A text blast is read on a lock screen, usually from a number the recipient has not saved, often in the middle of something else. You get one short message to answer three questions: who is this, why should I care, and what do you want me to do? Get those right and people reply. Miss one and the text gets ignored, or worse, reported.
This guide is about the message itself. If you are new to bulk texting, start with what an SMS blast is and how it works.
Work within 160 characters
A standard text holds 160 characters, as long as you stick to plain letters, numbers and common punctuation. That limit is tighter than it looks, and there are two traps:
- Special characters change the rules. One emoji, a curly quotation mark or a long dash pasted from a word processor switches the whole message to Unicode, and the limit drops to 70 characters per part. Type straight quotes and plain hyphens.
- Long messages get split. Anything over the limit is sent in parts that the phone stitches back together. Most of the time that works; sometimes it does not, and the parts arrive out of order or as separate texts.
Write to fit one standard text from the start. We prepare every message for sending, but a message drafted to fit reads better than one trimmed at the last minute.
The five parts of a text that gets replies
1. Sender name first
Start with your business name and a colon: "Westside Realty:". Nobody has your number saved, and an unidentified text from an unknown number reads like spam to people and to carrier filters alike. Naming yourself in the first words is also what consent rules expect.
2. The offer, straight away
Lock-screen previews show only the opening of a message, so the reason to care has to come right after your name. Lead with the news or the offer, then the detail: "2-for-1 pasta tonight only" beats "We wanted to let you know about a special promotion".
3. One call to action
Ask for one thing. Reply, or tap a link, or come in. Two actions split attention and usually mean neither gets done. If you include a deadline, make it concrete: "by Friday" works better than "soon".
4. A reply keyword
If you want replies, tell people exactly what to send. One short, obvious word in capitals works best: YES, QUOTE, BOOK. A few rules:
- Say what happens next: "Reply QUOTE for a free review" sets an expectation; "Reply QUOTE" alone does not.
- Never use opt-out words such as STOP, END, CANCEL, QUIT or UNSUBSCRIBE as a keyword, and avoid HELP, which carriers expect to return information about the sender.
- Make sure the people handling responses know the keyword and are ready before the send goes out.
5. A STOP line
Finish with a short opt-out instruction: "STOP to opt out". It costs about fifteen characters, it is expected, and it signals that you are a legitimate sender. People who want to leave will leave either way; making it easy keeps them from reporting the message instead.
A simple pattern: [Business]: [offer or news] [deadline]. Reply [KEYWORD] [what happens]. STOP to opt out.
Examples by industry
Each of these fits in one standard text with room to spare. Character counts are in brackets.
- Real estate (133): Westside Realty: Open house Sat 11-2 at 418 Oak St, 3 bed/2 bath. Reply YES and we'll text you photos and the price. STOP to opt out.
- Restaurant (111): Luigi's Kitchen: 2-for-1 pasta tonight only, 5-9pm. Reply BOOK and we'll hold a table for you. STOP to opt out.
- Insurance (137): Hartley Insurance: Your auto policy renews next month. Want us to check for a lower rate? Reply QUOTE for a free review. STOP to opt out.
- Fitness (129): Northside Fitness: New 6am HIIT class starts Monday, first week free for members. Reply SPOT to save your place. STOP to opt out.
- Solar (134): Brightline Solar: Your savings estimate is ready. Reply CALL and we'll book a 15-min review at a time that suits you. STOP to opt out.
- Church or nonprofit (122): Grace Community Church: Food drive this Sat 9am-noon and we need 10 more volunteers. Reply IN to sign up. STOP to opt out.
- Auto dealer (132): Lakeside Motors: Your SUV is due for service. Book this week and the tire rotation is on us. Reply BOOK for a time. STOP to opt out.
Notice what they have in common: the sender comes first, the offer comes second, there is one keyword, and nothing in them would confuse someone who skimmed the first line. For longer vertical playbooks, see our guides for insurance agents and restaurant promotions.
What to cut
- Greetings and filler. "Hi there! Hope you're having a great week!" spends a third of your space saying nothing.
- Fake-personal openers. "Hey, is this John?" from an unknown number is exactly the pattern spam filters and annoyed recipients look for.
- Capitals and exclamation marks. Keep capitals for the keyword. One exclamation mark at most.
- Public link shorteners. Shared shortener domains are commonly filtered. Use a short link on your own domain, and drop long tracking parameters.
- Vague urgency. "Act now!" without a reason or a date reads as pressure. A real deadline reads as information.
- Emoji. They push the message into the 70-character format and add little.
Check it before it goes out
Read the message on a phone, not on a laptop. Send it to yourself and one colleague and ask them what they think they are supposed to do. Count the characters. Click the link on mobile data. Confirm the keyword with whoever will handle replies. Then think about timing: the same text lands very differently at 11am and at 8:55pm, which is why we wrote a separate piece on the best time to send a text blast.
Finally, make sure every number on the list belongs to someone who agreed to hear from you. Good copy cannot rescue a list without consent; see our SMS compliance guide for the rules.
Message ready? Send it to your whole list.
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See SMS packages →Frequently Asked Questions
How long should a text blast be?
Aim for one standard text: 160 characters using plain letters, numbers and common punctuation. A single emoji or curly quote switches the message to a different encoding with a 70-character limit, and longer messages are split into parts.
Should I personalise a text blast with the recipient's first name?
Only if the name data is clean. A first name adds length and looks worse than no name when it is wrong, misspelled or in capitals. Your business name at the start does more for trust than the recipient's name.
Can I put a link in a text blast?
Yes, but use one short link on your own domain that opens a page built for phones. Shared public link shorteners are commonly filtered by carriers, and a link plus a reply keyword gives people two competing actions.