SMS marketing is powerful, but it requires careful execution to deliver consistently strong results. These tips — drawn from thousands of Nigerian SMS campaigns — will help you get more out of every message you send.
Tip 1: Always Start with a Strong Benefit
The first sentence of your SMS must communicate a clear benefit to the reader. "SAVE 30% on electronics" is a benefit. "Check out our latest offer" is not. Nigerian consumers are busy — you have 2–3 seconds to establish relevance before they move on.
Tip 2: Keep It Under 160 Characters
Single-segment SMS (under 160 characters for GSM encoding) costs less and typically performs better than multi-segment messages. If your message cannot fit in 160 characters, rewrite it — do not just extend to a second segment.
Tip 3: Include a Clear Call to Action
Every SMS needs a specific action: "Visit our Ikeja branch", "Call 080xxxxxxxx", "Click [URL]", or "Reply YES to confirm". Vague messages generate vague results. Specific calls to action generate specific, measurable responses.
Tip 4: Test Different Sending Times
The optimal send time varies by industry and audience. Test your specific customer base by sending to equal-sized sample segments at different times and measuring response rates. Most Nigerian businesses find 10am–12pm and 4pm–7pm on weekdays generate the best engagement.
Tip 5: Personalise Where Possible
Including the customer's first name in an SMS increases open and response rates by 20–30%. Start messages with "Hi [FirstName]," to immediately establish personal relevance. Even simple personalisation significantly outperforms generic broadcast messaging.
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