Appointment reminder texts
Cut missed appointments with a timely text the day before, sent automatically at the time you choose.
Read moreSMS marketing that customers want to receive
Text messages are read quickly and acted on fast. Used with care and consent, SMS is one of the most effective ways for a small business to promote an offer or event.
Why it matters
What goes wrong without it
Social media reach keeps falling, marketing emails compete with dozens of others in the inbox, and printed flyers are expensive and hard to measure. Small businesses need a direct, affordable way to tell loyal customers about a sale, a new menu or a quiet-day offer. SMS fits that need, but it is personal. Sending too often, at the wrong time or to people who never agreed to it quickly leads to opt-outs and complaints, and can breach PECR. The aim is fewer, better campaigns sent to people who actually want them.
How Orbis SMS helps
Step by step
- 1
Build a consented audience
Import only contacts who have opted in to marketing texts or qualify under the soft opt-in as existing customers. Organise them into groups by interest or location so you can target each campaign. Numbers that have already opted out stay suppressed even if they appear in a new import.
- 2
Write a clear offer
Start with your business name, state the offer and the deadline, and tell people exactly what to do next. Add Reply STOP to opt out at the end. Save the message as a template if it is likely to run again, for example as a seasonal promotion.
- 3
Schedule for the right moment
Set up a campaign, select your groups and schedule it for a time your customers are likely to act, such as a weekday lunchtime for a takeaway offer. Check the recipient and credit counts before confirming so the cost is clear.
- 4
Measure and refine
After the campaign, review delivery information where available, credits used and any rise in opt-outs. Compare results with previous campaigns in your reports. Over a few sends you will learn which days, groups and wording work best for your customers.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Less is often more. Many small businesses send one or two campaigns a month and see better results than weekly sends. Watch your opt-out rate; if it climbs, reduce frequency or improve targeting.
Under PECR, you may send marketing texts to existing customers about similar products or services if you collected their details during a sale, offered them a chance to opt out at the time, and include an opt-out in every message.
No. Campaigns use the same pay-as-you-go SMS credits as any other message, with no monthly platform fee and no contract.
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More use cases
Order and delivery updates
Keep customers informed from order to doorstep and cut the where-is-my-order calls.
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Staff alerts and rota updates
Reach your whole team fast with shift changes, cover requests and urgent notices.
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