Inside permitted hours
In the United States, no solicitation before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. in the recipient’s local time. In France, the operators’ charter allows promotional SMS between 8:00 and 21:30.
Sources: 47 CFR 64.1200, af2m
SMS campaigns
Write and send SMS campaigns in minutes
Write your message, pick a customer segment, send now or schedule. Kanal then attributes the orders to each SMS campaign. The editor below is yours: try it.
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Pick a segmentCount your charactersOpt-out mention addedPreview on the phoneSend or scheduleRead the sales
The launchThe private saleThe last callThe seasonal saleInside permitted hoursOne idea, one offer, one link
Write your SMS, count your characters
- Characters
- 112
- Number of SMS
- 1
- Before the next SMS
- 48
Encoding · GSM 7-bit160 characters in one SMS, then 153 per SMS.
Characters outside the GSM alphabet
They switch the whole message to Unicode: 70 characters per SMS instead of 160.
112 characters, 1 SMS, GSM 7-bit encoding
Computed with the GSM 7-bit alphabet and the concatenation rules of 3GPP TS 23.038, 3GPP TS 23.040. Everything runs in your browser: nothing is sent or stored.
Today 10:02
Atelier Nova: private sale until Sunday, 20% off the linen collection for members. atelier-nova.com/private-sale
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How to run an SMS campaign,from idea to send
Four moves, in this order. The first is already done for you: your customer list is your store’s.
Pick a segment
Loyal customers, first-time buyers, people who have not ordered in two months: the send list is a segment of your store, limited to customers who agreed to receive your texts.
Write the message
Your brand name, an offer, a link, the opt-out mention. Aim for a single SMS: 160 characters.
Send or schedule
The campaign goes out now, or at the date and time you set in advance.
Read the sales
Orders and revenue are attributed to the campaign. You compare your sends on what they brought in.
One idea. One offer. One link.
An SMS has no room for more, and that is what makes it readable at a glance.
Four SMS marketing campaigns to reuse
Each example loads into the editor in one click, so you can adapt it to your brand and check its length.
The launch
For customers who already bought in the same category.
Try it in the editorAtelier Nova: the linen collection has landed. See it before everyone else: atelier-nova.com/linen
The private sale
For one segment, your top customers for example, with an end date.
Try it in the editorAtelier Nova: private sale until Sunday, 20% off for members. atelier-nova.com/private-sale
The last call
On the last day of an offer, a short reminder with the direct link.
Try it in the editorAtelier Nova: the private sale ends tonight. This way: atelier-nova.com/private-sale
The seasonal sale
On the first morning, for every customer who agreed to your texts.
Try it in the editorAtelier Nova: the sale starts today, up to 40% off selected pieces. atelier-nova.com/sale
When to send an SMS campaign
Four rules frame promotional SMS. Each fits in two lines.
To customers who said yes
Marketing by SMS needs prior consent: the French regulator requires it, and US carriers ask senders to obtain the consumer’s opt-in.
With your name and an opt-out
The message says who is writing and offers a simple way to stop receiving texts.
In 160 characters
Beyond that, the text goes out as several SMS of 153 characters. One character outside the GSM alphabet brings the limit down to 70.
Sources: 3GPP TS 23.038, 3GPP TS 23.040
General information, not legal advice. Rules depend on the countries you send to.
Frequently asked questions about SMS campaigns
How do I run an SMS campaign?
In four steps: choose recipients among the customers who agreed to receive your texts, write a short message with your brand name, a link and an opt-out mention, send or schedule it, then measure the orders it brought in. In Kanal, the list is a segment of your Shopify store.
How many characters are in an SMS?
An SMS holds 160 characters in the GSM alphabet. A longer text is split into several SMS of 153 characters each. If the message contains a character outside that alphabet, an emoji for example, it switches to Unicode: 70 characters per SMS, then 67.
When should I send an SMS campaign?
Inside the hours each country allows. In the United States, federal rules bar solicitations before 8 a.m. and after 9 p.m. in the recipient’s local time. Within that window, pick the moment your offer is useful: the morning a sale opens, a few hours before it ends.
Do I need consent to send promotional SMS?
Yes. Recipients must have agreed beforehand: the French regulator requires prior consent for marketing by SMS, and US carriers ask senders to obtain an opt-in. Each message must also say who is sending it and offer a simple way to opt out.
How much does an SMS campaign cost?
The cost depends on the destination country and on the number of SMS per message: a text longer than 160 characters counts as several SMS. It comes on top of the Kanal plan, from €89 per month. Book a demo to get an estimate for your volumes.
How do I measure the results of an SMS campaign?
By sales. Kanal attributes orders and revenue to each campaign: you see what a send brought in and compare your campaigns with one another.