Growth
November 22, 2024

Unlock 3x ROI with these Data-Backed SMS Insights

Meal prep operators know the power of SMS marketing—but how can you squeeze more value from every message you send?

In this week’s live session, we analyzed over 32 million SMS messages sent through Bottle to uncover actionable insights that can help optimize your campaigns. While SMS is already a proven tool for driving sales, the data reveals opportunities to refine your strategy, boost engagement, and increase revenue.

This is Part 1 of a series where we’ll explore the data behind SMS marketing. Today, we’ll focus on high-impact strategies, best-performing message structures, and optimizing frequency and timing to maximize ROI.

Insight #1: Timing and Weekend Campaigns

Our analysis shows that while most SMS campaigns are sent during the week, the best opportunities might be found on weekends:

  • Saturday: Delivers the highest ROI, 3-4x more than weekday campaigns. Merchants sending SMS on Saturdays see stronger engagement and higher sales conversions.
  • Wednesday: Generates the highest revenue, likely benefiting from lead times before order cutoffs.

Despite this, weekend SMS campaigns remain underutilized. Merchants who experiment with weekend messaging—such as follow-up reminders or exclusive promotions—stand to unlock significant growth opportunities.

Takeaway: Add or shift SMS campaigns to Saturday for testing, particularly follow-ups or special offers. If your current cadence skips weekends, you might be missing out.

Insight #2: The Perfect First SMS Framework for Weekly Drops

The first SMS in your weekly drop campaign is your strongest opportunity to drive customer action, especially for subscribers. Our analysis revealed a winning framework used by the highest-performing campaign, which generated $48 in sales per SMS—compared to the average of $3 per SMS on Bottle.

Proven Framework for the First SMS:

  1. Exciting opening statement or promotion: Grabs attention.
  2. Highlight of specific menu items: Creates urgency and excitement.
  3. Clear instructions for ordering or skipping: Eliminates friction.

The Top-Performing SMS:

"Check out our new [meal] and [dessert] on next week’s [company name] menu - now live! You can customize your selections by clicking the link below. You are currently set to receive meals next week. If you’d like to skip, just click the link below and select skip.”

254 chars | ~$48 generated / SMS

Another Top Example:

"Dinner is served! Sending you some extra love with our new [meal] and for your sweetie’s sweet tooth... [dessert]. Grateful to be cozied up at home with you any day!"

281 chars | ~$45 generated / SMS

This campaign stood out for its balance of warmth, clarity, and actionability. Personal touches—like referencing specific meals—made the messages feel relevant and engaging.

Takeaway: Use this framework for your first weekly SMS. Craft clear, compelling messages that highlight new offerings and make it easy for customers to act.

Insight #3: Frequency Drives Growth

Bottle merchants currently send an average of 1.6 messages per week, but data shows revenue growth only plateaus after the third message per week.

  • Merchants sending 2-3 messages per week consistently outperformed those sending just 1 and saw a clear positive correlation with revenue growth over time.

Takeaway: Experiment with increasing your weekly SMS frequency from 2 to 3 messages every other week, staggering them strategically across the week.

Insight #4: The Sweet Spot for SMS Length

The ideal length for an SMS campaign is 250-300 characters, generating nearly 5x more sales than shorter or longer messages.

  • Why it works: Messages in this range are concise enough to hold attention but detailed enough to provide value and context.
  • What to avoid: Campaigns with messages over 300 characters saw a significant drop in performance.

Takeaway: Review your SMS templates to ensure they fall within the optimal range. Pair the right length with a proven framework for best results.

Your Action Plan

Here’s how to implement these insights:

  1. Optimize Timing: Add or shift campaigns to Saturday for higher ROI, while keeping Wednesday as a key revenue-driving day.
  2. Refine Your First SMS: Use the proven framework to craft high-performing messages. Focus on specific menu items, clarity, and action-oriented language.
  3. Increase Frequency: Test sending up to three SMS campaigns per week to drive consistent growth.
  4. Nail the Length: Keep your SMS messages between 250-300 characters for optimal performance.

Next Up: Part 2—Advanced SMS Tactics

In the next session, we’ll explore:

  • How personalization impacts SMS campaign engagement.
  • The role of images and shortcodes in driving conversions.
  • Strategies for integrating SMS with email and other marketing channels.

Stay tuned, and keep growing your business with data-backed strategies!

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Got Questions?
We’d love to help. Schedule a call with our team to review your SMS performance and uncover new growth opportunities. You can email me at johnny@bottle.com.

See you next week!

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