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Send SMS Campaigns

Bulk SMS to your customer list via Twilio. Audience filters, segment by spend, dedup, unsub footer.

Updated 26 June 20266 min read

SMS is the highest-ROI channel for raffle retention. Open rates approach 100%, response is fast, and your existing customer list already opted in at signup. The Marketing > SMS section lets you compose, audience-target, and send.

Pre-requisites

  • Twilio Account SID + Auth Token + sender phone configured in Integrations.
  • Customers must have phone_verified = true and sms_opt_out = false. Both flags are managed by the customer at signup and via their /account page.

Audience segments

  • All opted-in customers — your full SMS list. Use sparingly (max once a week).
  • Recent buyers (30 days) — bought at least one ticket in the last 30 days. Highest engagement audience.
  • Lapsed (30+ days) — no purchase in 30+ days. Best for win-back campaigns with a discount code.
  • Winners — anyone with at least one win. High loyalty, often eager to play again.

Message anatomy

160 characters max (anything longer counts as two messages and doubles your cost). Structure:

  1. Hook — emoji + urgency. “⏰ Final 24h”
  2. Specific prize — “BMW M4” not “huge prize”
  3. One link — short. luckyturbo.co.uk/bmw
  4. STOP-to-unsub — legally required

Example: “⏰ Final 24h to bag tickets on the BMW M4 draw — 99p each, instant wins all weekend. Play now → luckyturbo.co.uk/bmw — STOP to unsub” — 158 chars.

Compliance non-negotiables

  • Opt-in capture. Customers opt in at signup (separate checkbox, never bundled). Already wired by default.
  • STOP to unsub.Every campaign message must include it. Twilio routes incoming STOP messages back; we flip the customer’s sms_opt_out automatically.
  • Sender identification.If you’re sending from a short code, the brand name must be in the message. With a long code (E.164 phone), it can be in the link or sign-off.
  • Quiet hours. UK consumer code says no SMS between 9pm and 9am. The Worker scheduler respects this and queues out-of-hours sends to the next morning.

Cost

Twilio UK long-code SMS is ~£0.04 per message at typical retail rates. 1,000 customers = £40 per campaign. Conversion of 1–3% is realistic on a relevant offer — £40 to drive £150–£500 in tickets is a strong ROI.

Background: SMS Marketing for UK Raffle Operators (long-form guide).