SMS for events and launches: the invitation, the reminder and the last call

SEO & Marketing·· 63 views· 3 min read

The short answer: for an event or a launch, three messages are enough: the invitation, with time for people to plan; the reminder, the day before; and the last call, on the day, a few hours before. Prepare all three at once and schedule them in the SMS Center. Since the sender cannot receive replies, confirmations come in by phone, by e-mail or through your website.

The three-message sequence

Message When Example
Invitation Early enough for people to put it in their diary {$contact_company}: you are invited to the launch of our new catalogue, Friday at 5pm, at [ADDRESS]. RSVP at [E-MAIL].
Reminder The day before, in the morning [COMPANY]: a reminder about tomorrow's launch at 5pm, at [ADDRESS]. Parking on site.
Last call On the day, a few hours before [COMPANY]: it is today at 5pm! There are still places. Address and map at [WEBSITE].

The invitation example uses {$contact_company}, which puts the contact's company name in the message: good for events with business customers. For individuals, use {$contact_first_name}. See personalised SMS.

Confirmations without SMS replies

NETMSG and Sender IDs cannot receive replies, so "reply YES" does not work. Pick one of these routes and put it in the invitation:

1 Phone or WhatsApp: "RSVP on [PHONE]".
2 E-mail: "RSVP at [E-MAIL]".
3 A form on your website: a sign-up page. If you do not have a website, a simple page is quick to build with the website builder, and there is a guide in building a campaign page with AI help.

As confirmations come in, put those contacts in a "Confirmed" group. The reminder and the last call can go only to them, or with different texts for people who confirmed and people who have not yet.

Product launches and openings

Moment Example
Before [COMPANY]: on Saturday we open our new branch at [ADDRESS]. The first 50 customers get a gift.
On the day [COMPANY]: we open today at 9am! Come and see us.
After Thanks for coming, {$contact_first_name}! 10% off [PRODUCT] this week. [COMPANY]
Schedule all three messages on the day you plan the event. That way you will not forget the reminder the day before, when you are busy with the preparations. If the event changes, cancel the scheduled messages still in the queue in the History and schedule new ones.
If the last call sends people to your website, get the website ready. Lots of visits in the same hour can slow it down. See how to prepare for a traffic spike.

Got an event coming up? See SMS Marketing and schedule all three messages.

See the SMS Marketing page

SEE ALSO

How to plan an SMS marketing campaign: list, message, cost and timing

Personalised SMS with the contact's name: variables, examples and pitfalls

SMS history and scheduling: statuses, filters and what happens when a message fails

An SMS marketing calendar for the year: seasons, paydays, back to school and year end

Best days and times to send marketing SMS, by type of business

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