SMS Marketing

Let’s Be Real: Who Still Uses SMS?

You probably haven’t sent a personal SMS in years. Unless it was for two-factor authentication. But for brands? It’s a goldmine.

Forget crowded inboxes. Forget social media algorithms. SMS puts your message right in front of customers and they actually read it. 

At the recent INSIDE CRM Meetup, Helene Nitsche, CRM Lead at The Female Company, dropped some hard facts about how SMS became one of their top engagement channels. She broke down:

✅ Why SMS beats WhatsApp for marketing
✅ How they built their SMS subscriber list
✅ What actually moved the needle on revenue

The Comeback Story: Why SMS Still Works

For years, SMS was the forgotten child of digital marketing. But the game has changed.

• Fast response times – 58% of people open texts within five minutes.

• Zero competition – Unlike email and social media, SMS doesn’t fight for attention.

• It’s still legit – Used for authentication, appointment reminders, and order updates.

📊 The Female Company’s audience:
📱 2+ hours on their phone daily
📩 79% of SMS subscribers also get emails—but SMS still wins their attention
📊 56% clicked an SMS but ignored their emails

Email open rates are dropping. Social media reach is unpredictable. SMS gets seen. Period. 

💬 “We were skeptical at first, but the numbers don’t lie—SMS was hitting people that email couldn’t reach.” – Helene Nitsche

Why Not WhatsApp? Here’s the Truth

Everyone talks about WhatsApp marketing. But here’s why The Female Company didn’t bother:

The Problem with WhatsApp:

❌ Fixed costs – You pay whether it works or not
❌ Long contracts – No easy way to test
❌ Complicated integration – Another tech partner to deal with

Why SMS Won:

✅ No fixed costs – Pay for what you use
✅ Plug & play – Instant integration with Klaviyo
✅ Fast to test – No long-term commitment

WhatsApp is great if you already have a strategy for it. But if you’re testing the waters? SMS is faster, easier, and cheaper. 

💬 “SMS was a no-brainer. No contracts, no extra partners—just results.”

How They Got People to Sign Up for SMS

The Female Company tried two ways to grow their SMS list:

1️⃣ Website pop-up → 96.6% of sign-ups
2️⃣ Checkout page → 3.4% of sign-ups

📌 Lesson learned? People sign up for SMS when they have a reason—like exclusive early access to sales.

No one signs up just for fun. They need a hook: early discounts, VIP access, or something exclusive. 

💬 “The best moment to collect SMS sign-ups? Right before a big sale.”

The Numbers: Did SMS Actually Work?

Let’s cut to the chase—was SMS worth it?

📩 Email Marketing Results:
📊 Click rate: 0.93%
📊 Conversion rate: 0.13%
📊 Unsub rate: 0.55%

📲 SMS Marketing Results:
📊 Click rate: 20.2% 🚀
📊 Conversion rate: 0.21% (higher than email)
📊 Unsub rate: 1.3% (a little higher, but expected)

This wasn’t just a nice experiment, SMS actually made money. 

💬 “The click rates blew our minds. Email can’t compete with that.”

What Worked (and What Flopped)

✅ What Killed It:
✔️ Short & urgent texts (“Sale starts NOW!”)
✔️ Evening sends (morning texts annoyed people)
✔️ Exclusive SMS deals (customers love VIP treatment)

🚫 What Flopped:
❌ Explaining complex products – SMS isn’t for storytelling
❌ Too many messages – Customers got annoyed after 1-2 texts per month

💬 “SMS works when it’s simple. If it needs explaining, don’t put it in a text.”

Does SMS Steal from Email? Nope.

One big concern was cannibalization. If people click SMS, will they stop clicking emails?

Here’s what they found:
📊 44% of SMS subscribers also opened an email
📊 11% clicked an email
📊 56% clicked an SMS but ignored the email

💡 Translation? SMS reached people who would have ignored the email anyway.

💬 “Some customers open emails. Some open texts. The overlap is way smaller than we thought.”

Final Takeaways: Should You Use SMS?

✔️ SMS is an underrated CRM tool – High engagement, low competition
✔️ Timing & simplicity win – Keep messages short, clear, and urgent
✔️ It’s not just an email alternative – SMS hits a different audience
✔️ Testing is essential – Learn what works before going all in
✔️ Expect high engagement – SMS click and conversion rates crush email

About the Speaker

Helene Nitsche is the CRM Lead at The Female Company, specializing in customer retention and engagement. With 7+ years of CRM experience, she knows how to turn data into action.

About the Meetup

Organised by Audrey Mann and Jessica Jantzen, the INSIDE CRM Meetup is a platform for CRM professionals to share insights, strategies, and success stories. It brings together experts from various industries to discuss the latest trends and innovations in customer relationship management.

Disclaimer: This article has been generated with ChatGPT based on an audio transcript and presentation slides from the INSIDE CRM Meetup. The content has been reviewed by the presenter to ensure accuracy and relevance.