Best Practices for Text Messaging in Your CRM

Why This Matters

Text messaging has a 98% open rate—far higher than email—but it's also more personal and intrusive. The reality: a bad email is easy to ignore, but a bad text feels like an interruption. Some customers will stop buying from you because they feel bombarded by promotional texts, even if they like your business.

Following best practices ensures you build trust, stay compliant with regulations, and get better results from your SMS campaigns.

Understanding What Makes Texting Different

Texting is not email. Texting is not social media. Texting is closer to tapping someone on the shoulder.

When someone hears their phone buzz, their first instinct is usually that it's a friend or family member. That expectation matters. A text message is interruptive—it pulls someone out of whatever they're doing and asks for attention right now. Email is different. People check email when they decide it's the right time.

Because texting interrupts, the bar for relevance is much higher. Every message needs a clear reason for breaking into someone's day.

The Golden Rule of Texting

If a customer saw this text at a bad moment, would they still understand and appreciate why it was sent?

If the answer is no, it probably shouldn't be a text.

When to Use Text Messaging

Tasteful texting usually falls into these categories:

  • Appointment reminders and confirmations – Time-sensitive, expected, and helpful
  • Short, timely updates – Order shipped, service completed, urgent schedule changes
  • Highly relevant follow-ups – Based on specific customer actions or expressed interests
  • Messages triggered by customer actions – They submitted a form, made a purchase, or requested contact
  • Occasional promotions that truly matter – Rare, highly targeted offers for specific segments

What's missing from that list: Constant sales pitches. Generic broadcasts. Messages sent just to stay visible.

Example: Texting Done Right

A real estate agent working with a buyer sees a home just listed in the exact neighborhood the buyer has been searching for. That's a perfect use of text messaging. It's timely, highly relevant, and has urgency. Most people would genuinely appreciate that message, even if it arrived at an inconvenient moment.

That's the standard your texts should meet.

What Not to Use Texting For

Texting is not for "staying in front" of customers.

If your goal is regular visibility, email or an email newsletter is almost always a better choice. Email is expected, less interruptive, and lets people engage on their own schedule.

Texting is for moments that matter, not background noise.

If you wouldn't tap a customer on the shoulder repeatedly just to promote something, you shouldn't do it with text messages either.

Get Permission and Set Clear Expectations

Always obtain explicit opt-in consent before texting contacts. This isn't just good practice—it's the law in most countries.

Text messaging should never surprise people. Customers should know:

  • Why they're receiving texts
  • What type of messages they'll get
  • How often messages will be sent
  • How to opt out easily

When expectations are clear, tolerance goes way up. When expectations are unclear, patience disappears quickly.

How to get permission:

  • Use a checkbox on web forms: "I agree to receive text messages"
  • Send a confirmation text after signup: "Reply YES to confirm you want to receive texts from us"
  • Keep records of when and how each contact opted in

💡 Never purchase text message lists or add contacts to SMS campaigns without their explicit consent. Consent to receive phone calls is not the same as consent to receive text messages.

Key compliance rules:

  • Only text between 8 AM and 9 PM in the recipient's time zone
  • Include your business name in every message
  • Provide clear opt-out instructions in your first message and periodically after
  • Honor opt-out requests immediately (within minutes, not days)
  • Keep opt-in and opt-out records for at least 4 years

Know the rules for your region:

  • United States: TCPA (Telephone Consumer Protection Act) and CTIA guidelines
  • Canada: CASL (Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation)
  • European Union: GDPR regulations

Penalties can include fines of $500–$1,500 per violation in the US. Even one complaint can trigger an investigation.

Timing and Frequency Matter

When to text:

  • Business hours only (8 AM – 9 PM in recipient's time zone)
  • Consider your audience's schedule
  • Send appointment reminders 24 hours in advance, with a follow-up 2 hours before

How often to text:

  • Transactional messages (appointment reminders, order updates): Send as needed
  • Promotional messages: 1–4 times per month maximum

⚠️ Texting too frequently is the #1 reason people opt out. Quality beats quantity.

Keep Messages Short and Valuable

Aim for 160 characters or less. Longer messages get split into multiple texts, which costs more and disrupts readability.

