'll see.

EXAMPLE

Day 0 (initial survey):

“

Hi [First Name], looks like you're interested in increasing traffic to your website. Is this still a key goal for your business? Reply with TRAFFIC to get started!

Day 3 (if responded "TRAFFIC"):

“

Time to start 2x-ing your traffic! Here are 3 proven tips to boost your website traffic quickly: [Video Link]. I'm also attaching our popular 'SEO Checklist' guide for more insights.

Day 6:

“

Building an email list is one of the best ways to drive consistent traffic, [First Name]. Check out our free Email List Building Course: [Course Link]. Let me know if you have any other website traffic questions!"

Day 10:

“

Have you explored running paid ads to your website yet, [First Name]? You can increase traffic by 35% on average with our ad management package. Reply DEMO and we can set up a quick demo to walk you through how it works.

Day 17:

“

This week only, get 25% off any new Traffic Boosting packages, including SEO, Email Marketing, and Paid Ads. Reply 'BOOST' to get the promo code and link so you can claim the deal.

Day 24:

“

Hi [First Name]! Are you still looking for ways to increase visits and engagement? Reply YES if you’re still interested.

Customer / Prospect Took Action [X] or [Y]

What are the important “action” milestones that your customers or prospects take?

Is it signing up for your newsletter? Creating a free trial account? Clicking a button in an email?

Whatever actions you find to be important, you can create tailored SMS campaigns based on those specific actions.

That way, you’ll be able to send automated messages that really resonate with whatever action they took, and that nurture them toward the next action.

EXAMPLE

Day 0 (after downloading whitepaper):

“

Hi [First Name], thanks for downloading our whitepaper on [Topic]! I hope you find it informative. If you have any questions, you can reply to this message.

Day 3:

“

Since you're interested in [Topic], you might appreciate this related blog post: [Blog Link]. It dives deeper into [Key Concept] covered in the whitepaper.

Day 7:

“

How did you enjoy the whitepaper, [First Name]? If you found it valuable, I'd really appreciate if you could leave a quick review here: [Review Link]

Day 10:

“

Hi [First Name]! You can get more free insights in our upcoming webinar discussing [Webinar Topic]. Interested in attending? Just reply 'WEBINAR' to get the details.

Day 14:

“

[First Name], based on the whitepaper you downloaded, you might be a great fit for our [Product Name]. This month only, we're offering 20% off with code 'DOWNLOAD20'. Interested? Reply YES for more info.

Day 21:

“

Hi [First Name]! Did the whitepaper help provide insight into [Topic]? Reply YES if you’d like more info. (If not, no worries! Feel free to opt-out by replying 'STOP' and we’ll stop bugging you.) 🙂

Customer Purchased Product [X] or [Y]

If you’re like most businesses, you offer multiple products or services.

And the kind of TLC a customer needs may be different depending on the kind of product they purchased.

Thus, it can make sense to create different SMS campaigns that vary based on the product that someone purchases.

This type of campaign could lead your customer to the most appropriate upsell as well.

EXAMPLE

Day 0 (After purchase):

“

Congratulations on your new [Fitness Wearable], [First Name]! I've attached a quick start guide to help you get set up. Don't hesitate to reply back if you have any questions.

Day 3:

“

How are you liking your [Fitness Wearable] so far, [First Name]? Here are 5 tips to help you maximize its features: [Tips Link]. My favorite is setting daily step goals!

Day 7:

“

Have you heard? There’s a library of workout plans designed specifically for [Fitness Wearable] users. Check it out here: [Plans Link]

Day 14:

“

Get a free entry into our monthly drawing for a 1-year subscription to the premium app! All you need to do is leave an honest review of your experience with [Fitness Wearable] so far. You can do that here: [Review Link]

Day 21:

“

Don't forget, your [Fitness Wearable] comes with 3 months of free premium app access! Make sure to activate yours before the trial expires: [Activation Link]

Day 30:

“

Your free premium trial is ending soon, [First Name]. Take advantage of 25% off an annual subscription using code 'KEEPMOVING' at checkout: [Purchase Link]

What SMS Drip Campaigns Will You Send?

These are just a few examples of the kinds of SMS drip campaigns you could be sending.

What drip campaigns make the most sense for you and your business?

How can you maximize your SMS so that you’re really reaching people in a way that is both efficient and personalized to their stage of awareness?

Haven’t gotten started yet? Try the Mobile Text Alerts SMS platform for free today.