Text Message Marketing in Your CRM: How to Do It Tastefully (and Not Turn People Off)
Text messaging is one of the most powerful tools you can use inside your CRM. When it’s done right, it feels personal, timely, and genuinely helpful. When it’s done wrong, it feels intrusive, annoying, and sometimes enough to make someone decide they will never buy from you.
That’s the reality of SMS marketing. There is a fine line, and smart businesses learn how to walk it.
This article is not about blasting promotions or sending nonstop reminders. It’s about using texting tastefully, in a way that builds trust instead of burning it.
Why Texting Works (When Used Correctly)
People read text messages. Almost always. That’s the upside.
The downside is that people feel text messages more strongly than emails. A bad email is easy to ignore. A bad text feels like an interruption.
Texting also lives in a much more personal space. When someone hears or feels their phone buzz, their first instinct is usually that it’s a friend or a family member. That expectation matters.
There’s also a fundamental difference between texting and email that’s easy to overlook.
A text message is interruptive. It pulls someone out of whatever they’re doing and asks for attention right now. Email is different. People check their email when they decide it’s the right time.
Because texting interrupts, the bar for relevance is much higher. Every message needs a clear reason for breaking into someone’s day.
When a text comes from a business rather than a friend or family member, it carries more weight. If the message is irrelevant or purely promotional, it can feel jarring. If it’s timely and clearly meant for them, it can feel helpful and even welcome.
That’s why every text you send should earn its place.
The Biggest Mistake Businesses Make With Texting
The most common mistake is treating texting like email.
Texting is not email.
Texting is not social media.
Texting is closer to tapping someone on the shoulder.
If you wouldn't tap a customer on the shoulder repeatedly just to promote something, you shouldn't do it with text messages either.
Some customers will absolutely stop buying from you because they feel bombarded by promotional texts. Even if they like your business, constant sales messages in such a personal channel can push them away fast.
What “Tasteful” Texting Looks Like
Tasteful texting usually falls into a few clear categories:
Important reminders or confirmations
Short, timely updates
Highly relevant follow-ups
Messages triggered by a customer’s actions
Occasional promotions that truly matter
What you will notice is what’s missing from that list. Constant sales pitches. Generic broadcasts. Messages sent just to stay visible.
A good rule of thumb is this:
If a customer saw this text at a bad moment, they would still understand and appreciate why it was sent.
If the answer is no, it probably should not be a text.
A Simple Example of Texting Done Right
A real estate agent working with a buyer is a great example.
If a home just came on the market in the exact neighborhood the buyer has been looking for, that is a perfect use of text messaging. It’s timely, highly relevant, and has urgency. Most people would genuinely appreciate that message, even if it arrived at an inconvenient moment.
That’s the standard texting should meet.
Permission and Expectations Matter
Text messaging should never surprise people.
Customers should know:
Why they are receiving texts
What type of messages they will get
How often messages will be sent
How to opt out easily
When expectations are clear, tolerance goes way up. When expectations are unclear, patience disappears quickly.
This is where your CRM plays a critical role. It helps you track consent, manage preferences, and ensure you are sending thoughtful messages rather than just more messages.
Using Your CRM to Send Smarter Texts
A CRM lets you add context, which texting desperately needs.
Instead of blasting everyone, you can:
Send texts based on status or stage
Follow up after specific actions
Avoid texting people who are disengaged or unhappy
Personalize messages using real information, not gimmicks
The goal is not more texts. The goal is better texts.
Texting Is Not for “Staying in Front” of Customers
Texting should not be used to stay in front of your customers.
If your goal is regular visibility, an email or an email newsletter is almost always a better choice. Email is expected. Email is less interruptive. Email lets people engage on their own schedule.
Texting is different. It’s for moments that matter, not background noise.
If you ever find yourself asking, “Should we send something just to stay in front of them?”, the answer is usually no.
Final Thought: Texting Is a Privilege
When someone gives you permission to text them, they are trusting you with one of the most personal communication channels they have.
Treat that permission like a privilege, not an entitlement.
Used thoughtfully, texting inside your CRM can strengthen relationships, improve response rates, and increase sales. Used carelessly, it can undo trust faster than almost anything else.
The difference is not technology. It’s judgment.