Text messaging works best for:

  • Appointment reminders and confirmations
  • Time-sensitive updates
  • Quick confirmations
  • Simple calls-to-action
  • Personalized check-ins

Text messaging doesn't work well for:

  • Long explanations or detailed content
  • Complex offers with multiple options
  • Hard selling or aggressive promotion

Use Your CRM to Send Smarter Texts

A CRM lets you add context, which texting desperately needs.

Instead of blasting everyone, you can:

  • Send texts based on contact status or pipeline stage
  • Follow up after specific actions
  • Avoid texting people who are disengaged or unhappy
  • Personalize messages using real information, not gimmicks
  • Segment your audience and target messages appropriately

The goal is not more texts. The goal is better texts.

Personalize Your Messages

Generic example:

"Hi! We have a special offer this week. Click here to learn more."

Personalized example:

"Hi Marcus! Based on your interest in yoga classes, we're offering 20% off your next session this week. Book here: [link]"

Personalized texts feel like real conversations, not mass marketing.

Use Automation Strategically

Good uses for automated texts:

  • Welcome messages when someone opts in
  • Appointment reminders based on calendar events
  • Follow-ups after purchases or interactions
  • Birthday or anniversary messages

Automation tips:

  • Make automated messages sound conversational, not robotic
  • Time automated texts to feel natural (not at 2 AM)
  • Always give recipients a way to reply and reach a human
  • Test your workflows before activating them

Monitor Replies and Engage

Text messaging is a two-way channel. Don't treat it like a broadcast medium.

When contacts take the time to text you back, they expect a conversation—not silence. Check your Text Messaging Center daily, respond promptly, and enable notifications so you don't miss incoming texts.

Message Templates That Work

Appointment reminder:

"Hi [Name], this is [Business]. Your appointment is confirmed for [Day] at [Time]. Reply C to confirm or R to reschedule."

Highly relevant update:

"Hi [Name], a home just listed in [Neighborhood] matching your search. Want details? [link]"

Follow-up after service:

"Hi [Name], thanks for visiting [Business] today! How was your experience? Reply with any feedback."

Rare, targeted promotion:

"Hi [Name]! Based on your interest in [specific service], we're offering [specific benefit] this week. Interested? Book here: [link]. Reply STOP to opt out."

Track Results and Improve

Measure what matters:

  • Opt-in rate: How many contacts agree to receive texts?
  • Opt-out rate: How many people unsubscribe? (Aim for under 2%)
  • Response rate: How many people reply or click links?
  • Conversion rate: Do texts lead to bookings, purchases, or actions?

If opt-out rates spike, you're texting too often or sending irrelevant messages.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Texting without permission – Violates laws and destroys trust

❌ Treating texting like email – Different channels require different approaches

❌ Sending messages just to stay visible – Use email for this instead

❌ Blasting generic promotions – Segment and personalize instead

❌ Ignoring replies – Makes your business seem unprofessional

❌ Texting outside business hours – Annoys recipients and may violate regulations

❌ Using vague sender names – Recipients won't recognize who's texting

Final Thought: Texting Is a Privilege

When someone gives you permission to text them, they're trusting you with one of the most personal communication channels they have.

Treat that permission like a privilege, not an entitlement.

Used thoughtfully, texting inside your CRM can strengthen relationships, improve response rates, and increase sales. Used carelessly, it can undo trust faster than almost anything else.

The difference isn't technology. It's judgment.

Questions and Answers

Q: How is text messaging different from email marketing?

A: Text messaging is interruptive—it pulls people out of whatever they're doing right now. Email lets people engage on their own schedule. Text has a 98% open rate vs 20% for email, but it's also more personal and intrusive. Use texting for time-sensitive, highly relevant moments. Use email for regular communication, detailed content, and staying visible.


Q: What's the difference between transactional and promotional texts?

A: Transactional texts confirm actions or provide account information (appointment reminders, order confirmations). Promotional texts market your products or services. Transactional texts have fewer legal restrictions, while promotional texts require strict opt-in compliance and must include opt-out instructions.


Q: Should I use URL shorteners in text messages?

A: Yes, but use reputable services (bit.ly, TinyURL) or branded short links from your SMS provider. Always provide context about where the link goes—unexplained short links look like spam.


Q: How do I handle someone who replies STOP to a transactional message?

A: Honor their opt-out.

Guide Type: Reference Guide

Estimated Time: 10 minutes