Before you send promotional SMS, be clear which kind of message you are sending. A promotional text sells: an offer, an event, a new service. A transactional text informs: a booking confirmation, a document request, a payment receipt. The two follow different consent rules, need different wording and should often go from different numbers. This article answers how to write and send a promotional text on the levelpartner.ai platform so it reaches people who asked for it, says what it needs to and gives the reader a fair way out.
Promotional versus transactional
The test is purpose. If the message would still be needed even if the person never bought anything else from you, it is transactional. "Your viewing is confirmed for 10am Thursday" is transactional. "Spring valuations are open, book yours this week" is promotional.
Mixing them causes trouble. A confirmation text with an added offer becomes a marketing message, which needs marketing consent. Keep them separate and your reminders stay lawful for everyone who booked, including people who never opted in to marketing.
The parts of a good promotional text
Five elements, in this order:
- Sender name, so the reader knows who you are before reading further.
- The offer or news, in one sentence.
- A reason to act now, such as a date or limited places, only if it is true.
- One action: reply, call or a single link.
- Opt-out wording.
"Arden Consulting: free 30-minute growth review for clients this month, 6 slots left. Reply YES and we'll call to book. Reply STOP to opt out." Every element is there in under 160 characters.
Before you start
- Marketing consent recorded on every contact you will text.
- A business number registered for marketing use.
- The offer approved internally, with terms written down.
- A landing page or booking calendar if the action is online.
- A person ready to handle replies on the day.
How to set it up
Write the offer and its terms in a short internal note before drafting the text, and build a smart list of people with marketing consent who fit the offer, excluding clients mid-project if the offer is aimed at new work. Then send it from Contacts.
- Go to Contacts.
- Select the contacts you want to message, using the segment's smart list.
- Choose the Send SMS Bulk Action.
- Select the sending phone number when required.
- Enter your SMS message or insert a snippet.
- Review the recipients and message.
- Choose Send immediately, Schedule for later or Use Drip Mode.
- Configure any additional delivery settings.
- Review the campaign before confirming the send.
Count the characters before step 9 and remove anything that pushes the text into a second segment. A reply keyword or a trigger link lets you measure the response afterwards.
Picture a brokerage texting 900 clients whose fixed deals end in the next six months, all with marketing consent. The text offers a free review and asks for a YES reply. If 74 replied YES and the team booked 61 within two days, a further 20 or so proceeding to an application would be a reasonable planning assumption. None of these numbers come from a real campaign.
Honest urgency only
Deadlines and limited places work because people believe them. Invent them and you lose that belief across every future message. If there is no real limit, leave urgency out and make the offer clear instead.
What it replaces
For a 10 to 250 person firm, promotional texts replace calls to every client about an offer, or an email that only some people open. Preparing a promotion takes about an hour, plus the time to answer replies. For more patterns, see SMS promotional messages and how firms pace offers across a year in text marketing plans.
The mistake most people make
Promoting too often. A text every week from a professional services firm wears out goodwill quickly. Two or three promotional texts a month is plenty for most, and many firms do well with one.
Adding an offer to a reminder or confirmation. It turns a lawful service message into marketing, which may need consent the person never gave.
When not to send a promotion by text
When the offer needs explanation, terms or comparison, use email. When the relationship is new, use a call. When you have nothing genuinely useful to offer, send nothing. Texts work for short, clear offers to people who already know you. For designing one time-limited offer from start to close, read SMS promotion, and for the consent rules behind promotional texts, mass text marketing.
Troubleshooting
Replies ask what the offer includes. The text tried to say too little. Add one specific detail, or link to a page with the terms.
Lots of opt-outs after a promotion. The list included people who did not expect marketing from you, or the offer did not fit them. Tighten the smart list.
People reply YES after the offer closed. Set the workflow to send a polite reply after the closing date with the next best option.
The link shows as unsafe on some phones. Use the platform's tracked links rather than a public link shortener.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need consent to send promotional SMS?
Yes, for marketing texts in the US, the UK and most other markets. In the UK, existing customers can be texted under the soft opt-in if they were given a chance to refuse.
Can I send promotions from the same number as reminders?
You can, but a separate number protects your reminders if a promotion draws complaints.
What time should I send?
Weekday mornings or early afternoons, in the recipient's time zone. Avoid evenings and weekends.
How do I measure a promotion?
Count replies, link clicks and the bookings or sales that follow. Compare against the cost of usage and staff time.