SMS Marketing vs SMS Advertising: What’s the Difference and Which Should You Use?

You’ve been told to “run SMS marketing” for your business… But when you start Googling, you’re suddenly seeing “SMS advertising” everywhere. Are they the same thing? Are you supposed to do both?

This is a common confusion among Nigerian business owners, especially startups and small business founders, just trying to grow with simple, effective tools. In this guide, we’ll clarify the difference between SMS marketing and SMS advertising, when to use each, and how to build a strategy that brings results.

What Is SMS Marketing?

SMS marketing is the use of SMS (text messages) to build and maintain relationships with your existing customers or subscribers.

Think of it as talking to people who already know your brand, your customers, leads who opted in, or users who signed up for updates.

Common examples of SMS marketing:

• “Hey Tiinuade, your delivery is on the way 🚚”
• “Your appointment is confirmed for Friday at 2 PM.”
• “Happy Birthday, Emeka! Enjoy 10% off your next meal.”

Key features:

• Permission-based: Customers must opt in to receive your messages
• Personalized: Often uses names, order info, location, etc.
• Used for engagement and retention: Like reminders, order updates, loyalty offers, onboarding flows

If you run an e-commerce business or offer services like haircare, food delivery, education, or even legal advice, SMS marketing is perfect for staying in touch with your customers without being spammy.

What Is SMS Advertising?

SMS advertising, on the other hand, is designed to attract new customers. It’s more promotional, less personal, and often targets people who haven’t interacted with your brand before.

Think of it like running a radio jingle or Instagram ad; the goal is visibility and action.

Common examples of SMS advertising:

• “Flash Sale! Get 25% off all sneakers today only. Click to shop.”
• “New restaurant in Ikeja! Free delivery this weekend. Try us.”

Key features:

• Promotional: Focused on offers, awareness, and sales
• Can be cold outreach: Not always sent to opt-in lists (but should be)
• Used for campaigns, like product launches, promos, holiday discounts, etc.

In Nigeria, many brands use bulk SMS tools to blast offers to a wide audience. That’s SMS advertising.

Key Differences Between SMS Marketing and SMS Advertising

Let’s make this super clear with a side-by-side comparison:

Feature	SMS Marketing	SMS Advertising
Target Audience	Existing customers or subscribers	Cold leads or general audience
Goal	Engagement, retention, loyalty	New customer acquisition, brand awareness
Tone	Personal, helpful	Promotional, persuasive
Example	“Your class starts at 10am tomorrow.”	“Enroll now and get 20% off our training package!”
Opt-in Required?	Yes	Not always (but strongly recommended)
Compliance Importance	High (for customer trust & legal protection)	Very High (especially for unsolicited messages)

When Should You Use SMS Marketing?

If you already have a list of customers or subscribers, SMS marketing is your best friend.

It helps you stay top-of-mind and build loyalty.

Use SMS marketing when:

• You want to remind customers about appointments or deliveries
• You’re onboarding new users to your app or service
• You’re running a loyalty program or referral programme.
• You want to recover abandoned carts or follow up after purchases

Relatable examples for Nigerian businesses:

• An Abuja fashion brand reminding customers when their custom dress is ready
• A tech startup sends onboarding tips after someone signs up
• A Lagos spa sending “Thank You” messages after appointments

This is all about nurturing. And trust us, when done right, it works like magic.

When Should You Use SMS Advertising?

Now, if you’re trying to reach new people or push sales, that’s where SMS advertising shines.

Use SMS advertising when:

• You’re running a promo or flash sale
• You just launched a new product
• You want to announce an event
• You’re entering a new market/location

Nigerian examples:

• A Jumia store is running a 48-hour flash sale to attract new buyers
• A new bakery in Surulere is offering free samples to the first 100 customers
• A fintech app is doing a massive launch promo for first-time users

It’s like shouting “Come and buy!” on the streets but directly to their phones.

Just don’t be annoying. Make it targeted, timely, and with clear value.

Can you combine both? (Spoiler: Yes!)

Absolutely! In fact, that’s where the real magic happens.

Here’s how you can build a full-funnel SMS strategy using both:

1. Start with SMS Advertising:

• Use ads to reach cold audiences with an offer
• Example: “Get 20% off your first wig order this weekend only!”

2. Collect Leads:

• Add a call-to-action (CTA) that lets them opt into future updates
• E.g., “Reply YES to get updates” or direct them to a form

3. Switch to SMS Marketing:

• Now that they’re subscribers, send them order updates, loyalty deals, etc.
• Example: “Hey Bisi, thanks for shopping with us! Your item is being packaged.”

This combo helps you attract new customers and keep them engaged.

With platforms like Yournotify, you can run both kinds of campaigns seamlessly in one place.

Final Thoughts: Don’t Just Send SMS. Send the Right Kind.

Too many Nigerian businesses are doing “bulk SMS” without thinking strategy.

That’s why results are low. People ignore your messages. Or worse, they block your number.

But when you understand the difference between SMS marketing and SMS advertising, you can build smarter campaigns.

Use SMS marketing to nurture. Use SMS advertising to grow.

Both work; you just need to match them to your goals.

Ready to Build Better SMS Campaigns?

Whether you’re looking to promote a new offer or engage loyal customers, Yournotify gives you the tools to do it right.

• Send promotional broadcasts
•  Automate transactional messages
• Build subscriber lists
• Track performance in real time

Start with yournotify today.