Short answer
- Get clear permission first. Marketing texts generally need the customer's prior express written consent, given clearly and not through a pre-ticked box.
- Identify yourself and make opting out easy in every message, and stop as soon as someone opts out.
- In the US, business texting from a regular 10-digit number usually requires 10DLC registration through your texting provider.
- Send fewer, better texts: reminders, last-minute openings and offers for slow days.
When SMS beats email
| Use SMS for | Use email for |
|---|---|
| Appointment reminders and confirmations | Newsletters and longer updates |
| A last-minute opening today | Seasonal guides and tips |
| A short offer for a slow afternoon | Offers with photos and details |
| "Your order is ready for pickup" | Receipts and documents |
A good rule: if it's urgent, short and useful today, it can be a text. If it needs explaining, it's an email. I compare the two channels more broadly in Content vs email marketing.
Getting consent the right way
For marketing texts in the US, the standard practice is to get prior express written consent. In plain terms:
- The customer actively agrees, for example by ticking an unticked box or texting a keyword to join.
- The sign-up says what they'll receive and roughly how often, and that message and data rates may apply.
- Agreeing to texts isn't a condition of buying from you.
- You keep a record of when and how each person opted in.
Transactional texts, like a reminder for an appointment the customer booked, are treated differently from promotions. Keep reminder texts free of sales offers unless the customer has also opted in to marketing.
The rules to know
The TCPA (US)
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act covers marketing calls and texts. The FCC's telemarketing and robocalls page is a good starting point. Penalties are counted per message, so mistakes add up quickly.
Quiet hours
Federal telemarketing rules restrict solicitations before 8 a.m. and after 9 p.m. in the recipient's local time. Whether that applies to texts sent to people who opted in has been argued in court, with decisions going different ways, and some states set narrower windows. The safe habit: send marketing texts during normal daytime hours in the customer's time zone.
Opt-out
Include your business name and a simple way to stop, like "Reply STOP to opt out", and honor it immediately across every list you use.
10DLC registration (US)
US mobile carriers require businesses texting from standard 10-digit numbers to register their brand and use case (known as 10DLC). Your texting platform handles the registration process; unregistered traffic may be filtered or blocked. Ask your provider about it before your first campaign.
Example texts
These are my own illustrative examples. Each one names the business, gives one reason to act and includes an opt-out.
| Business | Example |
|---|---|
| Barbershop | "Fade Co: two chairs open today 2–4pm. Book in 30 sec: [link]. Reply STOP to opt out." |
| Restaurant | "Ember Grill: Tuesday family deal is back, 2 mains + dessert $39. Book: [link]. STOP to opt out." |
| Auto detailer | "Mirror Finish: we're in your area Thursday. Want a driveway detail? Reply YES. STOP to opt out." |
| Groomer | "Pawfect: Max is due for his groom. Grab a slot this week: [link]. STOP to opt out." |
Keep links short and from your own domain where possible, and don't use all caps or a string of emojis. They read like spam.
How often to text
Less than you think. Customers tolerate far fewer marketing texts than emails. For many local businesses, one or two marketing texts a month, plus service reminders, is plenty. Watch your opt-out rate: if it jumps after a campaign, the message or the timing was wrong.
Starting checklist
- Choose a texting platform that supports consent records, opt-out handling and 10DLC registration.
- Add an unticked SMS consent box to bookings, checkout and your website forms.
- Write your sign-up wording: what you'll send, how often, rates may apply, how to stop.
- Register for 10DLC through your provider and wait for approval.
- Start with reminders, then one offer a month. Measure bookings, not just clicks.
My Email & SMS marketing plan includes one SMS campaign a month to opted-in contacts, and one-off SMS campaigns are $99. Sending fees from your texting platform are separate.