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Getting started with SMS campaigns

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Understand SMS campaigns

Gain an understanding of what SMS campaigns are in Klaviyo and how they can help you engage your subscribers.

What are mobile messaging campaigns?


In Klaviyo, text message campaigns are one-time sends to a selected audience by method of text message.

Sending text message campaigns is crucial for building relationships with your subscribers. You can use them to notify your subscribers of urgent updates, sales and events, product launches, and more.

You can choose to send campaigns immediately, or schedule them to deliver at a later date.

Campaigns vs. flows

It’s important to distinguish text messaging campaigns from flows in Klaviyo. Campaigns and flows are both features that allow you to deliver text messages to your recipients, but with some key differences.

Campaigns

Campaigns are one-time sends that you send to a specific list or targeted segment.

Campaigns are created and scheduled manually, and can be sent either immediately or at a specified date and time in the future.

Some examples of common text message campaigns include a sale announcement, a product launch, or an exclusive discount.

Two images of an SMS campaign, one being edited in Klaviyo and the other being received on a phone.

Flows

Flows, or automations, are set up in advance to send personalized messages triggered by a customer's actions.

Once set, customers move through the flow based on the criteria you set.

Some examples of common flow messages include a welcome message when someone subscribes to your SMS marketing list, or an abandoned cart message when someone places an item in their cart but doesn’t complete a checkout.

Two images of an SMS flow message, one being edited in Klaviyo and the other being received on a phone.

Differentiate SMS, RCS, and MMS

Klaviyo supports several types of text messaging: SMS, RCS, and MMS. Choosing the right format depends on what you want to send, which recipients can receive it, and the experience you want to create.

  • SMS is a 160 character text-only message. Use it for concise updates, reminders, and calls to action.
  • MMS stands for multimedia messages, and are texts that contain an image, GIF, or video. In addition, MMS has a higher character count than SMS, at 1,600 characters. MMS availability depends on the recipient’s country and number type.
  • RCS can provide a richer messaging experience. Depending on the message type, it can include media and interactive elements, such as buttons or cards. Recipients need a supported device and network to receive RCS.

If a recipient can’t receive RCS messages, Klaviyo sends the SMS or MMS fallback configured for the message. Review current pricing and availability before sending, since they can vary by channel, country, and number type. Perform A/B tests to understand which types of messages resonate best with your audiences.

Review all the key differences in RCS, SMS, and MMS, including limitations and capabilities in the Help Center.

Understand SMS campaigns