The Winning Formula for Custom SMS Campaigns

Custom campaigns are flexible messages designed for any purpose—from seasonal events to community building. They perform best when they include a clear incentive, helping your store stay competitive and thrive by turning digital effort into a measurable advantage.

The Winning SMS Formula
Campaign Best Practices
Custom Campaign Examples
Understanding Offer Impact
Tracking Your Success

💡Tip: For how to steps on setting up custom campaigns in Vori, view the full guide: Custom Campaign Messages & Coupons.

The Winning SMS Formula

To write a message your shoppers will love, keep it short, scannable, and punchy. Follow this four-part structure:

The Hook: A short attention-grabber that mentions your store name.
The Offer: State a clear discount or perk that gives shoppers a reason to visit now.
Call to Action (CTA): Direct instructions such as "Show this at checkout".
The Opt-out: Always include "Reply STOP to opt-out" to stay SMS-compliant.''

💡Tip: When you attach a coupon to your campaign, Vori automatically adds the coupon details to the text for you.

Campaign Best Practices

Identify Your Store: Include your store’s name in every message so shoppers know exactly who sent it.
Watch the Clock: Send messages between 10 am and 2 pm or 4 pm and 8 pm on weekdays.
Be Consistent but Limited: Send a maximum of one message per week to avoid overwhelming your shoppers.
Mind Your Content: Avoid mentioning alcohol or regulated items like tobacco.
Keep it Short: Stay under 300 characters to ensure better deliverability and higher redemption rates.

Understanding Offer Impact

Even small discounts can motivate shoppers to visit your store, but it is important to choose offers that protect your margins. For an average basket size of $35 with a 40% profit margin ($14 profit), here is how different offers impact your bottom line:

Avg. Basket	Offer Value	Discount Amount	New Sales Price	New Profit	New Margin
$35	$3 OFF	$3	$32	$11	34.4%
$35	$5 OFF	$5	$30	$9	30%
$35	10% OFF	$1.75	$33.25	$11.25	33.8%
$35	15% OFF	$3.50	$31.50	$10.50	33.3%

✏️Note: Percent-off discounts scale with basket size, making them ideal for high-spend categories. Dollar-off offers are more predictable and easier to control.

Suggested Offers to Start With:

$3 OFF $25: A small nudge with minimal margin impact.
$5 OFF $50: Great for weekend or holiday promotions.
5% OFF total purchase: Best when paired with a minimum basket size.

Custom Campaign Examples

Use these examples as a starting point for your store.

Game Day BBQ: 🏈 Big Game Special! Grab our house-made sausages and grill meats at . Spend $25, get $3 OFF your total. Be the MVP of the tailgate! Show this at checkout. Reply STOP to opt-out.

Mid-Week "Dinner's on Us": What's for dinner? Pick up a rotisserie chicken and a side at . Get 5% OFF your dinner meal bundle tonight only! Save time and money. Reply STOP to opt-out.
- This deal can be set up using New Promotions with a Combo offer.
Storm Prep Sale Winter storm coming tomorrow. Stock up before the weather hits at . Get $5 OFF your $35+ purchase today only to help you beat the storm. Show this at checkout. Reply STOP to opt-out.
Holiday Prep: 🦃 Thanksgiving Countdown! Avoid the rush at . Get $5 OFF your $50+ Thanksgiving prep shop this Monday–Wednesday. We’ve got the local ingredients you need for a perfect feast. Show this at checkout. Reply STOP to opt-out.
Social Media Follower Perk Join the community at . Follow us on Instagram or Facebook @[social media handle] to see our weekly specials and local finds. Show us your "Follow" at checkout today to get $5 OFF your $35+ purchase. Reply STOP to opt-out.

Tracking Your Success

Use data-driven insight to refine your strategy. Navigate to Campaign Reports in the Vori Back Office to view:

Coupon Usage: See exactly how many shoppers acted on your message.
Net Sales: Measure the total revenue generated by each campaign type.
Average Basket: Track if campaign shoppers are spending more per trip than your store average.