9 ROI Stories that Prove SMS Marketing is Worth It
Eleanor Roosevelt once said you should do one thing every day that scares you—and if fear has so far kept you from leveraging SMS in your ecommerce business, then one of those things should definitely be giving text a try in 2022.
Why? Well, beyond the fact that more traditional marketing channels like email and paid advertising will continue to lose effectiveness over the next year, there’s a ton of proof that SMS drives incredible returns for ecommerce merchants. (We’re talking 100X-plus!)
On that note, let’s take a look at some inspiring SMS success stories that prove text message marketing is absolutely worth it for your business. After all, we can sing the praises of SMS marketing all day long, but it’s tough to argue with cold, hard numbers.
In this article (click to jump to a particular story):
1. The Women’s Clothing Brand that Made $100,000 in 30 Days with SMS
2. The Sports Supplement Brand that Achieved 113X ROI with SMS
4. The Personal Care Products Brand that Achieved a 46% Conversion Rate with a Single SMS Campaign
5. The Dog Harness Brand that Gets Twice the Average Review Submissions with SMS
6. The Beauty Brand that Sold Out of a New Product in Hours Thanks to SMS
7. The Travel Bag and Accessory Brand that Drove 37X ROI in 10 Months with SMS
8. The Golf Club Shop that Increased Launch Sales 47% with SMS
9. The Healthy Snacks Company that Achieved a 25% Conversion Rate with SMS Reply-to-Buy
1. The Women’s Clothing Brand that Made $100,000 in 30 Days with SMS
Dallas-based fashion brand Avara went from a homegrown operation of one to a team of 25 with a popular online store, a busy brick-and-mortar shop, and a 7,000-square-foot warehouse. While the company experienced rapid growth primarily through email, social media, and influencer marketing, the team decided to give SMS a try in 2021—a decision that quickly paid off. Thanks to their focus on sending highly personalized messages by strategically segmenting their subscriber list, the Avara team added $100,000 in revenue over the course of their initial 30-day SMS marketing trial—with an average of $34.99 in revenue per message. They’ve also been able to grow their SMS subscriber list at a rate of more than 1,000 per month. Check out Avara’s full SMS success story here.
2. The Sports Supplement Brand that Achieved 113X ROI with SMS
REDCON1 offers protein powders, nutritional supplements, and meal bars customers can purchase online or in-store (thanks to partnerships with several popular retailers). After expanding their list growth strategy beyond pop-ups—specifically by adding keyword and checkout subscription options to the mix—the team at REDCON1 doubled their subscriber list in one year and grew SMS into one of their most profitable marketing channels. In fact, they’ve maintained an average ROI of 113X, and conversion rates for their SMS campaigns range from 8% to 26%. Although they send pretty frequently, they are able to segment their audience in a way that prevents individual subscribers from being bombarded and ensures those subscribers receive messages tailored to their purchase history. Learn all the ways REDCON1 has leveraged SMS to strategically grow their business here.
3. The Dog Goggle Brand that Reached 116X ROI with SMS
Despite some team members’ reluctance to jump onboard the SMS train, canine performance gear outfitter Rex Specs was able to build an SMS program from pretty much nothing to a record 116X ROI in just a few months. The key: Fostering internal buy-in by focusing on education first and revenue generation second. By leveraging SMS automations to make sure new customers were confident using Rex Specs products, the company built a base of happy, loyal customers who were primed to make repeat purchases or recommend Rex Specs to their friends and family. By the time they started launching more conversion-focused campaigns, they had curated an incredibly engaged subscriber list—and that has helped them consistently achieve conversion rates of 11% to 19%. Get the full scoop on Rex Specs’ conversational approach to SMS here.
