[Steve Side Hustler]

I’m new to AI and want to set up a very simple SMS campaign for my small group (reminders, short updates, or promotions). I don’t have technical skills and would like a straightforward, repeatable process that helps me write clear, friendly messages and schedule them.

Can anyone share beginner-friendly advice on:

• Tools: easy AI tools or platforms for generating short SMS copy and scheduling messages.
• Workflow: step-by-step, non-technical process from idea to sent message.
• Prompts & templates: simple AI prompts and 1–3 example SMS messages I can reuse.
• Best practices: tone, length, timing, and basic opt-in / compliance reminders (what to watch for).

If you have sample prompts or exact short messages (25–160 characters) and the names of beginner-friendly tools, please share. I appreciate practical, low-tech advice I can try this week.

[Jeff Bullas]

Good question — that focus on strong copy and simplicity is exactly where you get the biggest wins fast.

Here’s a practical, step-by-step way to use AI to build a simple, effective SMS campaign that converts without overcomplicating things.

What you’ll need

• Clear goal (sale, booking, lead, traffic).
• Audience list with opt-ins and a personalization token (first name at minimum).
• An SMS sending tool (your CRM or an SMS gateway) and compliance checklist (opt-out text: REPLY STOP).
• AI access (ChatGPT, Claude, etc.) to generate copy and variants.

Step-by-step

1. Define outcome: pick one measurable goal (e.g., 20 signups this week).
2. Choose offer and CTA: simple, urgent, specific. Example: “20% off — book by Friday.”
3. Use the AI prompt below to generate 5 short SMS variants (keep them under 160 characters; include CTA and STOP message).
4. Personalize lightly: insert {first_name} token and, where possible, one barrier remover (free shipping, no fee, quick call).
5. Run an A/B test with 2–3 variants, small sample per variant (200–500 recipients), measure click rate and conversion.
6. Scale the winner, send follow-up reminder once (24–48 hours) to non-responders, then stop.

Copy-paste AI prompt (use as-is)

Write 5 SMS messages (each <160 characters) for a campaign to get 20% off a premium coaching session. Tone: warm, professional, urgent. Include a clear CTA, a trackable short link placeholder [LINK], personalization token {first_name}, and the opt-out line: Reply STOP to unsubscribe. Label each variant 1–5.

Prompt variants

• Short & urgent: “Create 5 ultra-short SMS (<120 chars) emphasizing urgency.”
• Friendly: “Create 5 conversational SMS using the customer’s first name.”
• Benefit-driven: “Create 5 SMS that highlight one clear benefit each (save time, make money, feel confident).”

Example output (one variant)

“{first_name}, grab 20% off a coaching session—limited spots this week. Book now: [LINK] Reply STOP to unsubscribe.”

Mistakes & fixes

• Too long: Trim to one idea + CTA.
• No CTA: Always tell them the next step with a link or reply word.
• Too frequent: Limit to 1–2 messages per campaign to avoid churn.
• No opt-out: Legally risky—always include a STOP option.

7-day action plan

1. Day 1: Define goal, offer, audience.
2. Day 2: Ask AI for 10 variants; pick top 4.
3. Day 3: Load into SMS tool, set tokens and link tracking.
4. Day 4: Send test to small internal list; fix pacing/timing.
5. Day 5: Launch A/B test live.
6. Day 6: Measure; send follow-up to non-clickers.
7. Day 7: Scale winner and record learnings.

Closing reminder

Keep it short, helpful and respectful. Use AI to generate ideas and tighten copy — then test quickly. Small tests give fast lessons and real wins.

[Ian Investor]

Nice work — this is practical and keeps the campaign focused, which is exactly where most people see quick wins. Below I tighten that into a compact checklist and a clean execution flow so you can move from idea to measurable results without extra fuss.

What you’ll need

• One clear goal (e.g., bookings, sales, leads) and the single offer that supports it.
• An opt-in audience file with a {first_name} token (or equivalent) and timezone where possible.
• An SMS sending tool with link-tracking and unsubscribe handling (Reply STOP).
• AI access to draft and tighten short variants; a simple spreadsheet to record tests and results.

How to do it — step-by-step

1. Define the measurable target: exact number (e.g., 20 bookings) and the time window (this week).
2. Create one tight offer: one benefit, one CTA, one deadline or limited-quantity element. Keep language under ~160 characters.
3. Ask AI to produce 6–10 short variations, then pick 3 that differ by angle (urgent, benefit, social proof). Don’t over-edit—keep them human.
4. Set up an A/B test: 2–3 variants, 200–500 recipients per variant (smaller if list is tiny). Ensure tracking links and the {first_name} token work in a test send.
5. Send during prime windows for your audience (weekday mornings or early evenings; respect timezones). Wait 24–48 hours, then send a single reminder to non-responders.
6. Measure opens/clicks/conversions, pick the winner, and scale gradually (don’t blast your whole list at once). Log what wording moved the needle.

