Last updated October 2026 by Lily Newman
At its core, SMS marketing is permission-based text messaging to customers who have agreed to hear from you. For DTC brands it works best as a small, high-intent channel next to email: back-in-stock alerts, abandoned checkouts, early access, order updates.
Most DTC brands treat SMS simply like email with fewer words. But in my experience working with brands across industries, that is the quickest way to burn a list you spent months cultivating. A text interrupts. Spend the interruption only when the message earns it.
When to send a text
Text when the message has a clock on it or a customer is waiting on it. Everything else can go in email.
A product they asked about is back in stock
A checkout was started and not finished
A launch or sale ends at a stated time
An order shipped, or needs a reply from them
Which text messages to prioritize sending
| Message | Trigger | Why it earns a text |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome | Joined the SMS list | Delivers the promised offer while intent is highest |
| Abandoned checkout | Started checkout, did not buy | A short nudge with a direct link back to the cart |
| Back in stock | Customer asked to be notified | They asked for it, so it is the most welcome text you will send |
| Early access | Past buyers or VIP segment | Gives your best customers a reason to stay on the list |
| Order updates | Shipping or delivery status changes | Answers the question they would otherwise email support about |
How to hone in on your messaging
Keep the copy plain and put your brand name first, so nobody wonders who is texting: "Your Brand Name: Your cart is still here. Finish checking out: [link]. Reply STOP to opt out." It may sound overly simplistic, and you can always take advantage of your SMS tool’s testing capabilities to refine your message, but at the end of the day it’s often just a straightforward, clear reminder that helps move the needle the most.
How often to send SMS marketing messages
On frequency, I start with no more than one promotional text a week and look for positive engagement signals like click rate alongside the no-less-important metric of unsubscribe rate before adding more. Triggered messages (welcome, checkout, back in stock) sit outside that cap because the customer set them off.
The rules to check before you send
When I come in to evaluate a DTC brands SMS program, these are the things I look at first to get a program baseline established. Note: I do not have a legal background and this is not legal advice. Have your counsel review your consent language and send times.
1. Consent. The FCC says a business needs written consent, on paper or electronic, or a recording of oral consent, before sending telemarketing texts to a wireless number (FCC consumer guide). Carriers add their own standard. Under the CTIA messaging principles, consent is per program, the sign-up has to state clearly who is texting, what they will send, how often, and any fees, and consent cannot be bought, sold or shared (Bird's summary of the CTIA principles). If a pop-up buries this in terms of service, rewrite it.
2. Opt-outs. STOP, QUIT and CANCEL are treated as valid revocations, and the FCC's 2024 order gives you 10 business days to process an opt-out (TCPAWorld). Your platform should handle keywords instantly, so the 10 days matters mainly for requests that arrive by email or through support. After someone opts out, send one confirmation and then stay silent. A separate provision, which would make one opt-out cover every automated message from you, was pushed back to January 31, 2027. Build for it now. Retrofitting later costs more.
3. Quiet hours. The federal rule bars telephone solicitations before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. at the recipient's location. Whether it reaches texts to people who opted in is being fought out in court: a wave of class actions against ecommerce brands began in 2024 (Benesch), and defense lawyers argue consented texts fall outside the rule (Buchalter). Some states set tighter windows for telemarketing: one 2026 roundup lists 18, including Florida and Oklahoma at 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Texas starting at noon on Sundays (state roundup). Area codes are a poor stand-in for where someone is. My default is mid-morning to early evening in the recipient's time zone, with extra suppression for the strictest states, and counsel's sign-off on the rest.
4. Carrier registration. US carriers expect every business texting from a 10-digit local number to register its brand and each campaign (A2P 10DLC). Twilio began blocking unregistered traffic on August 31, 2023, and told customers approvals could take two to three weeks (Twilio). Senders who skip the process are filtered, not fined, so messages quietly stop arriving. Your SMS platform will walk you through registration. Start it before your launch date, not on it.
Character limits are a cost decision
A standard text holds 160 characters. Past that it splits into 153-character segments, and you pay per segment. If you add an emoji or other special character the limit drops to 70 characters, or 67 per segment once split. Twilio's example is a 140-character message with one non-standard character that becomes two segments (Twilio).
I always recommend that text messages are written with straight quotes, that you check your segment count carefully in preview, and that you tread lightly with emojis… either avoid completely or use sparingly only if your single-segment character count allows.
How to tell if it is working
Evaluate revenue alongside engagement. Revenue per message (RPM) sent, next to the click rate (CTR) and unsubscribe rate (USR) on the same send. Revenue without the engagement metrics flatters the channel without providing an understanding on if your content is actually resonating.
Include a holdout group. Keep back a slice of eligible customers (10% is a fair start) for your first few campaign texts, so you can see what SMS added on top of email (or on its own)
Attribution honesty. Last-click credit tends to hand SMS revenue it did not create, especially from customers who had already clicked an email. Lean on a linear attribution provider to help create the full picture.
Frequently asked questions
What is SMS marketing? Permission-based text messages that promote products or offers, or send time-sensitive updates, to customers who opted in.
Is SMS marketing legal? Absolutely! But only with explicit prior consent, clear disclosure, working opt-outs and attention to quiet hours. The details differ by state, so get counsel to review your setup.
How many characters can a text have? 160 for a standard text, 70 if it contains an emoji or curly quotes. Longer messages split into segments that are billed separately.
Do I need to register to text customers in the US? If you send from a 10-digit local number, yes. Register the brand and campaign through your SMS platform. Toll-free and short code numbers have their own verification steps.
How often should a DTC brand send marketing texts? Start with one promotional text a week at most, and let your unsubscribe rate tell you whether to add more.
SMS or email? Use email for stories, education and anything longer than a sentence. Use SMS when the clock is running.
Launching SMS, or watching your list shrink faster than it grows? I’m here to help you understand the ins and outs. Talk to Newly Marketing, or see how SMS fits with your email program.
Sources
FCC consumer guide on robocalls and texts (last reviewed 2016)
CTIA principles summary, Bird (describes the May 2023 edition)
TCPAWorld on the FCC consent revocation delay (Jan 7, 2026)
Benesch on time-of-day TCPA cases (Mar 17, 2025)
Buchalter on the quiet-hours claims (Mar 7, 2025)
Telemarketing calling hours by state (updated Mar 2026)
Twilio on A2P 10DLC registration (Aug 2023)
About the Author
Lily Newman is the Founder and Principal of Newly Marketing, a digital marketing consultancy specializing in lifecycle, email, mobile, CRM, and retention marketing. A fractional DTC e-commerce marketing leader, Lily advises high-growth startups and Fortune 500 brands in retail, CPG, health and wellness, and technology, drawing on 15+ years leading acquisition and retention for Levi's, Peet's Coffee, Mighty Leaf Tea, Four Sigmatic Foods, and more.
