Text Message Marketing SMS Campaign Strategy and Planning 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is a 'triggered SMS' in marketing automation?
- A message sent automatically when a subscriber performs a specific action or meets a condition (Correct answer)
- An emergency alert pushed to all users by the carrier
- A message activated by a coupon scan at checkout
- A text sent manually by a sales rep after a demo
Correct answer: A message sent automatically when a subscriber performs a specific action or meets a condition
Triggered SMS messages are automated texts fired by specific subscriber behaviors or conditions, such as abandoning a cart, completing a purchase, or reaching a loyalty milestone.
Question 2: Which metric best indicates whether your SMS opt-in growth strategy is working?
- Net subscriber growth rate (new opt-ins minus opt-outs over a period) (Correct answer)
- Total number of messages sent
- Average message character count
- Delivery rate percentage
Correct answer: Net subscriber growth rate (new opt-ins minus opt-outs over a period)
Net subscriber growth rate shows whether your list is expanding or shrinking by accounting for both new opt-ins and opt-outs, revealing the true health of your acquisition strategy.
Question 3: What is 'send time optimization' in SMS marketing platforms?
- Using data to automatically send messages at the time each individual subscriber is most likely to engage (Correct answer)
- Scheduling all messages to send at midnight to avoid filtering
- Delaying sends until carrier congestion is low
- Manually choosing send times based on the marketer's schedule
Correct answer: Using data to automatically send messages at the time each individual subscriber is most likely to engage
Send time optimization uses AI or historical engagement data to determine and schedule the ideal delivery time for each subscriber, maximizing open and conversion rates.
Question 4: Why is message frequency management critical in SMS marketing strategy?
- Sending too many messages increases opt-out rates and erodes subscriber trust (Correct answer)
- Sending too many messages exceeds the 160-character limit
- Frequency has no impact on engagement or opt-outs
- Higher frequency always improves conversion rates
Correct answer: Sending too many messages increases opt-out rates and erodes subscriber trust
Over-messaging is the top reason subscribers opt out of SMS programs; maintaining an appropriate frequency keeps subscribers engaged without causing message fatigue.
Question 5: What is the role of a 'welcome series' in an SMS marketing strategy?
- To onboard new subscribers, set expectations, and deliver immediate value after opt-in (Correct answer)
- To re-engage lapsed subscribers who haven't responded in 90 days
- To notify all subscribers about a new product launch
- To confirm a subscriber's phone number via one-time passcode
Correct answer: To onboard new subscribers, set expectations, and deliver immediate value after opt-in
A welcome series introduces new subscribers to the brand, fulfills opt-in incentives, sets messaging frequency expectations, and begins building a relationship immediately after sign-up.
Question 6: How does SMS marketing typically compare to email marketing in terms of open rates?
- SMS has significantly higher open rates, averaging around 98% vs. 20-30% for email (Correct answer)
- Email has higher open rates because it reaches more devices
- Both channels have similar open rates of around 50%
- SMS has lower open rates because phones filter spam more aggressively
Correct answer: SMS has significantly higher open rates, averaging around 98% vs. 20-30% for email
SMS messages achieve approximately 98% open rates compared to email's 20-30%, largely because texts are read within minutes of receipt on a device people carry constantly.
Text Message Marketing SMS Campaign Strategy and Planning 2
What is a 'triggered SMS' in marketing automation?