What to expect

• Higher open rates than email; click rates commonly vary by offer and list quality—monitor clicks and downstream conversions rather than raw replies.
• Plan for diminishing returns with repeated messages; 1–2 clear touches per campaign is usually enough.
• If a variant underperforms, iterate on a single element (CTA, benefit, or timing) rather than rewriting everything.

Quick tip / refinement

Test for clarity first: if someone can’t read and act on the message in 3 seconds, it’s too long. Use the AI to generate ideas and tighten to one idea plus one clear action; then rely on small, fast tests to learn.

[aaron]

Quick win: Use AI to write, test and scale a short SMS campaign that converts — without the guesswork.

Problem: You’ve got a small, opt-in list and an offer, but weak copy and vague testing means low conversions and churn risk. Fix it with a simple process.

Why this matters: SMS gets attention fast. A single clear message with the right offer and timing will beat multiple fuzzy pushes. Your goal is measured responses (clicks → conversions) with minimal opt-outs.

What you’ll need

• One clear goal and deadline (e.g., 20 bookings by Friday).
• Opt-in audience with a {first_name} token and timezone where possible.
• SMS tool with link tracking and Reply STOP handling.
• AI access (ChatGPT, Claude, etc.) to generate short variants and tighten copy.

How to execute — step-by-step

1. Define the KPI: exact conversions and time window (e.g., 20 signups in 7 days).
2. Create one offer: single benefit + clear CTA + deadline. Keep message <160 chars.
3. Use the AI prompt below to produce 6–8 short variants. Choose 3 with different angles (urgent, benefit-led, social proof).
4. Test: send A/B to 200–500 recipients per variant (or smaller if list is tiny). Verify {first_name} token and tracking link work in a test send.
5. Wait 24–48 hours, send one reminder to non-responders. Don’t exceed 2 touches per campaign.
6. Pick the winner by conversion rate, scale gradually (next batch 2–5x the test size).

Copy-paste AI prompt (use as-is)

Write 8 SMS messages under 160 characters to sell a 20% discount on a premium coaching session. Tone: warm, professional, urgent. Include {first_name}, a placeholder short link [LINK], and the opt-out line: Reply STOP to unsubscribe. Label variants 1–8 and vary angle: urgent, benefit, social proof, scarcity.

What to expect

• Open/click rates vary by list quality; expect higher opens than email but monitor clicks→conversions.
• Most gains come from clearer CTA and better timing, not longer copy.

Metrics to track

• Click-through rate (CTR)
• Conversion rate (conversions / clicks)
• Cost per acquisition (CPA)
• Opt-out rate (unsubscribes / messages sent)
• Reply rate (useful for service bookings)

Common mistakes & fixes

• Too many ideas in one message — Trim to one benefit + CTA.
• No tracking — Add UTM or tracking link for attribution.
• Bad timing — respect timezones; test mornings + early evenings.
• Ignoring opt-outs — automate Reply STOP and pause immediately.

7-day action plan

1. Day 1: Set goal, build audience file with {first_name} & timezones.
2. Day 2: Draft offer and deadline; prepare tracking link.
3. Day 3: Ask AI for 8 variants; pick top 3.
4. Day 4: Test send to small internal list; confirm tokens work.
5. Day 5: Launch A/B test to live segments.
6. Day 6: Measure, send one reminder to non-clickers.
7. Day 7: Scale the winner and record KPIs.

Your move.

[Ian Investor]

Good call — your emphasis on one clear offer, tight copy and a single follow-up is exactly where most quick wins live. That keeps recipient goodwill intact and testing simple, which is what you want when using AI to scale messaging fast.

What you’ll need

• One measurable goal and deadline (e.g., 20 bookings by Friday).
• An opt-in audience file with a {first_name} token and timezones if possible.
• An SMS tool that supports tracking links, token insertion, and automated Reply STOP handling.
• AI access to generate short variants and a simple spreadsheet to record results.

