25 SMS Marketing Templates for Kenyan Businesses

A good SMS is short, clear and tells the customer exactly what to do next. These templates are written for Kenyan businesses and kept under 160 characters. Replace the details in capitals, and always include an opt-out on promotional messages.

160characters

Promotions

  1. “Weekend offer! 20% off all shoes at BRAND, Fri–Sun only. Visit us at LOCATION or order on 07XX XXX XXX. STOP to opt out”
  2. “Hi NAME, as a loyal customer you get KES 500 off your next order. Use code SAVE500 by DATE. STOP to opt out”
  3. “New stock just landed at BRAND! Come see it before it sells out. Open 8am–7pm daily. STOP to opt out”
  4. “Buy 2 get 1 free on all juices at BRAND this week. Offer ends Sunday. STOP to opt out”
  5. “Month-end deal: free delivery on orders above KES 2,000 until DATE. Order on 07XX XXX XXX. STOP to opt out”

Reminders

  1. “Hi NAME, your subscription renews on DATE. Pay KES AMOUNT via Paybill XXXXXX, Acc: ACC.”
  2. “Reminder: your appointment at BRAND is tomorrow at TIME. Call 07XX XXX XXX to reschedule.”
  3. “Hi NAME, your order #ID is ready for collection at BRANCH. Open until 6pm.”
  4. “Your balance of KES AMOUNT is due on DATE. Pay via Paybill XXXXXX to avoid penalties.”
  5. “Your vehicle service is due. Book a slot at BRAND on 07XX XXX XXX.”

Reactivation

  1. “We miss you, NAME! Here’s 15% off your next visit to BRAND. Valid until DATE. STOP to opt out”
  2. “It’s been a while! Your favourites are back in stock at BRAND. Order on 07XX XXX XXX. STOP to opt out”
  3. “Hi NAME, your loyalty points (POINTS) expire on DATE. Redeem at any BRAND branch. STOP to opt out”

Events

  1. “You’re invited! BRAND open day on DATE at VENUE, 10am. Free tastings and offers. STOP to opt out”
  2. “Reminder: EVENT starts tomorrow at TIME, VENUE. Show this SMS at the gate.”
  3. “Thank you for attending EVENT! Photos and highlights: LINK”

Transactions and service

  1. “Payment of KES AMOUNT received. Ref: REF. Thank you for choosing BRAND.”
  2. “Your order #ID has been dispatched. Rider: NAME, 07XX XXX XXX.”
  3. “Your delivery is arriving today between TIME and TIME.”
  4. “Your verification code is CODE. It expires in 5 minutes. Do not share it with anyone.”
  5. “Your account password was changed. If this wasn’t you, call 07XX XXX XXX now.”

Feedback

  1. “How was your visit to BRAND today? Reply 1 (Great), 2 (Okay) or 3 (Poor). Thank you!”
  2. “Rate our delivery from 1 to 5 by replying to this SMS. Your feedback helps us improve.”
  3. “Thanks for shopping with BRAND! Tell us how we did: LINK”
  4. “We received your complaint, ref REF. Our team will call you within 24 hours.”

Tips

  • Avoid emoji and curly quotes in bulk sends — they switch messages to Unicode and can double the cost. See SMS pricing.
  • Feedback templates need two-way SMS so replies reach you.
  • Only send promotions to customers who opted in. See SMS and the Data Protection Act.

Get started with Connect Media

Connect Media provides Bulk SMS, USSD and IVR for Kenyan businesses from one dashboard and API. Create an account to start sending, see pricing, or email info@connectmedia.co.ke.

For strategy, timing and measurement, read the complete guide to SMS marketing in Kenya. Estimate campaign costs with the cost calculator.

Author

The Connect Media team in Nairobi builds and supports SMS, USSD, IVR and voice messaging for businesses across Kenya.