How to send calendar invites via text messages: Your complete business guide

Yes, you can send calendar invites straight to your customers’ phones! In fact, savvy business owners are already using this technique to build stronger relationships and guide their clients toward conversion.

For example, you could send a text message with a calendar invitation for a grand opening like this:

On an iPhone, the text recipient who clicks the calendar invitation link will see a prompt to download the calendar file:

Finally, the text receiver will see the calendar invitation with their native calendar app, like this example on an iPhone:

Even if you’re familiar with the concept, it’s okay to be curious about the best approach for sending SMS calendar invitations. After all, you want to ensure they make a positive impression without being pushy.

This guide will help you craft professional and friendly calendar invites for different situations to successfully engage and nurture your clients. We’ll also cover the technical know-how to create a .ics file and seamlessly integrate it into your SMS and other popular calendar formats.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• 6 calendar invite via text message examples
• How to create a calendar invite ICS file to add to your text message
• Add a calendar invite ICS file to a text message
• How to send a calendar invite via Google Calendar
• How to send a calendar invite via Microsoft Outlook
• Sending calendar invitations with SimpleTexting

6 calendar invite via text message examples

Sending calendar invites via text can be an effective tactic for business owners (and even event managers) to keep customers informed about company happenings or simply engage with them.

Below is a list of some common situations where text message invitations can come in handy, along with professional SMS invitation templates you can use:

1. Meeting and appointment scheduling

Looking to avoid miscommunication when booking appointments and ensure smooth scheduling? Send a text calendar invite to your customers, confirming all the vital details (date, time, and location). It’s the easiest way to ensure everyone’s on the same page.

2. Event invitations

Ensure your customers never miss out on the hottest events. Send them calendar invites via text messages, complete with all the juicy details — dates, times, locations, and any extra instructions. They’ll have everything they need to mark their calendars and join the fun.

3. Webinars and workshops

Time is of the essence when it comes to webinars and workshops. Don’t let your participants miss a beat. Send them calendar invites right to their phones. From the event date and time to access links, you’ll keep them in the loop and ensure they’re prepared to attend the event.

4. Product launches or sales

Ensure your loyal customers are the first in line for epic deals and product launches by sending them calendar invites via SMS. They’ll know exactly when your hot new product hits the shelves or when that incredible sale begins.

5. Reminders for appointments or deadlines

Life can get busy, and important appointments or deadlines can slip through the cracks. Your customers will appreciate the heads-up in the form of friendly text message reminders, ensuring they never forget.

💡 Related reading: How to write an event reminder text message

6. Exclusive promotions or discounts

Want to treat your customers to exclusive deals? Get their attention by sending calendar invites via text. From limited-time promotions to irresistible discounts, they simply cannot resist.

How to create a calendar invite .ics file to add to your text message

An ICS (iCalendar) file is a special kind of calendar file that works with popular email and calendar programs like Microsoft Outlook, Google Calendar, and Apple Calendar. Think of it as a universal language for calendars.

You can use ICS files to easily share calendar information online or through email.

Suppose you want to invite someone to a meeting. Instead of telling them the details, send them an ICS file via SMS. The recipient can then simply tap the file link to import that file into their calendar program, and voila! All the meeting details magically appear in their calendar.

Here’s how you can create an .ics file and add it to a text message:

Option 1: Create the .ics file with a tool

There are many simple website tools that can help you create an .ics file, which you can find if you Google “create an ics calendar invite”.

Labnol’s Add to Calendar Links tool helps you create an .ics file you can download. In addition, that tool creates calendar links for Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, and more (in case you’d like a more specific calendar link type).

This is an easy option.

Option 2: Create the .ics file manually

If you’re a bit more technically savvy, you can create the .ics file manually:

Open a plain text editor. Follow the iCalendar format standards to structure the .ics file. Here’s an example of a standard .ics file, which you can copy, paste, and modify:

Customize the different fields according to your event details.

Save the file with a .ics extension. For example, “event.ics”.

Add a calendar invite .ics file to a text message

Now you can add the .ics file to a text message:

Attach the .ics file to your text message using the attachment option or the paperclip icon in your messaging app (if you’re sending from a personal device). Alternatively, you can include the content of the .ics file directly in the text by copying and pasting the content into the message body.

Let the recipient know that the attached file is an .ics file and can be opened with compatible calendar apps.

If you want to send a calendar invite via text message from your business, you can do so with a text marketing tool like SimpleTexting.

SimpleTexting helps businesses text their customers. Your business can send advertisements, videos, pictures, GIFs, and so much more via text message.

Here’s how to send a .ics calendar invitation via text with SimpleTexting:

First, open the SimpleTexting app and navigate to Campaigns and click New to create a new text message to send to your contact list.

Type your text message (feel free to copy, paste, and tweak the example templates from this blog post). Then tap the picture Media icon and Upload your calendar invite .ics file as an attachment for your text message. Select the .ics file and hit Include 1 file.

Next, in Send to, select the contact list you wish you receive the calendar invite text message. Finally, choose the time to send the invite text.

How to send a calendar invite via Google Calendar

Here are the steps to add an event to Google Calendar and send it to your customers for confirmation:

1. Create an event: Open Google Calendar, choose the date and time and fill in the event details.
2. Generate invite link: Click on the event, select “More actions,” and choose “Publish event.”
3. Copy the link: Right-click the link in the pop-up window and choose “Copy link address.”
4. Compose the text: Open your messaging app, create a new text message, and add the Customer’s number.
5. Add the invite link: Paste the link into the text message and include a brief explanation if desired.
6. Send the message: Review and send the text message.

How to send a calendar invite via Microsoft Outlook

Here’s how to add an event to Microsoft Outlook and then share the calendar invite with customers:

1. Create an event: Open Microsoft Outlook, select the date and time and fill in the event details.
2. Generate invite link: Click on the event, choose “More actions,” and click “Forward as iCalendar.”
3. Copy the link: In the email window, highlight and copy the event link (Ctrl+C or Command+C).
4. Compose the text: Open your messaging app, create a new text message, and add the recipient’s number.
5. Add the invite link: Paste the link into the text message and provide a brief explanation if desired.
6. Send the message: Review and send the text message.

When the recipient receives the text message and clicks on the invite link, it should open the respective calendar application (Google Calendar or Microsoft Outlook) on their device with the event details pre-filled. They can then choose to accept, decline, or add the event to their calendar.

Sending calendar invitations with SimpleTexting

If you want a hassle-free way to send calendar invites through text for your business, give SimpleTexting a try! It’s an awesome all-in-one text messaging service that makes managing SMS marketing campaigns and having engaging one-on-one conversations with customers both convenient and cost-effective. Plus, you can get started at zero cost!
Start mass texting for free today.