Tips and tools Help to succeed with the loyalty program

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9 tips for successful SMS campaigns in 2025

SMS marketing continues to be one of the most effective methods for reaching customers. According to Link Mobility, 90% of SMS messages are read within 3 minutes, and an impressive 98% are opened. SMS also have a 209% higher response rate than email or Facebook messages, making it an ideal tool for customer engagement. In other words, almost no one ignores an SMS.

With Diller, it’s incredibly simple to send SMS messages to specific segments or all your members. Here are some practical tips to maximize the impact of your SMS marketing:

1. Who should I send SMS to?

SMS works best when sent to targeted segments of your membership base. It’s often more efficient and cost-effective to send personalized messages tailored to members’ interests and buying patterns. For example, a gardening club member with a balcony but no garden is more likely to respond to offers for balcony plants than to general garden-related campaigns. The more relevant your message, the higher the response rate.

2. How often should I send SMS?

SMS is perceived as more personal than email, so it’s crucial not to overdo the frequency. Ensure that the content you send is valuable and relevant to avoid being intrusive. A recommended frequency is 1–3 SMS per month. For new members, start with a welcome SMS to kick off the relationship on the right note.

3. How long should an SMS be?

To avoid extra costs and ensure clarity, keep your SMS under 160 characters. Communicate your message concisely. As Mark Twain once said: “I apologize for such a long letter—I didn’t have time to write a short one.” Take the time to refine your message—it almost always pays off. Think of each SMS as a short, impactful statement!

4. Send a birthday greeting

Birthdays are perfect occasions to send personalized SMS messages and offer your customers special attention. Most people appreciate birthday greetings paired with a discount or exclusive offer. Example:

  • “Happy Birthday, [First Name]! Enjoy 20% off any item in-store or online: tinyurl.com/f5u-cn3bd – Best wishes, [Store Name]”
  • “It’s your special day, [First Name]! Celebrate with 20% off any item in-store. We can’t wait to see you! – [Store Name]”

 

5. Welcome message for new members

All new members should receive an immediate welcome SMS, reminding them of their membership and offering an instant perk. Example:

  • “Welcome to [Loyalty Club Name]! Enjoy [Welcome Offer] on your next purchase. Complete your registration here: https://diller.app/signup/49345 – [Store Name]”
  • “Welcome to [Loyalty Club Name]! As a thank-you, here’s [Welcome Offer]. Show this SMS in-store or use [Discount Code] online: [Link]”

 

6. Plan great SMS campaigns

Timing is important, but content is king. Examples of effective campaigns include:

  • “BLACK FRIDAY starts now! Don’t miss exclusive deals – shop today!”
  • “SUMMER SALE: Up to 70% off for members only!”

But remember: It’s not all about discounts. Customers return when they feel they’re getting more value from you than from competitors.

7. Plan SMS in advance

To maximize the impact of your SMS campaigns, plan ahead—especially for seasonal promotions. Use segmentation and purchase data to send relevant offers at the right time. Examples:

  • “The latest fall collection is here! Join us for a members-only preview night with complimentary drinks, Wed 11/8 at 7 PM. See you soon! – [Store Name]”
  • “Spring is here! Enjoy 20% off all bikes until March 30. Visit us in-store or shop online: tinyurl.com/f5ucn3bd”
  • “Hi [First Name], take care of your winter skin! Double points on cleansers and moisturizers this week – [Store Name]”

 

8. Keep employees informed about campaigns

To ensure customers have a seamless experience, keep your employees informed about all ongoing campaigns. Add them to your SMS and email lists so they can assist customers with questions about offers or discounts.

9. Use URL shorteners to stay within 160 characters

To save space in your SMS, use link shorteners like TinyURL or Bit.ly. This ensures you can include important links without exceeding the character limit.

By following these tips, you can harness the full potential of SMS marketing in 2025 while ensuring your messages are valuable and relevant—building stronger customer loyalty in the process.

