Festive sale announcement
SMS{#var#}, our sale is live. Flat {#var#}% off till {#var#}. Shop: {#var#}
Reply STOP to opt out. -{#var#}Keep the brand name in the message and use a full link. Register as a promotional template.
Marketing campaigns over SMS, WhatsApp and RCS
A messaging campaign is a one-to-many promotion sent to customers who have agreed to hear from you, over SMS, WhatsApp or RCS. In India it only works when the sender, the template and the customer’s consent all line up, so the compliance setup matters as much as the offer.
Most campaigns that underperform are not badly written. They go to the wrong list, at the wrong hour, on a route that treats them as spam. The sections below are the parts we check first when a brand asks why its last sale did not move.
K
Kiran Home Store
WhatsApp Business · Verified
Diwali sale starts tonight, 8 PM.
Flat 20% off on cookware, 10% on appliances. Ends Sunday.
6:42 PM
Tap below to see what is in the sale before it goes live.
6:42 PM
Is there a cash-on-delivery option?
6:47 PM
Yes, COD is on for orders under ₹15,000. Want me to send the link?
6:47 PM
- Best channel mix
- WhatsApp for reach, RCS for rich offers, SMS as the fallback
- Sending window (SMS)
- Promotional SMS: 9 AM to 9 PM only
- Must have
- DLT entity, header, template and customer consent
- RCS rate
- ₹0.25 per marketing message + GST
How a campaign runs, start to finish
- 1
Get the list clean before you touch a template
Split contacts by what you actually know: past buyers, cart abandoners, enquiries that never converted. Remove numbers that bounced, opted out or never gave consent. A smaller list that wants your message beats a large one that reports you.
- 2
Register the sender and the template
For SMS, register your entity, a six-character header and a promotional content template on DLT. For WhatsApp, submit a marketing template for approval. For RCS, complete Google’s brand verification. Do this a week before the campaign, not the day before.
- 3
Pick the channel for each segment
Send WhatsApp to customers who already chat with you, RCS to Android users where a carousel helps, and SMS to everyone else. Set SMS as the fallback so a message that cannot be delivered on one channel still gets a second chance.
- 4
Schedule inside the allowed window
Promotional SMS may go out between 9 AM and 9 PM. Inside that, avoid the first hour of the workday and late evening. Stagger big lists so replies do not land all at once on your support team.
- 5
Read the report, then send the follow-up
Delivery, read and click data tell you who saw the offer. Send a short second message to people who clicked but did not buy, and leave everyone else alone. Log every opt-out the same day.
Which channel does which job
| Channel | Use it for | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Offers to customers who know you, catalogues, back-in-stock alerts | Highest attention, supports images and buttons, and replies open a free conversation window. | |
| RCS | Rich launches with carousels and a verified brand name | Android users see your logo and name on the message. Priced per message with a clear rate card. |
| SMS | Reach on every handset, flash sales, simple reminders | No app or data needed. It is the safety net when other channels cannot deliver. |
| Long-form offers, brochures, newsletters | Cheap for detail, slower to be read. Use it to support, not to replace, message-based reach. |
Message templates worth starting from
Variables are written as {#var#}, the way they appear on a DLT template. Adapt the wording to your brand, then register it.
Cart reminder
WhatsAppHi {{1}}, you left {{2}} in your cart.
It is still available. Complete your order here: {{3}}Submit as a marketing template. Add a button instead of a raw link when you can.
Back in stock
RCS{{product}} is back in stock.
[View product] [Notify me later]Works well as a rich card with an image. Sends SMS fallback when RCS is not available.
What usually goes wrong
Sending the same offer to everyone
Someone who bought last week does not need the launch discount for the same product. Segment by recent purchase and you will see fewer complaints and more clicks.
Mixing a promotion into a transactional message
Adding an offer to an order update gets the whole message treated as promotional, which can delay it or block it. Keep the two separate.
Forgetting the opt-out
An easy way to stop messages protects your sender reputation. People who cannot unsubscribe report you instead, and that hurts every campaign after it.
Judging a campaign by delivery rate
Delivered is not the same as read, and read is not the same as bought. Track revenue per message sent, not just how many arrived.
Before you hit send
- DLT entity, header and promotional template are approved and match the text exactly.
- Every contact has consent on record, and your opt-out list is applied to this send.
- The message goes out between 9 AM and 9 PM if it is promotional SMS.
- The link is a full URL on a domain you have whitelisted, not a public shortener.
- WhatsApp templates are approved and RCS sender verification is complete.
- SMS fallback is switched on for RCS and WhatsApp sends.
- Someone on your team is ready to answer the replies.
Questions we get asked
Can I send promotional SMS to customers on the DND list?
No. Promotional messages cannot be sent to numbers that have opted into full DND, unless you hold their explicit consent recorded through the DLT consent process. Transactional and service messages are treated differently, which is why the two should never be mixed.
What are the timing rules for promotional SMS in India?
Promotional SMS may be delivered between 9 AM and 9 PM. Messages scheduled outside this window are held back or rejected by the operator, so build the schedule around it.
Is WhatsApp better than SMS for marketing?
It depends on the audience. WhatsApp gets better attention and supports buttons and images, but the customer must have opted in and the template must be approved. SMS reaches every phone. Most brands use both, with WhatsApp first and SMS as the fallback.
How much does RCS marketing cost?
From 1 September 2026, ConnexBetter charges ₹0.25 per marketing RCS message, plus GST. Transactional RCS is ₹0.15. See the RCS pricing page for the current rate.
Do I need my own DLT registration?
Yes. The business sending the message must be registered on a DLT platform. ConnexBetter can guide you through entity, header and template registration so your first campaign is not held up.
Plan your next campaign with us
Send us the list size, the offer and the deadline. We will suggest the channel mix and check your templates before anything goes out.