What are promotional SMS campaigns?
SMS campaigns let you send promotional text messages to targeted groups of your SMS subscribers. Use them to promote discounts, flash sales, new product launches, free shipping offers, or any other promotion.
When to use campaigns vs automations
- Use campaigns when you want to send a one-time message to your subscribers at a specific time (e.g., weekend sale, new collection launch, holiday promotion)
- Use automations when you want to send personalized messages triggered by customer actions (e.g., abandoned cart, welcome messages, order updates)
Do I need approval to send SMS campaigns?
Yes. SMS messaging requires approval to ensure compliance with U.S. TCPA regulations. This protects both you and your customers.
→ Learn how to enable SMS messaging
Who receives your SMS campaign?
You choose who receives your campaign by selecting a customer segment. Segments let you target specific groups like:
- All SMS subscribers
- Customers who purchased in the last 30 days
- Customers who abandoned their cart
- VIP customers with high order values
- Custom segments you create
Firepush shows the estimated number of recipients before you send.
Learn how to segment your SMS subscribers
What you can include
- Your message — write your promotional text (keep it short for better results)
- A link — Firepush automatically creates a short tracking link to your store or a specific page
- Discount codes — add unique discount codes that auto-apply at checkout
- Unsubscribe option — automatically included to comply with regulations
Personalization
SMS campaigns support the following variables:
- [shop] — your store name
- [discount] — a discount code
- [redirectToURL] — a short tracking link to your store
Note: Since SMS campaigns are sent to groups of subscribers, individual variables like customer name or specific product details are not available. For personalized messages, use SMS automations instead. Learn more about message variables
Scheduling
You can send an SMS campaign immediately or schedule it for a specific date and time. Recurring SMS campaigns are also supported (daily, weekly, monthly).
Important: Messages will not be delivered before 8:00 AM or after 9:00 PM in the recipient's local time zone to comply with regulations.
Best timings for SMS campaigns
Cost
Each SMS campaign uses credits from your SMS balance. The cost per message depends on:
- Destination country — U.S. and Canada are typically $0.01-0.02 per SMS
- Message length — longer messages are split into multiple segments
Firepush shows you an estimated cost before you send, including how many SMS segments your message will use.
Tip: Keep your messages under 160 characters to avoid multiple segments. Each segment counts as a separate SMS. Learn more about SMS credits
Compliance and regulations
SMS marketing is heavily regulated in the U.S. (TCPA laws). Firepush handles compliance automatically by:
- Adding unsubscribe options to every message
- Processing STOP, HELP, and YES keyword replies automatically
- Respecting quiet hours (no messages before 8 AM or after 9 PM)
- Only sending to customers who explicitly opted in
Learn about SMS keyword replies (STOP, HELP, YES)
Performance tracking
Firepush tracks clicks, orders, and revenue generated from each SMS campaign so you can measure your return on investment:
- Sent — how many SMS were delivered
- Clicks — how many customers clicked your link
- Orders — purchases attributed to your campaign
- Revenue — total sales generated
- Cost — total SMS credits used
Learn more about revenue tracking
Tips for effective SMS campaigns
- Keep messages short and to the point (under 160 characters ideal). Learn how to create effective SMS campaigns
- Always include a clear call-to-action
- Create urgency with time-limited offers
- Personalize when possible using variables
- Don't over-send — 1-2 SMS campaigns per week maximum
- Test different messages to see what resonates
- Always include your brand name so customers know who's texting
- Make unsubscribing easy (it's the law)
- Add a countdown timer to create urgency with discount codes
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