SMS & WHATSAPP

Most brands either ignore these channels entirely or abuse them with offer after offer until someone unsubscribes. Both are a waste of what are genuinely two of the most direct lines you have to a customer.

Used correctly, SMS and WhatsApp aren't interruptions — they're the channels that make a customer feel like a brand actually knows them. The key is restraint and relevance. Reserve them for moments that matter, and when you do show up, make it count.

How I Approach it

SMS is for time-sensitive, high-importance touchpoints. Short, clear and with a reason to act now. WhatsApp goes further — it's the channel where you can have a genuine two-way conversation with a customer, and I use it that way. Not as a broadcast tool dressed up as a chat, but as a real customer communication channel where the tone is personal and the interaction actually means something.

Both channels sit inside the wider marketing mix — triggered by behaviour, integrated into automation flows and working alongside email rather than duplicating it.

The Work

Jetts Colchester

Multi-Channel Member Journeys

The most rounded example of how I use these channels in practice. SMS and WhatsApp are built into the full member lifecycle at Jetts — from the moment someone shows interest through to long-term retention.

New enquiries receive immediate SMS touchpoints as part of the welcome flow, alongside email, so the first interaction happens fast while intent is still high. WhatsApp is used by the team for personalised video welcome messages to new members, booking confirmations, follow-ups and ongoing member communication — real conversations, not automated noise. That personal touch at a local level is something bigger brands struggle to replicate and it's a genuine retention driver.

PGR Timber

Sales Offers & Welcome Flows

Working across a multi-brand trade business meant the audience was predominantly professional buyers — people who are busy, price-conscious and not browsing for the fun of it. SMS had to earn its place in the mix by being genuinely useful rather than just another marketing touchpoint.

Used SMS as part of the wider CRM programme to deliver time-sensitive sales promotions directly to trade customers — short, direct messages with a clear reason to act. Alongside broadcast activity, SMS was integrated into the new customer welcome flow so that anyone creating an account received an immediate message alongside their welcome email.

Grayers Graphics

Customer Progress Updates

Vehicle customisation is a high-consideration purchase with a longer turnaround time — and that waiting period is where customer anxiety and inbound enquiries build up if you're not proactive about communication.

Built a customer update system using SMS to keep customers informed at each stage of their vehicle's progress — from order confirmation through to completion and collection. Customers received real-time updates without needing to chase, which transformed the customer experience and had a direct operational benefit by significantly reducing inbound calls to the team. Sometimes the best use of a channel isn't a sales message — it's simply making a customer feel looked after at the right moment.

By The Numbers

SMS integrated into welcome flows across both Jetts Colchester and PGR Timber
WhatsApp used for personalised video messaging, bookings and member follow-ups at Jetts
Multi-channel journeys combining email and SMS live across both businesses

How I Use Them Together

SMS and WhatsApp work best when they're part of a joined-up flow rather than standalone sends. At Jetts and PGR, SMS sits inside automated journeys — triggered by specific actions like signing up, not visiting in a set period or abandoning an enquiry. The channel isn't chosen randomly, it's chosen because it's the right moment for a more direct, immediate touchpoint.