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55 sample text messages to customers with real-life examples

Want a few free, effective marketing sample text messages to customers that are proven to work in real life? We’ve got you covered.

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Without marketing sample text messages to customers on hand, getting your text marketing program off the ground can be tough.

Even if you know what you want to say, you may be unsure of how to say it.

It just so happens that analyzing which kinds of text messages boost sales and customer engagement is a passion project of ours here at SimpleTexting. We’ve found a few consistent themes in the types of text messages successful companies send to their customers.

Take a look at these sample text messages to customers for inspiration:

  1. Welcome texts
  2. Promotional texts
  3. Invitation texts
  4. Confirmation texts
  5. Reminder texts
  6. Customer follow up texts
  7. Customer engagement texts
  8. Customer loyalty texts
  9. Feedback texts
  10. Two-way customer service texts

1. Welcome text messages

What it is: A welcome text message is one that customers receive after signing up for your texts from a keyword, a web form, or another opt-in method. 

Why it works: First impressions are everything, especially with text messaging. This is your chance to reinforce the value that you’re providing your customers and make them glad they opted in to your texts. Give a warm welcome with an SMS to customers that introduces your brand and sets expectations for what’s to come.

Sample welcome text messages:

  • “Hi Jenn! Welcome to our VIP Deals Club. We’ll send you exclusive coupons and you’ll be the first to hear about upcoming sales.”
  • “Hi Jack, we’re so glad you signed up! To say thanks, we created this exclusive coupon code for you: TEXTCLUB20”
  • “Thanks for signing up for La Vida Salon updates! Be on the lookout for hair care tips, special promotions, and more.”
  • “Welcome to Bowlen Plumbing! Call or text us anytime, and we’ll respond M-F from 7AM to 7PM.”
  • “We’re so glad you’ve joined our FitAlert family! Stay tuned for weekly workouts, wellness tips, and exclusive coupons.”

Cosmetics brand ColourPop has one of the best welcome text messages I’ve personally seen. Their opening text is eye-catching, friendly, and gives an incentive to make a purchase right away.

A marketing sample text message to ColourPop customers

2. Promotional text messages

What it is: A promotional text is a message that funnels exclusive offers, sales, and rewards to a group of valued customers to keep them engaged with your brand.

Why it works: Sending offers that are exclusive to contacts on your text is the pinnacle of added value. By agreeing to receive texts from your business, contacts are rewarded with sales and special offers. 

The exclusivity of the offers justifies the extra “sacrifice” on the customer’s end. Even if you’re running a sale or promotion for all of your customers, you can announce it to your text contact list first to give them their pick of the deals.

💡 Send an image, GIF, video, or other type of MMS message along with your promotional text to show off your products or services. 

Sample promotional text messages:

  • “Attention to our VIPs! Show this text to your server this week for a complimentary basket of fries for your table.”
  • “Jamie, as a member of our text club, you’re one of the first people to know that our annual clearance sale is LIVE! Shop now: [link]”
  • “Hey Kyle, we have a special coupon for you! Use code TEXT15 to get an exclusive discount on your next purchase. [link]”
  • “Happy birthday, Mason! Use the code BIRTHDAYFUN20 for 20% off your purchase, today only: [link]” 
  • “Hey Jen! Peep our new seasonal sales 👀 visit [link] for exclusive, text club-only early access to our biggest deals of the year.”

Promotional text messages can make a massive positive impact on your sales. Just ask Eu Natural, a supplement brand that saw a 563% ROI from a single promotional text campaign.

It’s a pretty high conversion rate from the text message over to our website. Pretty much everyone goes over to the website to claim their gift.
Vinay

Vinay

Founder, Eu Natural

3. Invitation text messages

What it is: An invitation text message lets your contacts know that an event or other important occasion is coming up and personally requests their attendance.

Why it works: First off, this is a strong choice for any business owner who wants to keep track of who they’ve invited to an upcoming event and who has or has not responded. 

Second, if you personalize these texts, they are a valuable tool in making your contacts feel like they’re getting an exclusive invite (making them more likely to take advantage).

Sample invitation text messages:

  • “Announcing our annual Energy Efficiency Summit! Join us on 8/6 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for special guests and cutting-edge industry updates.”
  • “Lisa, will we see you at our upcoming ROI Tools webinar? Get all the details and register at [link] 👀”
  • “Stop by our booth at this month’s Home Services Expo, and don’t forget to save yourself a seat at our panel discussion at [link].”
  • “Hello John! I wanted to reach out personally to invite you to a discovery call this week so we can talk about scaling your business with our product. Feel free to drop a time on my calendar at [link]”
  • “Hi Kate! We think you’d make an excellent guest on our podcast this season, would you be interested in speaking with us this week?”

Amazon Video used this format to fill up their Marvelous Mrs. Maisel pop-up event within hours.

4. Confirmation text messages

What it is: A confirmation text message verifies the successful scheduling or submission of payments, bookings, orders, or other events.

Why it works: A confirmation message can deliver peace of mind that you’ve received the customer’s request, payment, or order. It can also reduce the number of support requests you receive from people asking for status updates.

