4 Ways To Win Back Customers Using SMS Marketing
- The four ways to win back customers with SMS are time-limited personalized offers, SMS combined with email, separate VIP targeting of high-value customers, and acting on SMS feedback.
- Customers must opt in to marketing texts; a past purchase is not consent, and every message should offer an easy opt-out.
- The best win-back audience is customers who used to buy regularly and are now declining, which RFM segmentation identifies.
- The 98% SMS open rate is a widely repeated vendor figure, not an independent benchmark; measure response on your own campaigns.
- The most common reasons customers opt out of SMS are too many messages, irrelevant content, high prices and poor customer service.
You can win back customers with SMS marketing in four ways: send a personalized, time-limited offer that surprises them; pair the text with an email that shows the products; treat your high-value customers as VIPs with separate offers; and ask for feedback by SMS, then act on it. It works because keeping an existing customer costs less than acquiring a new one, and repeat customers tend to buy again, spend more and recommend your brand.
A text message is direct and personal, and it reaches people where they almost always are: on their phones. Used with targeted messages, exclusive offers and real follow-up, SMS helps you reconnect with past customers, fix what made them drift away, increase repeat purchases and grow customer lifetime value (CLV). This guide covers why SMS suits win-back campaigns, the consent you need first, how to find the right customers, the four ways, and the most common reasons people opt out.
Why use SMS marketing to win back customers?
Text marketing is convenient for businesses and customers alike, because people can be reached at any time, almost anywhere in the world:
- SMS is compatible with all mobile devices.
- Receiving SMS messages does not require an internet connection.
- Customers do not need to download an app to receive a simple SMS message.
Direct communication
SMS is known for very high open rates. SMS provider SMSGlobal reported in 2017 an open rate of 98%, with 90% of messages read within the first three minutes. Treat those figures as a vendor's claim rather than a benchmark: Campaign Monitor notes that SMS open rates "as high as 98%" are widely repeated but do not give the complete picture. What holds either way is that texts are read fast, which makes SMS a good fit for time-sensitive offers.
Tip: to start collecting customers' phone numbers, add a simple and rewarding pop-up to your store that asks for SMS opt-in.
Accessibility
There are very few places people go without their phones. That gives you a good opportunity to reach customers and grow your subscriber list. In the US alone, Statista estimated more than 300 million smartphone users in 2022. And people who own a basic mobile phone can still be reached by SMS.
The opportunity to get the timing right
SMS campaigns are easy to measure, and you can schedule each one for when customers want to hear from you most. Avoid early mornings, late nights and busy commute hours; mid-morning and early evening are common choices. Text Marketer's retail data shows that the most popular weekday send times among retailers are 5:00–6:00 pm, 11:00 am–12:00 pm and 6:00–7:00 pm. Use those as a starting point, then test send times against your own customers' response.
What do you need before you text past customers?
A past purchase is not the same as permission to send marketing texts. Collect a clear opt-in, record when and how the customer gave it, and honor opt-out replies such as STOP straight away. In the US, the TCPA generally requires prior express written consent for automated marketing texts. In the EU, the GDPR requires a lawful basis for processing phone numbers, and electronic marketing rules generally require consent. This is a short orientation, not legal advice.
An easy opt-out also protects your list. You do not want subscribers who do not wish to hear from you: they cost money to message, and they make your results harder to read.
How do you find the customers worth winning back?
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Segment customers by purchase behaviorScore every customer on how recently, how often and how much they buy. Our RFM segmentation guide explains the method.
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Separate "drifting" from "gone"Customers who used to buy often but have slowed down are the easiest to win back. Customers who left long ago need a stronger reason to return, or may not be worth the cost.
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Match the offer to customer valueA high-value customer who is drifting away justifies a bigger incentive than a one-time bargain hunter. Keep discounts in proportion to what the customer is likely to spend.
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Keep only opted-in contactsFilter the segment down to customers who have given SMS consent. Reach the rest by email or ads.
Customer Intelligence in Nexus by Omniconvert does the segmentation for you. It groups customers into six RFM segments: Soulmates, Loyal, New, Promising, About-to-Dump and Breakups. About-to-Dump customers were previously active and are now declining, but have not left yet: they are the natural audience for a win-back text. Nexus pushes RFM segments directly to Klaviyo, Meta Ads and Google Ads, so the segment you build is the audience your campaign uses.
What are 4 ways to win back customers using SMS marketing?
Nurturing relationships matters no matter how often a customer has shopped with you. Take an extra step to show that loyalty is valued and rewarded.
| Way | What it does | How to read the result |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Surprise and delight | Gives lapsed customers a personal, time-limited reason to return | Redemption rate of the offer within its time limit |
| 2. Combine SMS with email | Uses the text for urgency and the email for visuals and product detail | Repeat purchases from customers who got both, compared with SMS only |
| 3. Target high-value customers separately | Rewards your best customers with exclusive access and perks | Whether VIP customers keep buying and stay in your top segments |
| 4. Act on customer feedback | Finds and fixes the problems that push customers away | Response rate, recurring complaints and what changed after you fixed them |
1. Surprise and delight
Send an irresistible personalized offer with a time limit. A regular discount may not be enough to bring a lapsed customer back: the offer has to be too good to miss, make them feel special and exceed their expectations.
You know what they were interested in before. Use that knowledge to bring them back, and make it clear that the time is ticking.
Tip: to get people to act, encourage impulse buying with calls to action like "Don't Miss Out", "Only Now" or "Ends Soon".
2. Complement SMS with other marketing channels
SMS alone can be effective, but combining channels increases your chances of winning customers back. SMS works especially well with email marketing.
