SMS marketing delivers some of the highest engagement rates in digital marketing. With 98% open rates and 90% of messages read within 3 minutes, text messages are perfect for time-sensitive communications like flash sales, order updates, and cart reminders.
Why Add SMS?
Before diving into setup, here's why SMS should be part of your strategy:
- 98% open rate vs 20% for email
- 90% read within 3 minutes of delivery
- 10x higher response rates than email
- Perfect for urgency (flash sales, low stock alerts)
Multi-Channel Magic
The most effective marketing combines email and SMS. Use email for detailed content and SMS for timely reminders and urgent messages.
Choosing an SMS Provider
Kling supports several SMS providers:
| Provider | Coverage | Best For | | ----------- | -------- | ----------------------- | | Twilio | Global | Most users, reliability | | Vonage | Global | Enterprise features | | Plivo | Global | Cost-conscious senders | | MessageBird | EU focus | European businesses |
We recommend Twilio for most users due to its excellent documentation, reliability, and global coverage.
Setting Up Twilio
Create a Twilio Account
Sign up at twilio.com. You'll receive a trial credit to test with.
Get a Phone Number
In the Twilio Console, go to Phone Numbers > Buy a number. Choose a number that:
- Matches your country (for better deliverability)
- Supports SMS capability
- Optionally supports MMS for images
Find Your Credentials
In the Twilio Console dashboard, locate:
- Account SID: Your account identifier
- Auth Token: Your secret key
You can also find these under Account > API keys & tokens.
Configure in Kling
Navigate to Settings > Providers > SMS in Kling:
- Provider: Twilio
- Account SID: Your Twilio Account SID
- Auth Token: Your Twilio Auth Token
- From Number: Your Twilio phone number
Click Save and send a test message.
10DLC Registration (US Only)
If sending to US numbers, you must register for 10DLC (10-digit long code) to avoid carrier filtering. Twilio guides you through this process.
Understanding SMS Costs
SMS pricing varies by destination:
| Destination | Typical Cost | | ----------- | --------------- | | US | $0.0079/segment | | UK | $0.04/segment | | Canada | $0.0085/segment | | Australia | $0.0575/segment |
What's a Segment?
SMS messages are limited to 160 characters. Longer messages are split into segments:
- 1 segment: 1-160 characters
- 2 segments: 161-306 characters
- 3 segments: 307-459 characters
Keep messages short! Not just for cost savings, but because concise messages perform better.
SMS Best Practices
Get Proper Consent
Unlike email, SMS requires explicit opt-in:
- Include SMS option on signup forms
- Clearly state message frequency
- Make opt-out easy (STOP to unsubscribe)
Time Your Messages
- Respect quiet hours (no texts at 3 AM!)
- Best times: 10 AM - 8 PM local time
- Kling automatically respects your quiet hours settings
Keep It Short
- Ideal length: 100-120 characters
- Include one clear call-to-action
- Use URL shorteners for links
- Identify your brand immediately
Using SMS in Flows
SMS works perfectly in automated flows:
Cart Abandonment
- Email (1 hour) → SMS (24 hours) → Email (48 hours)
- SMS has higher urgency, use it for the "last chance" message
Order Updates
- Order confirmed → SMS
- Shipped → SMS with tracking
- Delivered → Email with review request
Flash Sales
- SMS for announcement (immediate)
- Email with full details (5 min later)
- SMS reminder (1 hour before end)
Compliance Requirements
SMS marketing has strict legal requirements:
TCPA (United States)
- Written consent required
- Clear opt-out mechanism
- Honor opt-outs within 10 days
GDPR (European Union)
- Explicit consent for marketing
- Document consent with timestamp
- Right to be forgotten
CASL (Canada)
- Express consent required
- Identify sender clearly
- Include contact information
Kling helps you stay compliant by:
- Tracking opt-in sources
- Honoring STOP requests automatically
- Maintaining consent records
Troubleshooting
Messages not delivering
- Verify phone number format (include country code)
- Check Twilio error logs
- Ensure 10DLC registration is complete
High costs
- Review message length (segment count)
- Check for failed delivery retries
- Consider dedicated short codes for volume
Carrier filtering
- Complete 10DLC registration
- Avoid URL shorteners like bit.ly
- Include brand name in every message
Next Steps
SMS is now ready to power your marketing:
- Build a multi-channel flow with email and SMS
- Configure email if you haven't already
- Learn about managing your subscription for costs
With SMS set up, you're reaching customers on their most personal device. Use this power responsibly!
