5 SMS Marketing Myths Costing You Money

Hey it’s Max from The Inbox Newsletter.

I've been preaching SMS best practices for years... some of which I'm now walking back.

If you've read my SMS playbook, you've seen me tell you to avoid MMS, cap sends at 1-2 per week, and keep segmentation simple.

Most of that still holds... but after running SMS for 8-figure brands through another full year, a few of those "rules" don't survive contact with the data anymore.

So today I'm dismantling 5 pieces of SMS advice the industry (including past-me) still repeats.

Let's get into it...

1) "Images are too expensive to send"

This is the one I've changed my mind on the hardest.

The old math: MMS (texts with images) costs 2-3x more than SMS, so stick to plain text for better ROI. I still stand by that for most of your sends.

But here's what I was missing...

A $1K SMS send making $10K looks "better" ROI wise than a $3K MMS send making $20K on a spreadsheet.

One is 10x ROI. The other is 6.6x ROI.

But the MMS send put an extra $7K of net profit in your pocket… assuming simple COGS numbers.

Mix MMS into your highest-intent sends (product launches, BFCM, back-in-stock for top sellers) and measure the delta in profit, not return on spend.

2) "Segmentation needs to be complicated"

It doesn't. You need one segment. Unengaged.

Unengaged = received 20+ SMS, zero clicks, no site activity.

Full-list blast for your biggest messages (launches, sales, BFCM).

Exclude this unengaged segment on every other send.

That's it. That's the whole strategy.

3) "Don't send SMS too often"

The blanket rule of 1-2 sends per week is still generally right... for your main campaign calendar.

But your welcome flow is a different animal, and this is where most brands leave money on the table.

Someone who just opted in 20 minutes ago is at peak buying intent.

Daily SMS (even multiple per day_ during the welcome flow window is fine (assuming your opt-in disclosure and frequency language support it... check your compliance copy before you flip this on).

After the welcome flow ends, drop back to 2 per week for most brands.

The welcome window is your highest-intent moment you'll ever get with a subscriber… I’m now warmer on being aggressive here.

4) "You need an extra discount to get phone numbers"

The playbook I see very often: 10% off for email, bump to 15% for SMS opt-in.

I've tested this across dozens of brands. That extra 5% does almost nothing for conversion rate on the SMS step.

What actually works is changing the framing.

Instead of "get 15% off when you give us your number"... try "enter your phone number to activate your discount."

Same discount and list growth but you keep the extra 5 points of margin on every first order from those subscribers.

This pop-up form is built on Alia… best pop-up platform and a no-brainer for any brand. Check them out and get a free trial.

That’s what I’ve got for today.

Every brand should have SMS setup… stop procrastinating it. Get it live!

Reply to this email if you want me to audit your SMS setup :)

Email Inspiration Of The Day

Brand:
Olipop

Email Design:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lbkYHHd7Z_IyARZWCe4SQjgOSQ97P-eL/view?usp=sharing

Notes:
Solid subscription reminder email. I would send this as a campaign to past buyers and also throw this in the post-purchase or replenishment reminder flow 💪

Reply to this email if you have any questions or further content you want covered.

Cheers,

Max Sturtevant

P.S
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