Sample Confirmation Text Messages:

  • “We’ve received your order! 🎉 Visit our website to track your order status: [link]”
  • “Sam, your rent payment for 1/19/23 has been received. $1,300 will be drafted from your Wells Fargo Account ******0000 within 24-48 business hours. Thank you!”
  • “Your reservation for two at La Cocina is confirmed for 6/20/22. See you then!”
  • “Alice, we’ve received your support request. One of our customer service representatives will follow up with you in the next 48 hours.” 
  • “Thanks for your purchase! Your order will be on its way soon. You can check on its progress at [link].”

Personal records are important for anyone trying to stay organized, and my local skate haven Get Your Bearings does an excellent job sending confirmation text messages after every purchase (which, believe me, is way too many).

A confirmation text message from Get Your Bearings skate shop

5. Reminder text messages

What it is: A reminder text message prompts the customer to remember their upcoming appointment, session, or meeting.

Why it works: You’re clearing up their headspace by giving them a reminder of their task and, in turn, reducing the number of pesky no-shows on your end. 

💡 We recommend sending the reminder 24 hours in advance to give recipients time to adjust their schedule if they forgot. Include the details of their appointment or the event, like time, date, location, and who they’re meeting with. 

Sample reminder text messages:

  • “Eleanor, you have an appointment scheduled with Dr. Jin at 10:30 tomorrow morning. Please be sure to arrive at 1010 A Street in Boston 15 minutes early!
  • “Natalie, we’re looking forward to seeing you on January 13, 2023, at 4 p.m. Our office is the first suite to the left on the second floor.”
  • “Thank you for scheduling a consultation with Grady & Associates on 4/15/23 at 8:00 a.m. Please text or call us at 440-555-5555 if you have any questions.”
  • “Lily, your appointment with Sharon is set for March 8, 2023 at 2 p.m.. Please fill out your new patient forms ahead of time: https://txt.st/GDHUK”
  • “Your appointment is coming up on 8/3 at 2:15 p.m. Reply with Y to confirm or C to cancel.”

Personally, I live by my appointment reminder texts. My local skincare go-to, Darling Sugar, regularly sends reminders 24 hours ahead of time so I never miss a session.

An appointment reminder SMS from Darling Sugar

6. Customer follow-up text messages

What it is: A follow-up text message is sent after a customer purchases, attends an event, has a consultation, or engages with your business in another way.

Why it works: Even if you have the best product or service on the planet, customers aren’t thinking about you 24/7. They may need a little nudge to continue the discussion and make a purchase.

Sample customer follow-up text messages:

  • “Hey Jessica! I wanted to let you know a property on Boylston Street opened up that I think you’d be interested in. Would you like me to text you the info for the open house?”
  • “Hi Amelia, we missed you at spin class! Will we see you there next week? Let me know if you have any questions 🚴”
  • “Hi Rich, I enjoyed our chat today about your home renovation project. Do you have any questions about our services that I can answer for you?”
  • “Danica, we noticed you left these items in your cart! They’re waiting for you here: [link]”
  • “Hey Landon! I wanted to reach out and see if you’re still looking to buy a home. I have some great properties showing in your area.”

The realtors in my area are masters of the follow-up. They reach out anytime a property we looked at starts showing again or when the market shifts in a big way. That’s a huge help.

A realtor follow-up text message example

7. Customer engagement text messages

What it is: Customer engagement text messages are meant to encourage your customers to take an active role in your messaging strategy, whether that means contributing their opinions on decisions within your business or simply engaging with a link or contest.

Why it works: Giving customers a reason to be personally invested in your brand and your messages does two very important things:

  • It keeps them tuned into your messages and motivates them to take action when you ask them to.
  • It helps build longer-lasting, more connected relationships with your audience. 

Sample customer engagement text messages:

  • “What should we feature in our next product launch?
    A. Vitamin C supplements
    B. Organic collagen
    C. Walking sticks”
  • “Reply to this text with ‘PRIZE’ to be entered to win our annual giveaway!”
  • “Join our team! Reply to this text with APPLY to see our available jobs and get instructions for applying.”
  • “Looking for your next home aesthetic? We’ve got you covered at [link] with a brand-new home decor guide.”

IntelyCare uses Text to Apply to help its audience of nurses get matched with the perfect position and keep its network connected and up to date. 

We see a response rate 3-4x higher on our texts than emails. More importantly, we can see an uptick in filled shifts when we text a group of nurses about a particular facility.
Melanie Mathews

Melanie Mathews

Director of Market Development

8. Customer loyalty text messages

What it is: Loyalty program text messages are messages that thank recurring customers with exclusive discounts and deals. For example, you can ask customers to send texts with a photo of their receipt, and after 10 submissions, they’ll receive a gift or reward.

Why it works: You’re rewarding the customer for their continued loyalty, and they don’t have to keep up with a punch card. 

With a traditional punch card, all you’re doing is getting customers to return to your business, which is great. But by text-enabling the process, your customers are consenting to receive promotional texts from your brand, which gives you added ROI on top of the return business. Plus, it’s fun and simple.

