If you only use email to contact customers, you’re missing the channel they check most: text messages. Emails often remain unopened in overflowing inboxes, whereas text messages attract high open rates and immediate attention. Mailchimp SMS Marketing Tools – Unified Email & Text Campaigns for Small Business
Mailchimp SMS Marketing adds text messaging to a platform that is mostly renowned for email marketing As an add-on to Mailchimp’s paid plans, SMS marketing lets you reach customers directly on their phones while managing everything from one unified dashboard. But is it worth the additional money to add SMS to your Mailchimp account, or should you search for another way to sell your texts?
Key Features of Mailchimp SMS Marketing Tools – Unified Email & Text Campaigns for Small Businesses
Mailchimp SMS integrates text messaging into the email marketing platform used by millions of businesses worldwide. The tool focuses on creating omnichannel campaigns that coordinate email and SMS for maximum impact.
Plans and Pricing
SMS works on a credit-based basis that anybody with a paid Mailchimp account may use. This is different from Mailchimp’s tiered email plans. You must have at least an Essentials subscription ($13/month for 500 contacts) to add SMS features.
You may buy SMS credits in blocks of 1,000 for $20. Sending a regular SMS message costs 1 credit, while sending a multimedia message (MMS) with pictures or lengthier text costs 3 credits. You buy credits every month, and they automatically renew on your payment date. The problem is that unused credits expire at the end of each month and don’t roll over.
You will also need to fill out an SMS Marketing application and acquire Mailchimp’s approval before you can buy credits. You must complete this additional step to begin using SMS. The good news is? Customers who meet the requirements can try out SMS for free for 14 days.
Unified Email and SMS Platform
The standout feature here is integration. Rather than juggling separate platforms for email and SMS, you manage both channels from the same Mailchimp dashboard. According to Mailchimp’s data, users who send both email and SMS campaigns see up to 97% higher click rates compared to email-only campaigns.
This unified approach means your customer data, segmentation, and automation workflows work across both channels. You can trigger an email campaign and follow up with an SMS reminder, all from a single customer journey builder.
AI-Powered Messaging with Intuit Assist
Mailchimp’s AI assistant helps draft SMS copy, generating message ideas based on your campaign goals and brand voice. The tool has helped customers send over 3.1 billion emails with AI-generated content and now extends this capability to text messages.
While you’ll still need to review and refine AI suggestions, having a starting point speeds up campaign creation – especially valuable given the 160-character constraint of SMS messages.
Automation and Customer Journeys
Pre-built automation workflows let you send triggered messages based on customer actions. The most valuable automation? Abandoned cart recovery. Mailchimp claims users see up to 16.5x ROI after launching their first SMS campaign, largely driven by timely cart abandonment reminders.
Other automation options include welcome series for new subscribers, post-purchase follow-ups, appointment reminders, and birthday messages. You can also set up keyword-triggered responses where customers text a specific word to your number to receive automated information or offers.
SMS Short Codes
Mailchimp now offers SMS short codes – those memorable 5-6 digit numbers you see from major brands. Short codes can send up to 100 messages per second and appear more professional than standard 10-digit numbers, potentially improving open rates and brand trust.
The registration process takes 8-12 weeks from application to approval, but you can continue using your standard number while waiting. Short codes require an additional monthly fee beyond SMS credit costs.
Compliance and Consent Management
Text messaging comes with strict regulatory requirements, and Mailchimp handles much of the compliance burden for you. The platform includes built-in consent management, quiet hours settings (preventing messages during late-night hours), easy opt-out management, and guidance on double opt-in requirements.
With 24+ years of experience in data security, Mailchimp applies the same privacy standards to SMS that have made it trusted for email marketing.
Advantages of Mailchimp SMS Marketing Tools – Unified Email & Text Campaigns for Small Business
- Seamless Multi-Channel Marketing
The ability to coordinate email and SMS campaigns from one platform eliminates the hassle of managing multiple tools. Your customer segments, automation triggers, and analytics all work across both channels, creating a truly unified marketing approach. - High Engagement and ROI
SMS marketing delivers results that justify the investment. Mailchimp users report up to 58% higher click rates when using both email and SMS compared to email alone, and first-time SMS campaigns generate an average 16.5x return on investment for e-commerce businesses. - Automation That Actually Saves Time
Pre-built customer journey templates take the guesswork out of SMS automation. Set up abandoned cart recovery, post-purchase sequences, or re-engagement campaigns in minutes rather than hours. The AI copywriting assistant further accelerates campaign creation. - Flexibility Without Long-Term Commitment
The pay-as-you-go credit system means you’re never locked into expensive contracts. Scale your SMS volume up or down monthly based on your needs, and pause SMS entirely if you need a break without affecting your email plan.
Disadvantages of Mailchimp SMS Marketing Tools – Unified Email & Text Campaigns for Small Business
- Geographic and Feature Limitations
SMS marketing is only available in select countries, primarily the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. MMS (multimedia messages) are limited to the US and Canada for Standard and Premium plans only. If you have an international customer base or need global SMS capabilities, you’ll need a different solution. - Expiring Credits Create Pressure
Unlike Mailchimp’s email credits that previously never expired, SMS credits disappear at the end of each month. If you don’t use all your credits, you lose them, which pressures you to send unnecessary messages or waste money on unused credits. - Higher Per-Message Costs
At 1 credit per SMS and $20 per 1,000 credits, you’re paying $0.02 per text message. Dedicated SMS marketing platforms often offer lower per-message rates, especially at higher volumes. For businesses sending tens of thousands of messages monthly, those pennies add up quickly. - Additional Approval Hurdle
The application and approval process adds friction to getting started. While Mailchimp claims this protects against spam and maintains carrier relationships, it means you can’t start sending SMS the moment you decide to add the feature.
Final Word
Mailchimp SMS Marketing is best for organisations that currently use Mailchimp for email but want to add text messaging without having to deal with numerous systems. The single dashboard, shared customer data, and coordinated automation make things run more smoothly, which is why many small firms are willing to pay more for them.
When you combine email and SMS into one platform, you get real results. SMS campaigns, for instance, have a ROI of 16.5 times and click rates that are up to 97% higher. If you really want to do omnichannel marketing and would rather have things be simple than cheap, you should think about using Mailchimp SMS.
However, organisations that need to send a lot of SMS messages internationally, at a very low cost per message, or at the highest possible volume should look into specialised SMS systems. Certain company models may not benefit from Mailchimp SMS due to its credit expiration and usage limitations.
For most small- to mid-sized US companies that currently use Mailchimp, adding SMS features is a simple way to get more people to interact with your company and generate more money. Just make sure you utilise those credits before they run out each month.