Email is one of the best channels for visually engaging content: you can show images of new products and get people into a shopping mood. Try sending an enticing email a few hours after the first SMS to motivate customers to use their new discount code or offer. This way you use the strengths of each channel. For email ideas, see our email marketing campaign examples.
3. Target high-value customers separately
Set up a VIP loyalty program for the customers who spend more money and time with you than anyone else. Target them separately and highlight the exclusivity of your offers.
Some ways to show appreciation to your VIP customers:
- Invite them to shop new product releases early.
- Give them early access to your storewide sales.
- Send them a special offer they can use themselves and share with a friend.
- Set up a points system: the more they spend, the more they save.
Making top customers feel special helps them connect with your brand and become advocates who spread the word about you. In Nexus, these are your Soulmates and Loyal segments.
4. Act on customer feedback
Collect customer feedback via SMS. Follow up as soon as a customer has interacted with your brand, while the experience is fresh, so the answer is accurate. Customers also feel that their opinion is valued and that your brand cares.
When to reach out, and what to ask:
- After a purchase. Was it easy to find what they were looking for? How was checkout? Would they recommend your store to a friend?
- Once the shipment has arrived. How was the delivery experience? Did the package arrive on time? Would they have liked more updates on their shipping status?
- After a conversation with customer service. Did they get the help they needed? Was the issue solved in a timely manner? Were they happy with the solution?
Send a short SMS survey right after the action is completed to learn what you do well and what needs improvement. To encourage replies, offer a chance to win a prize for completing the survey. Then close the loop: fix the recurring problems and tell customers what changed.
Before you send: check the mobile experience
People who tap a link in a text land on your store from their phones, so your store must be designed for mobile. According to Think with Google, 59% of shoppers surveyed said that being able to shop on mobile is important when deciding which brand or retailer to buy from. Check every step, from landing page to checkout, on a real phone. Our guide to CRO for mobile covers what to fix.
What are the most common reasons customers opt out of SMS messages?
Too frequent messages
Receiving messages too often is a turn-off, and it can bury your content even when it provides value. Upland Software's analysis of SMS frequency found that unsubscribe rates tend to increase significantly once marketers send more than 10–15 messages in a 30-day period, and that senders of more than 20 messages a month risk unsubscribe rates as high as 60%.
Plan ahead and balance your frequency. Do not send too many messages per week, but do not let customers feel forgotten either.
Irrelevant content
Keep content personal by studying customer behavior and adjusting your strategy. If your messages drift away from customers' interests, customers drift away to a competitor who understands their needs.
Pricing
High prices, for products or shipping, often send customers looking for an alternative. Customers who leave because of price are likely to return when you present the right offer, such as a discount on specific products.
Poor service
Worse than high prices is bad customer service. Make sure your support reps are fast, reliable and helpful in every situation.
Salesforce's State of the Connected Customer report (4th edition, 2020) found that 78% of customers will do business with a company again after a mistake if its customer service is excellent. It is much easier to apologize for a mistake or a shipping delay than to repair the harm done by a furious customer.
Discount codes and special offers alone might not win customers' hearts. More often it is the overall experience of shopping with you, and how you made them feel. For the wider picture, read our customer retention strategy guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Use four tactics: send a personalized, time-limited offer that surprises lapsed customers; follow the text with an email that shows the products; treat high-value customers as VIPs with separate, exclusive offers; and ask for feedback by SMS, then fix what the answers reveal. Send only to customers who have opted in to marketing texts.
Keep it short and personal. Mention what the customer bought or browsed before, give a clear offer with a deadline, include one link to the store and a simple way to opt out. Calls to action like "Ends Soon" or "Only Now" encourage customers to act before the offer expires.
Yes. A past purchase is not permission to send marketing texts. In the US, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act generally requires prior express written consent for automated marketing texts. In the EU, the GDPR and electronic marketing rules generally require consent. Rules differ by country, so check your markets with legal counsel.
The 98% figure is widely repeated. SMS provider SMSGlobal reported it in 2017, along with 90% of messages read within three minutes, but it is a vendor claim rather than an independent benchmark, and Campaign Monitor notes it does not give the complete picture. Texts are read quickly, but measure open and click behavior on your own campaigns.
Send often enough that customers do not forget you, but not so often that texts feel like spam. Upland Software found that unsubscribe rates tend to rise significantly above 10 to 15 messages in 30 days, and that senders of more than 20 messages a month risk unsubscribe rates as high as 60%.
Avoid early mornings, late nights and commute hours. Mid-morning and early evening are common choices: Text Marketer's retail data shows the most popular weekday send times among retailers are 5:00 to 6:00 pm, 11:00 am to 12:00 pm and 6:00 to 7:00 pm. Test send times against your own customers' response.
Prioritize customers who used to buy regularly and are now slowing down, especially valuable ones, over customers who left long ago. RFM segmentation shows this: in Nexus by Omniconvert, the About-to-Dump segment holds customers who were previously active and are now declining but have not left yet.
The most common reasons are messages that come too often, content that is not relevant to the customer, high product or shipping prices, and poor customer service. A large or rising unsubscribe rate is a signal to check these causes before your next campaign.
Discount codes alone rarely win customers back; the overall experience does. Start with the customers who are drifting away but have not left, confirm they have opted in to SMS, and send one personalized, time-limited offer followed by an email. Ask for feedback after every key interaction, fix what customers tell you, and watch your unsubscribe rate as closely as your redemptions. SMS, great shopping experience and great customer service together turn satisfied customers into loyal ones.
Win back customers before they are gone
Nexus by Omniconvert groups your customers into six RFM segments, from Soulmates to Breakups, flags the About-to-Dump customers who are declining, and pushes segments directly to Klaviyo, Meta Ads and Google Ads for your win-back campaigns.