Back before the launch of Fantastic Texts, the Postscript team fielded one question the most often from merchants:

How can we get some good examples of SMS?

Building out an SMS marketing strategy involves a lot of planning to get right and to see the results that so many other brands are seeing. It's more than just giving your company a phone number to use as a communication channel.

That isn’t because there aren’t tools to help you get up and running quickly, taking on the burden of managing the technical, legal and measurement aspects of this new channel. That’s exactly what Postscript does.

No, SMS marketing strategies take a lot of planning because this is such a new channel. There aren’t a whole lot of brands to look at for examples of messaging, nor are there many pre-built templates or language you can use to begin testing fast.

Since we launched in 2019, the Postscript team has talked with marketing operators and entrepreneurs alike who are bought into the clear benefits of SMS marketing, but are time-strapped to get it up and running.

Think: we want to do this as quickly as possible, but as effectively as possible. (Basically every marketer’s dream.)

When that happens, as with all new channels, sometimes SMS marketing can get put lower on a priority list. But, the longer you wait, the more likely your competitors will get a leg up on you in this channel, and both build out the list and see the revenue results you ultimately want.

That means they will have the data and the money. And that’s not a lot of coming back from that.

So, to help, we’ve compiled a list of SMS templates you can literally copy and paste into your SMS campaigns, strategy documents, or even right on into Postscript (or whatever SMS marketing tool you use) to begin seeing the benefits right now.

Because here’s the thing: when you start seeing the double and even triple digit ROI other brands are seeing through this channel, personalizing and optimizing these messages will no longer be low on your priority list. It’ll be right on there at the top.

But first, we’ll prove it to you. And you’ll need some SMS templates like the ones below for us to do that.

• Overview of SMS & MMS Templates for Ecommerce Brands

  • What is the difference between SMS and MMS text messages?

  • Should I use emojis in texting?

• Order confirmation SMS template

• Shipping confirmation and details

• Shipment out for delivery

• Shipment delivered SMS template

• Asking for feedback/reviews

• Shopping Cart Abandonment Follow-up

• Special offers, discounts, and coupons

• Loyalty Program & Rewards Program

• Subscribe & Save

• New Items in Stock

• Items in stock / off backorder

• Holiday promotions

• Referral program

• Beyond SMS Templates: SMS Text Messaging for Success

As with any templates offered on the internet, these are made to be generic so that you can slightly customize, personalize or brand these to fit your ecommerce brand's personality, tone, audience, etc.

We just want to give you a baseline to work off of.

Psst... For some brands, the hardest part is figuring out what you should use SMS marketing for. Promotions? Subscriptions? Shipping? We created a quiz over at our SMS Automation Template Library that will help you sort it out. 

Before we dive in, let’s get a few FAQs out of the way.

The difference between SMS and MMS messages is that MMS messages contain images. SMS messages are only text.

While once upon a time it was recommended to always send MMS, SMS messages actually perform just as well, have fewer deliverability issues, and cost less to send.

In fact, during some heavy volume sending seasons (like Black Friday through Cyber Monday), platforms like Postscript officially recommend that brands opt for SMS instead of MMS to combat potential sending issues and improve the customer experience.

You send either SMS or MMS, and use the text message templates below for both. Often times the use case is the same.

Here are two examples to give you context of how that looks for customers and prospects:

Short answer: yes, you should be using emojis in your SMS marketing.

Especially if your ideal subscribers use emojis often (like Gen Z or millennials).

There is such a thing as too many emojis, so make sure they’re sprinkled in appropriately amongst your copy. One good rule of thumb is to not do more than one emoji per sentence. Here are some examples from Fantastic Texts of great emoji usage:

Much like an order confirmation email, an order confirmation SMS lets a customer know that their order is complete. If this is the first text you're sending to the customer, make sure you include your company name.

Here's some standard language to use:

{store_name}: Hi {first_name}, thanks for your order! View details & more: {order_status}

Need some emoji inspo? Try these:

Post-purchase is the perfect opportunity to nurture a customer, make them feel appreciated, and incentivize new purchases down the road.

Our SMS Automation Template Library has downloadable templates built to increase lifetime value, like

• Post Purchase (Thank you, Returning Customer)

• Post Purchase (Thank You & Upsell/Cross-Sell)

• Post Purchase (First Customer Thank You — Goal: Repeat Purchase)

Post Purchase Upsell

Use this text to alert customers that their shipment is on the way.