4. The Personal Care Products Brand that Achieved a 46% Conversion Rate with a Single SMS Campaign
By the time Curie—a brand that offers personal care products like spray deodorant—decided to give SMS a whirl, the company had already built a strong network of partnerships with gyms and fitness studios. They were simply looking for the best and quickest way to convert free sample users into actual customers. That’s where SMS swooped in for the win. When Curie added text-to-buy callouts to signage displayed in partner locations, sales volume skyrocketed. At the same time, the company built a substantial list of SMS subscribers—but they were careful not to overuse that resource. By taking a thoughtful and intentional approach to text messaging, Curie has kept its unsubscribe rate low—and conversion rates high. In fact, they achieved an impressive 8% click-through rate with a 46% conversion rate when they sent a campaign promoting their annual sale. Read more about Curie’s less-is-more SMS strategy here.
5. The Dog Harness Brand that Gets Twice the Average Review Submissions with SMS
Beast & Buckle started using SMS to connect with customers all the way back in 2019. Since then, the company—which offers reversible dog harnesses, collars, and leashes—has grown SMS into its number-one marketing channel. In addition to maintaining an almost unheard of click-through rate of 21%, Beast & Buckle leveraged Postscript’s integration with Okendo to achieve a review submission rate of 21.8% and an average star rating of 4.91. For a small business that relies heavily on word-of-mouth marketing to maintain a healthy bottom line, that kind of social proof is crucial. Learn more about how Beast & Buckle uses SMS to turn subscribers into brand advocates here.
6. The Beauty Brand that Sold Out of a New Product in Hours Thanks to SMS
Offering sustainably sourced beauty and personal care products made with organic coconut oil, Kopari was an early adopter of SMS marketing. As such, the Kopari team treated the channel with extreme care in the name of avoiding subscriber fatigue. They also incorporate a healthy mix of conversational messages to balance out sales-focused campaigns. Several years later, the company’s well-constructed efforts have paid off in a big way. In fact, when they launched a new product via text, it sold out in a matter of hours. On top of that, the company achieved an annual average ROI of 9.3X and an average of $4.75 in revenue per message—all while maintaining a massive subscriber list of more than 54,000. Get all the details on Kopari’s balanced-yet-effective approach to SMS marketing here.
7. The Travel Bag and Accessory Brand that Drove 37X ROI in 10 Months with SMS
After migrating to the Postscript platform and immediately leveraging its plethora of automation triggers and segmentation filters, luggage and travel accessory brand Nomatic started generating more revenue while sending fewer messages. On top of that, thanks to new list growth options, the Nomatic team more than doubled the number of phone numbers collected per day—which allowed them to add more than 47,000 subscribers. The cherry on top: Nomatic has achieved a 37X ROI and an average of $33 in revenue per message. Check out all the details of Nomatic’s SMS success story here.
8. The Golf Club Shop that Increased Launch Sales 47% with SMS
By the time the marketing team at BombTech Golf started looking into SMS, they had already built a highly successful email program with hundreds of thousands of engaged subscribers. Still, they knew that to push the company to the next level, they needed to get outside of their comfort zone. So, they decided to test an email-only product launch against a launch with email and SMS. With that one test campaign, they achieved a 30% SMS click-through rate, a 99X return on SMS spend, and a 47.5% increase in sales compared to the email-only launch. Learn more about BombTech Golf’s fruitful foray into SMS here.
9. The Healthy Snacks Company that Achieved a 25% Conversion Rate with SMS Reply-to-Buy
Looking to streamline its mobile purchasing process, nutrition bar maker NuSkool switched from email collection to phone number collection for all mobile users. This not only reduced the number of clicks to purchase for new customers but also opened the opportunity to increase customer lifetime value through integrated tools that make repeat purchases a breeze. This has allowed NuSkool to net an incredible 25.5% SMS conversion rate. Learn more about NuSkool’s impressive results with SMS here.
Hopefully these stories put all your fears about SMS marketing to rest—but if not, there’s more where that came from. Check out the full library of Postscript case studies here. Or, use our handy ROI calculator to estimate the returns you’re capable of generating. Ready to give SMS a whirl in your ecommerce business? Start your free, zero-risk trial here.