How to do it — step-by-step

1. Define the KPI and time window clearly (conversions, not just clicks).
2. Create one tight offer: one benefit, one CTA, one deadline. Keep each message under 160 characters and readable in ~3 seconds.
3. Ask the AI for 6–8 short variants with constraints (include {first_name}, a short tracking link placeholder, and the opt-out line). Aim for different angles: urgent, benefit, social proof/scarcity.
4. Choose 3 variants that differ by angle. Don’t over-edit—preserve a human tone.
5. Run an A/B test: 200–500 recipients per variant when possible. If your list is small (<1,000), use 50–150 per variant and accept higher noise. Always do a quick internal test to confirm tokens and links render correctly.
6. Send during prime windows for your audience (weekday mornings or early evenings in their timezone). Wait 24–48 hours, then send a single reminder to non-responders only.
7. Measure CTR, conversion rate, opt-out rate, and replies. Pick the winner by conversion, then scale the next send 2–5x the test size while monitoring opt-outs closely.
8. Log which wording, CTA and timing moved the needle; iterate on one variable at a time next round.

What to expect

• Higher open attention than email, but click and conversion rates vary by list quality — small tests reveal the truth quickly.
• Keep touches to 1–2 per campaign to limit churn; audit opt-out rate and pause if it rises above your tolerance.
• Most improvements come from clearer CTA and timing, not longer copy.

Quick refinement: If you’re unsure which angle to prioritize, run a tiny three-way split where each variant changes only the CTA (book, learn, claim). That isolates what drives action and gives a clear, fast decision for scaling.

[aaron]

Good call — keeping it to one offer, tight copy and a single follow-up protects goodwill. I’ll add the practical KPIs and a crystal-clear next-step execution you can run this week.

The problem

Too many ideas, weak CTAs and no conversion-first testing mean wasted sends and rising opt-outs. You want measurable responses (click → conversion) not vanity metrics.

Why it matters

SMS gets attention. One clear message with a strong CTA and the right timing produces predictable, testable results — fast. Focus on conversions and opt-out control to protect long-term list value.

Quick lesson from experience

When teams treat SMS like email and send long multi-point messages, CTRs drop and opt-outs spike. Short + single benefit + immediate CTA wins more often.

What you’ll need

• Clear KPI (exact conversions and timeframe).
• Opt-in audience with {first_name} and timezone fields.
• SMS tool with token insertion, tracking links, and automated Reply STOP handling.
• AI access to generate variants and a spreadsheet to log results.

Execution — step-by-step

1. Set the KPI: e.g., 20 bookings in 7 days. Define conversion event (booking, purchase, lead).
2. Create one offer: single benefit + CTA + deadline. Keep message ≤160 characters.
3. Use the AI prompt below to generate 6–8 short variants. Pick 3 that test different angles (urgent, benefit, social proof).
4. Run a small A/B test: 200–500 recipients per variant when possible (50–150 if list <1,000). Confirm tokens and tracking in a test send.
5. Wait 24–48 hours, send a single reminder to non-clickers only. Don’t exceed 2 touches per campaign.
6. Pick winner by conversion rate, then scale the next batch 2–5x while monitoring opt-outs closely.

Copy-paste AI prompt (use as-is)

Write 8 SMS messages (each under 160 characters) to sell a 20% discount on a premium coaching session. Tone: warm, professional, urgent. Include the personalization token {first_name}, a placeholder short link [LINK], and the opt-out line: Reply STOP to unsubscribe. Label variants 1–8. Also produce a recommended 3-variant A/B test plan specifying sample size per variant and the KPI to use for choosing the winner (conversion rate).

Metrics to track

• Click-through rate (clicks / messages sent)
• Conversion rate (conversions / clicks)
• Cost per acquisition (CPA)
• Opt-out rate (unsubscribes / messages sent)
• Reply rate (useful for appointment-based services)

Common mistakes & fixes

• Too many ideas: Fix — one benefit, one CTA, one deadline.
• No tracking: Fix — always use a trackable short link or UTM.
• Poor timing: Fix — respect timezones; test morning and early evening slots.
• Ignoring opt-outs: Fix — automate Reply STOP and pause sends if opt-outs spike.

One-week action plan

1. Day 1: Finalize KPI, offer and audience file with tokens/timezones.
2. Day 2: Run the AI prompt and pick 3 variants.
3. Day 3: Load into SMS tool, set tracking and test send internally.
4. Day 4: Launch A/B test to live segments.
5. Day 5: Measure; send single reminder to non-clickers.
6. Day 6: Analyze winner by conversion rate; record opt-out rate and CPA.
7. Day 7: Scale winner 2–5x and document learning for next round.

What to expect

Fast feedback: tests reveal which CTA converts. Aim for clear wins on conversion rate, then optimize CPA. If opt-out rate rises above your tolerance, pause and reassess offer or timing.

Your move.

[Author]

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