 

Here’s a short video tutorial on how to manage SMS in Diller:

"All third-party marketing channels are becoming less effective, and we see that it is necessary going forward to own the dialogue with customers. I have no doubt that much of our growth is due to increased loyalty from members."

Kai Gulbrandsen

CEO, Princess retail chain

"The loyalty program button is on the front page of the cash register, so everything is automatic. Our members use the stamp cards and coupons because it’s so easy to use. We see that we get higher sales from members than non-members."

Evy Ingebrigtsen

Operations and HR Manager, Baker Brun

"Data is the new gold. It is essential that purchase information and customer data form the foundation for all good customer dialogues. Having control over this is in my opinion absolutely crucial."

Pål Wibe

Norway's "Mr Retail" Pål Wibe

"A terrific app that really helps our business to grow together with our customers. Adds value for both us and the customer, a complete customer journey from the physical to the online store."

BMB Paleet

"Thank you very much for the fantastic follow-up when we launched our loyalty program from Diller. You guys made the whole process painless. Looking forward to seeing what we can achieve together. We really recommend Diller AS to anyone that need a loyalty program on the Shopify platform."

Bolina

Furniture and Interior Design

"Advertising must be planned 2 weeks in advance, but at that time the campaign may be completely irrelevant. With Diller we can turn around and act in no time! We can put out a campaign overnight. This is absolutely invaluable to us."

Tone Tengesdal Stavnheim

Tengesdal Sport

"I would never buy a cash register system without an integrated loyalty program. For me, it was essential to have a good loyalty program included in the POS."

Maria Quarnström

Owner, Rilo Zoo

"We recently startet using Diller and are very pleased with the app. It is easy and understandable to use, and it has already generated more customers and sales. What is important to mention is that the customer service is outstanding, and we are getting all the help and support we need! Our contact has been patient and so happy to help and guide in out teams-meetings for the set up :)"

Shine

Design

"Great app and customer service! The loyalty features combined with the SMS engine and mail integration towards MailChimp is a winner for me. Thanks to Erik for helping me set everything up!"

Henriks Herre

Men's fashion

"Great app, easy to customize and simple to use. Customer service is outstanding and helpful. The few times we have had any issues, customer support was very responsive and resolved the issues in minutes! Highly Recommend!"

MARK+BRANDY

Fashion

"We see great results from the loyalty program. The immediate feedback comes from employees in the store, who notice that customers enter the stores only 5-10 minutes after we send out an SMS."

Stine Handley

Head of Administration, Fredrik & Louisa

"Very easy to set up the app. It’s perfect for creating a good-looking loyalty program widget, that is customized to my brand and webshop.   Super friendly and helpful support team! They answer very fast and do everything to help you out.  Great experience so far."

Corado Coffee Roasters

"We see that average sales and margins are higher even though we offer a 10% welcome discount. As a customer, you are welcome to bring a little extra in the shopping cart to get the most out of the deal. The goal is for the loyalty program to be the icing on the cake for our customers so that they want to continue shopping with us."

Jon Grøteig Andersen

Head of Marketing, PetXL

"I searched the web for suppliers and found Diller that way. They have everything I need in a loyalty program, and for me, it was an added advantage that it is a Norwegian company."

Hans Hvinden

General manager, Hageglede.no

"We have seen that it is not just discounts that attract customers. For example, when we send out an SMS about new products from one of our brands, traffic to the stores increase, since the members like to get early product information."

Martine Remsøy Romøren

Store manager, Lively

"When customers shop in our store, we ask them if they want to be members and tell them that they get bonus coupons depending on purchase levels, invitations to events and other benefits. Everyone signs up!"

Heidi Andersen

Store Manager, Coco Skien

"The big advantage of the loyalty program is that it becomes easy to communicate with customers. We see endless possibilities with this in the future and look forward to using it more."

Anders Johan Braaten

General manager of Buster Hund og Katt