A Complete Guide to Mobile and SMS Marketing

Why Mobile Marketing Deserves Your Full Attention

You don’t have to look far to see the power of mobile and SMS marketing. Whether you’re riding the tube, sitting in a café, or queueing for your morning coffee, nearly everyone’s got their phone in hand. These devices aren’t just for scrolling social feeds—they’re calendars, shopping baskets, entertainment, and the single most direct link to your audience. By 2024, mobile usage makes up over 60% of all screen time👉 Statista 2024 – Mobile Internet Usage Worldwide. And most of us? We’re checking our phones upwards of ninety times a day (Asurion, 2019).

So, what does that mean for marketing? Put simply: if your strategy isn’t built for mobile first, you’re missing out—possibly more than you realise.

SMS Marketing: The Message That Gets Through

Here’s something to think about: when was the last time you didn’t read a text message? Unlike email (which we’re all guilty of ignoring), SMS just gets seen. The industry still cites an open rate of around 98%—though it’s worth noting that newer research indicates that about 55% are actively read, and nearly all are “viewed” (Mobilesquared, 2025). Most SMS are read within three minutes (Textellent, 2024).

For businesses, that means real, rapid impact. A quick text about a flash sale can shift inventory in hours. An appointment reminder slashes no-shows—SMS reminders have been shown to reduce missed appointments by up to 10% in some sectors (PIMS EHR, 2024). Even a simple “thanks for your order” text builds trust. The trick? Keep it short, relevant, and personal—ideally under 160 characters. And don’t get greedy: two or three messages a month is often enough, unless customers have asked for more.

If you’re not sure where to start, tools like Twilio, Attentive, and SimpleTexting make it simple to get up and running. For Shopify stores, something like SMSBump slots right in.

A word of warning: always get clear opt-in from your customers, especially with GDPR and privacy rules getting stricter by the year. Give people a clear way to opt out (a simple “Reply STOP” is perfect) and never message at odd hours. In the UK and Europe, stick to the rules—if in doubt, ask before you send.

Push Notifications: Nudging Without Nagging

If you have an app, push notifications are your secret weapon. They show up on a customer’s lock screen, and—done right—they remind, inform, or delight, without becoming a nuisance. There’s a fine line here: a helpful nudge (“Don’t forget your order is ready to collect!”) is great; a barrage of generic promos gets you muted or, worse, deleted.

Permission is everything. Always ask, don’t assume. Segment your users so only the right people get each message, and use smart tools like OneSignal or Firebase Cloud Messaging to schedule and automate. A/B testing (with platforms like Airship or Braze) helps fine-tune what actually works for your audience.

Stat to know: App users who receive frequent push notifications have 90-day retention rates that are 3 to 10 times higher than users who receive none (Airship, 2021).

In-App Advertising: Where Context Wins

Think about how much time people spend inside apps—news, games, streaming, shopping. In-app ads can work wonders when they fit the context. For example, a quick video ad before the next game level, or a subtle banner ad that doesn’t get in the way.

The best in-app ads feel like part of the experience, not an interruption. Platforms like Google Ads (Universal App Campaigns) and AppLovin specialise in these formats, and even indie developers can access powerful targeting options. If you want to go all-in, check out Unity Ads or ironSource—especially if your audience is big on gaming.

Stat to know: In-app ads deliver, on average, 157% higher conversion rates than mobile web ads (Buildfire, 2023).

Mobile Websites and Emails: Design With Real People in Mind

We’ve all landed on those clunky websites that refuse to work properly on a phone—tiny text, fiddly menus, pages that take forever to load. The reality is, Google now ranks your site by its mobile version. If it’s not fast, clean, and easy to use on a smartphone, you’re off the shortlist—simple as that.

The best sites keep things minimal. Stick to one column, use decent-sized text (16px or bigger), and make sure buttons are easy to tap (aim for at least 44px targets). Check how your site or email looks on a real device—not just a laptop screen. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights and BrowserStack make testing a breeze. For design, you can’t go wrong with Figma or Adobe XD.

Email’s the same story. If your newsletter is too wide, busy, or slow, it’ll end up in the bin. Most modern email services—Mailchimp, Campaign Monitor, Sendinblue—offer templates that work beautifully on mobile. Pro tip: keep the layout to 600px wide and always send yourself a test first.

👉 Read the blog Why Email Marketing Is the Underrated Strategy You Can’t Ignore

Stat to know: Roughly 41.6% of all email opens happen on mobile devices (Litmus, 2021).

Location-Based Marketing: Hitting the Right Spot

Here’s where mobile really shines. Want to send a discount when someone walks past your shop? Or remind them of a sale when the weather hits 25°C? With location data, you can. Whether it’s through geofencing (drawing a virtual boundary) or beacons (think tiny in-store sensors), you’re able to send messages that feel genuinely relevant.

Services like Radar, Foursquare, and Estimote let you target by neighbourhood, city, or even street. Just remember—always be upfront about how you’re using location data, and let people opt out if they want. A sense of trust is the most valuable currency in modern marketing.

Stat to know: According to Think with Google, 76% of people who conduct a local search on their smartphone visit a business within 24 hours, and 28% of those searches result in a purchase.

Making Sense of the Numbers

It’s easy to get lost in dashboards. The basics still matter most: how many people saw your message, how many clicked, how many actually did something as a result. For apps, you’ll want to watch how often users return and how long they stick around. Opt-outs and uninstalls? A warning sign you might be overdoing it.