{store_name}: Hi {first_name}. Yay! Your order has shipped. Keep track of your delivery here: {shipping_link}

Need some emoji inspo? Try these:

Our SMS Automation Template Library has downloadable templates built to convey shipping and logistical steps to customers, like

• Order shipped

• Stalled shipment notification

• Order delivered

Consider adding a shipping partner like Wonderment to help manage ecommerce shipping delays. Bonus — Wonderment integrates directly into Postscript.

Give customers a heads up that their items should be arriving soon.

{store_name}: Hi {first_name}, heads up—your order is out for delivery and will arrive soon!

Need some emoji inspo? Try these:

{store_name}: Hi {first_name}, it's official! Your order from us has been delivered. You can view your order here: {tracking_link}

Need some emoji inspo? Try these:

A well-timed text asking customers to review their purchases helps build a good relationship, measure customer satisfaction levels, and also collect user-generated content (UGC) to help with future marketing campaigns.

Of course, you'll need to link your SMS platform with your review platform. Postscript integrates with Okendo and Junip easily.

{store_name}: Hi {first_name}, it's been a week since your order was delivered. Would you take 1 minute to tell us about your experience? You can leave a review here: {review_url}

To kick things up a notch, consider creating special discounts for subscribers who leave a review.

Need some emoji inspo? Try these:

Our SMS Automation Template Library has plug-and-play automations that you can push directly into your Postscript account.

{store_name}: Hi {first_name}, you left some items in your cart! We wanted to make sure you had the chance to get what you needed. Finish shopping now: {shopping_link}

Need some emoji inspo? Try these:

Note: This message is a great option for MMS over SMS, so you can show the photo of the product or products they left in their cart.

{store_name}: Hi {first_name}! We're having a 15% off sale across the {store_name} website, and we didn't want you to miss out! Start shopping now to see what you can save: {shopping_link}

Need some emoji inspo? Try these:

Note: Have a special promotional image, or some popular items that are included in the sale? This might be a great place to opt for an MMS message over an SMS message and include a photo.

{store_name}: Hi {first_name}! It's been 2 weeks since you left a 5-star review for {store_name}. We're so happy that you're so happy! So, to help continue spreading the goodness, we're giving you a code for 10% off any of our new items: {10_percent_coupon}

Need some emoji inspo? Try these:

{store_name}: Hi {first_name}, thanks for subscribing to our Subscribe & Save text line. You've earned 5% off your next purchase. Use this code to claim your savings: {5_percent_coupon}

Need some emoji inspo? Try these:

{store_name}: Hi {first_name}, our new collection just dropped, and you're one of the first to know! We typically sell out within 24 hours, so hop on over to the site now and see if there's anything you want to nab before someone else does: {shopping_link}

Note: This is a good candidate for an MMS message over an SMS message. Include an image of the new collection to entice your customer.

{store_name}: Hi {first_name}, good news! The product you wanted is back in stock. Hurry to get yours before they're gone again: {shopping_link}

Need some emoji inspo? Try these:

Note: This is another good candidate for an MMS message over an SMS message. Include an image of the product that is back in stock to remind them what they are missing out on!

{store_name}: Hi {first_name}, de-stress your holiday shopping and get ahead of the rush right now with 20% off our entire store. Hurry! Use code: {holiday_20_off}

Need some emoji inspo? Try these:

{store_name}: Hi {first_name}, thanks so much for your 5-star review. Share the love by inviting others to shop: {shopping_link}

Need some emoji inspo? Try these:

All right, folks. These templates should get you started off in a good place to test, iterate and grow this channel — ultimately making it a part of your marketing workflow. Remember:

1. This is about getting in front of customers where they are (which is text, not email).

2. This is about being ahead of the curve on a new marketing trend, and reaping the rewards of early adopters — like customer loyalty, insane open rates, and easier communication between your brand and your shoppers.

3. This is about the future of your brand, and how you communicate with the world.

These SMS templates are great for dipping your toe into SMS marketing. Once you get your SMS marketing channel set up, you’ll want to begin to personalize and customize your messages to your specific audience. And, you’ll want to start figuring out at which paths that audience diverts into two additional audiences, and build SMS message streams to accommodate for both.

This channel (and your strategy for it) will grow and evolve, and automation can help to make sure you get the maximum ROI.

Ready to start your journey toward making SMS your #1 revenue channel? If you haven't already installed Postscript, you can start your free 30-day trial here. Have questions for our team? Contact our textperts here.