SMS Marketing for Service Businesses: A Practical Guide

For service businesses, no other channel comes close: • 98% open rate (email: 20%) • 45% reply rate (email: 6%) • 90% of texts get read inside 3 minutes • No app downloads, works on every phone When a homeowner's water heater dies, they're not refreshing their inbox. They want a quick reply, on their phone, in plain English.

Missed call auto-text: an instant text when you can't pick up. Highest-ROI text you'll ever send. Follow-up sequences: multi-step nudges that work old quotes for weeks. Reactivation campaigns: targeted bulk texts to dormant leads and past customers. Appointment reminders: cut no-shows with same-day reminders. Review requests: ask satisfied customers for the Google review while the job is still fresh. Seasonal promotions: tune-ups in spring, gutter cleaning in fall, the right offer at the right time.

SMS marketing has rules. SalesButler handles them for you: • Automatic STOP/opt-out • Rate-limited sending so carriers don't block you • Consent tracking on every contact • TCPA-compliant defaults • Built-in safeguards if a campaign goes sideways You write the message. We handle the legal side.

1. Be personal: use the customer's name and reference what they asked about 2. Be quick: reply in seconds, not hours 3. Be useful: every text should give them something — an answer, a price, a time slot 4. Be short: keep it under 160 characters when you can 5. Be respectful: honor opt-outs immediately and don't blast people daily 6. Track everything: reply rate, conversion rate, revenue per text

1. Start a 14-day free trial 2. Connect your business number 3. Turn on missed call auto-text (5 minutes) 4. Build your first follow-up sequence 5. Watch the first leads come back inside the first week No marketing experience needed. The templates are written for contractors and ready to send.