Sample loyalty program text messages:

  • “Congrats on your 10th purchase! Enjoy a free cup of coffee and one pastry item on us by showing the cashier this text message!”
  • “Yay! You just earned 5 bonus points in our loyalty program. Redeem them now for exclusive rewards.”
  • “Happy 1 year anniversary with Fresh Den, Janna 🧹 Use this link to book your next cleaning for 10% off: [link]”
  • “Thanks for signing up for our loyalty program! You can check your progress and rewards any time: [link]” 
  • “You’re in! Welcome to the Rewards Club family. Keep an eye on your text inbox for text-only discounts and rewards.”

Harmony Tea Bar uses this strategy to stay in contact with its loyalty program members and keep them motivated to stay with the brand long-term.

A sample text message from Harmony Tea Bar

9. Customer feedback text messages

What it is: A feedback request text message is an SMS request for customers to share feedback or ideas about their experience. 

Why it works: The value consumers place on customer service is growing each year. More feedback means more data for you to use and improve! 

Not to mention, your customers feel valued when you ask them their opinion. Especially when it’s done in a way where you can respond and show you’re actually listening.

Sample feedback request text messages:

  • “Tammy, thanks for choosing Carl’s Car Wash for your express polish. We would love to hear your thoughts on the service. Feel free to text back with any feedback. Safe driving!”
  • “Hi Noah, I hope you enjoyed your workout! Is there anything I can do to make your time at the gym even more successful?”
  • “I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed your stay at our B&B! If you have a moment, we’d love it if you could submit a review about your experience: [link]” 
  • “Thanks for your purchase! If you have a few minutes, could you tell us how your experience was? [link]”
  • “Hey Lisa, how was your class today? Let us know your thoughts at [link]”

Safelite recently saved me a lot of time and trouble by fixing my car window when my vehicle was broken into. When I got this text, I clicked the link immediately to go sing their praises for their great service and speed.

A Safelite SMS message asking for feedback

10. Two-way customer service text messages

What it is: As the name suggests, two-way customer service text messages are texts that go between you and your customers to solve issues or answer questions.

Why it works: We’ve touched on the fact that your customers like to feel connected to your brand and take an active part in your communications. 

Two-way texting makes this easy for both you and your subscribers. They get to reach out to you with questions, comments, or concerns, and they can feel confident that they’ll receive an answer quickly. 

Here’s a real-life business-to-customer text message sample from our own Nathan Ellering. 

His chiropractor recently couldn’t meet at his scheduled appointment time. Instead of emailing him (which, in his words, “I’d miss in my junk inbox of literally 23,836 unopened emails”), they sent a text instead. 

According to Nathan, “They made it easy to reschedule and keep my business for this one time, and also made a happy, long-term customer – I know I matter to them and I’m not just a number.”

A sample text message from a chiropractor

Here’s another sample customer service text message from 1-800-Contacts:

A customer service text conversation example

Nathan loved that they took the time to make sure he understood the miscommunication. Per Nathan, 

“I kept my order, they kept that revenue, and I’ll order from them in the future knowing they’ll take care of me if I have any problems. Texting for customer service was fast, easy, and effective for me as a customer.”

📚 How to build customer loyalty: How my local chiropractor uses text messaging to develop a profitable small business

How to save sample text messages

Now that you’ve got all of these text message examples you can send to customers, it’s time to save them as templates. 

Saving inbox templates

  1. In your SimpleTexting Inbox, click the bookmark icon under the box where you compose a message. 
  2. In the popup, click “Add template” under “Custom Templates.” You can also modify our suggested templates here.
A look at SimpleTexting's inbox templates
  1. To save the template, click “Add template.”
A custom template in the SimpleTexting inbox
  1. You can view the templates you create later by clicking on the same bookmark icon in the inbox.

Duplicating campaign templates

If you’ve sent a campaign before and you’d like to simply duplicate it to send it (or another very much like it) again, you can duplicate campaigns for easier sending.

  1. From the Campaigns tab, open the campaign you’d like to duplicate and click the copy button at the top right.
The "duplicate campaign" button in SimpleTexting
  1. Edit your campaign as needed and then send or schedule it. 
What a duplicated SimpleTexting campaign looks like

What types of texts should your business send? [PASTA framework]

Now you’ve seen some sample texts. Which do your contacts actually want from you?

The PASTA framework will give you a starting point as you build out your SMS marketing strategy. It’s a set of text message categories and questions to help you decide which are right for your audience.

Infographic showing the PASTA framework for choosing the right types of marketing texts

The five PASTA framework text categories are:

  • Prize texts: Promo codes, special offers, and early access
  • Accessibility texts: Reminders, instructions, and essential information
  • Suggestion texts: Lifestyle content, motivational quotes, and creative ideas
  • Teaching texts: How-to guides, quick tips, and expert Q&As
  • Amusement texts: Entertaining content and conversation starters

🍝 Check out the PASTA framework guide to get the discovery questions for each type of text.

Dani Henion
Dani Henion

Dani Henion is the content team lead at SimpleTexting and is continuously looking for ways to make text messaging strategies and tips more accessible to SMBs. When she's not writing or planning new SMS content, you'll find her decorating elaborate sugar cookies or thrifting in Atlanta.

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