Looking for a deeper edge? Cohort analysis lets you compare how different groups respond over time. Maybe new customers behave differently to repeat buyers, or people from London open messages at different times to those in Manchester. These insights help you tweak your campaigns and make every message count.

Platforms like Google Analytics 4, Mixpanel, and Amplitude give you plenty of ways to break down the data without overwhelming you with noise.

Testing, Testing… One, Two

Nobody gets it perfect the first time. The best marketers constantly experiment—maybe one headline works better than another, or messages sent at lunchtime outperform those sent at breakfast. That’s where A/B testing comes in.

Try tools like Google Optimize, Optimizely, VWO, or Split.io for split-testing different ideas. Many SMS and email tools now have A/B options built in—use them! Even if the gains seem small, they add up fast.

Tools and Budgets: What to Use (and What It’ll Cost)

No matter your size or spend, there’s a tool out there for you—and most let you scale up as your business grows. Here’s a quick price breakdown, just to make planning a bit easier:

• Enterprise:
  Looking to run high-volume, complex, or global campaigns? Tools like Twilio, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, and Braze are built for the big leagues. You’re looking at around £500/month and up, often with bespoke pricing and deep integrations.
• Mid-market:
  Most growing brands fit here. Klaviyo, Omnisend, AppLovin, and OneSignal Pro offer plenty of automation and analytics—usually in the £100–£500/month range. It’s scalable, powerful, and won’t break the bank as you expand.
• Budget-friendly:
  Just starting out or working with a small team? No problem. SimpleTexting, TextMagic, Mailchimp Free/Essentials, SMSBump, and OneSignal Free have you covered, often from as little as £20–£50/month or pay-as-you-go.

Most providers offer a free trial or an entry-level plan, so you can experiment before you commit to a monthly bill.

Where It’s All Headed

Mobile marketing keeps changing. RCS is about to make SMS much richer—with images, buttons, even branding. 5G means more video and interactive campaigns, even in places where mobile web was slow before. And with privacy rules getting tighter, brands who respect consent and put the customer in control will always come out on top.

The Rise of RCS: The Next Generation of Mobile Messaging

You’ve probably heard a bit of buzz about RCS (Rich Communication Services), but if you haven’t, here’s the lowdown: think of RCS as SMS on steroids. Where a basic text stops at 160 characters and the odd emoji, RCS lets brands send messages with images, branding, carousels, even action buttons (“Tap to Book,” “Add to Calendar”). It’s the sort of messaging you expect from WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger, but baked right into your phone’s default messaging app.

Why does it matter for marketers? For starters, you can finally ditch clunky, old-school links and bring customers richer, interactive experiences right in the message. Imagine sending a restaurant booking confirmation that actually lets someone add it to their calendar, or a delivery update with a real-time tracking button. No more fiddling with mobile browsers.

The catch? RCS is rolling out gradually—most Android devices in the UK already support it, but iPhones aren’t on board just yet. Google is pushing hard, though, so expect adoption to rise. If you’re planning ahead, now’s the time to chat to your SMS provider and see if they’re offering RCS features. Even if it’s early days, getting ready now means you’ll be ahead of the pack when everyone else catches up.

Personalisation at Scale: How AI and Automation Are Changing Mobile

Let’s be honest, nobody wants to feel like just another email address or phone number. With inboxes and apps overflowing, relevance is everything. That’s where AI and automation come in—helping brands send the right message, to the right person, at the right time.

It goes way beyond just sticking someone’s name in the greeting. Modern tools let you segment your audience based on behaviour—like sending a reminder only to those who abandoned their shopping basket, or offering a special deal to customers who haven’t shopped in a while. AI now powers “best send time” optimisation, so your message actually lands when someone’s likely to see it (not buried under a pile of unread notifications).

The best bit? A lot of this happens automatically. Platforms like Braze, Klaviyo, and even Mailchimp are getting smarter at spotting patterns—predicting who’s likely to churn, which content drives clicks, and even suggesting the type of offer that might tip someone over the edge.

If you’re new to this, start simple: segment your list by recent activity, use dynamic content blocks, and test automated journeys. You’ll be surprised how much more response you get with just a bit of extra relevance.

Mobile Commerce and One-Tap Payments: Converting Scrolls Into Sales

Ever tried to buy something on your phone, only to give up halfway because the form was a nightmare? You’re not alone. In 2024, if your checkout isn’t built for thumbs, you’re losing sales—plain and simple.

Mobile commerce (“m-commerce” if you want to sound fancy) now makes up a huge chunk of online retail—Statista reckons we’re already past 60% of all e-commerce happening on mobile devices. What’s changed? Mobile wallets like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Klarna have made one-tap checkouts the norm. No more hunting for your card details or typing out your address for the hundredth time.

For businesses, that means stripping out friction wherever you can. Enable auto-fill for forms, let people use biometrics (Face ID, fingerprint), and if you’re using Shopify or WooCommerce, make sure your payment plugins are bang up to date.

Don’t forget about shoppable social posts, either—Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest all let users buy straight from the feed. The brands winning right now are the ones that make it seamless for someone to go from “like” to “buy” in just a couple of taps.

Natalie’s Thoughts

At its heart, mobile marketing is about making life easier, not harder, for your customer. If your message is useful, respectful, and timely, you’ll build loyalty and results. If not, it’s just noise—and people have never had more ways to tune out noise.

Don’t overcomplicate it. Start where your audience lives (which, these days, is almost always on their phone), give them something of value, and always keep an eye on what’s working and what’s not.

Ready to try it for yourself? Pick a tool, run a small test, and learn as you go. The best mobile marketers aren’t afraid to experiment—or to admit when something flops.