8 Creative SMS Marketing Ideas to Boost Engagement This Summer

Summer is more than a season. It’s a mood, a moment, a shift in how we live. People slow down, step outside, and soak up experiences. For businesses, that’s an important opportunity.

If you’re running a retail shop, a restaurant, an event, or an e-commerce store, summer gives you a built-in theme for engagement. But here’s the catch: your audience is out there living life. You’ve got to meet them where they are—on their phones.

That’s where SMS marketing shines.

With open rates hovering around 98% (according to Forbes) text messages cut through the noise better than email or social media. Here are a few additional stats that highlight just how effective SMS is as part of your summer engagement strategy:

According to a recent survey of almost 9,000 people by Klaviyo:

• 72% of people bought something after receiving a text message from a brand.
• 86% of people who bought after receiving a text message made two or more purchases. Within that group, 30% of them made four purchases, and 10% made six purchases.
• 65% of people who bought something based on a text said that it was something they were considering, but the text prompted them to buy it much sooner.

As you can see, SMS is a pretty powerful booster for engagement. Of course, in the heat of summer, timing and proximity matter. Whether you’re pushing out a flash sale, announcing a pop-up event, or just checking in with your loyal base, SMS gets the message through, fast.

In this post, you’ll discover creative, actionable ways to use SMS marketing to boost engagement all summer long. We’ll look at real-world examples, proven strategies, and tips to turn your summer campaigns into wins.

Why SMS Marketing Is Essential for Summer Campaigns

• Immediacy
• High Engagement
• Portability
• Personalization

Let’s start with the basics. SMS isn’t more than convenient. It’s powerful. Unlike emails that sit unopened or ads that get scrolled past, text messages are opened almost immediately. HubSpot reports that 90% of texts are read within three minutes.

Here’s why SMS hits differently in the summer:

Immediacy

SMS delivers immediate communications, which is perfect for flash sales and weather-dependent promotions. You can get your message to your audience at exactly the right time.

High Engagement

People are more responsive when they’re relaxed, on vacation, and open to spontaneity. Summer’s relaxed vibes mean that your audience is more likely to take you up on whatever it is that you’re offering.

Portability

Texts travel with your customers, whether they’re at the beach, a backyard BBQ, or on the road. That means you can reach them pretty much anytime, unlike email messages, which people tend to check much less frequently.

Personalization

Text messages are incredibly easy to segment, localize, and tailor to specific summer behaviors so you can get just the right message to each person.

However, don’t forget that SMS is more than a megaphone for your sales spiel. When used well, SMS doesn’t just drive clicks. It builds relationships, quickly, naturally, and right in your customer’s pocket. Ready to put SMS to work on your business’s behalf? We’ve got eight simple but creative ways to do just that.

8 Creative SMS Marketing Campaign Ideas for Summer

Let’s dive into the fun part: real ideas you can swipe, adapt, and use right now. Why reinvent the wheel? Customize these solutions for your business and audience and get the benefits of SMS marketing right now.

1. Flash Summer Sales & Limited-Time Offers

Summer is fleeting and that makes limited-time offers even more compelling. If you’ve got something hot that won’t be around for very long, SMS is the best way to get the word out. Send exclusive, text-only discounts to your customers to create urgency and drive immediate action. Frame it like a secret, the kind of thing you’d only share with insiders.

Tips:

• Use emojis to grab attention 🌞
• Make the deadline clear so there aren’t any unwanted surprises
• Add a trackable link to monitor clicks and conversions (because if you’re not tracking your results, you’ll never know what’s working and what’s not)

Explore our mass texting service →

2. Interactive SMS Polls & Surveys

People love being asked for their opinion, especially if it’s simple and fun. They want to feel involved and that their opinions matter. You can make them feel valued, seen, and involved, and then use their answers to fine-tune your offerings for better results down the road.

Use SMS to run quick summer-themed polls. You’ll increase engagement and gather valuable insights.

Why it works:

• It invites a quick response
• Gives you a direction to go that you know will be popular with your customers
• Builds a two-way conversation and makes your audience feel involved
• Helps guide your offers based on real-time feedback and genuine preferences

Learn more about 2-way SMS →

3. Personalized Weather-Based Promotions

Here’s where you get hyper-relevant. With weather-based SMS, you can send promotions tied to local forecasts. That lets you tailor your offerings to your audience’s specific experience. It makes your offer more immediate and impactful.

Use this for:

• Restaurants, ice cream shops, boba stands, cafés, and more
• Clothing retailers promoting summer wear
• Service providers with seasonal offerings (like A/C tune-ups)

When it’s hot, rainy, or stormy, you’ve got a reason to text and a reason for customers to act.

4. Summer-Themed Trivia & Contests

Gamify your marketing with trivia or giveaways. These messages tap into curiosity and offer a chance to win, without a huge lift on your part. Plus, they’re just plain fun and your audience will enjoy them.

Bonus ideas:

• Weekly trivia with small prizes
• Photo contests (ask customers to reply with pics of your product “in the wild”)
• “Guess the Song” or “Name That Summer Movie” challenges

Keep it playful, and your audience will stay tuned. You might be surprised at just how much interaction you get from them, too, which is great for boosting engagement rates and really keeping people involved and connected.

5. SMS VIP Access to Summer Events & Experiences

Throwing a summer bash, launching a product, or running a pop-up shop? Make your SMS subscribers feel special. Everyone wants to be part of the “select few”, the “in crowd”, or the first to know.

Best practices:

• Use RSVP tracking to manage attendance and plan your event for the number of people who’ll actually attend
• Send reminder texts as the event approaches so that those who RSVP remember to show up
• Follow up with a thank-you or exclusive after-event offer to keep your brand top of mind and double down on the vibes from the event

See how DialMyCalls makes RSVPs easy →

6. Partner with Local Businesses for Cross-Promotions

Summer’s all about community and SMBs can benefit by working with others in their local area to amplify their capabilities. Partner with a nearby café, boutique, or service provider to offer bundled deals or exclusive perks via text. A rising tide raises all boats and by working with another local business, you can each tap into the other’s audience for mutual benefits.

Why this works:

• Expands your reach well beyond your own audience
• Taps into local loyalty and helps build a sense of community and interconnectedness
• Makes SMS feel less like marketing and more like a friendly tip or a way for people to support the local economy

7. Summer Bucket List Campaigns

Get creative with a “bucket list” challenge. Text your customers a summer activity every week and reward those who check off items. This is engaging, but it’s also a fun way for people to be involved with your brand and with other customers. It creates a sense of connection and community, too.

It’s content + community + customer engagement, all in one campaign. And when you’re able to create a seamless, holistic experience, your customers will reward you with improved loyalty and advocacy.

8. Summer-Only Loyalty Perks

Summer’s fleeting. Make the most of it with limited-time offers. If you’ve got a loyalty program (or even a mailing list), use SMS to offer short-term summer rewards.

It’s a great way to reward your most engaged customers and keep them coming back in the heat. Plus, it ties into the sense that summer won’t last forever, putting a little extra demand in play for your offering.

How to Optimize Your Summer SMS Campaigns

• Time it Right
• Keep it Short and Sweet
• Use Strong CTAs
• Stay Compliant

Creative ideas are only half the game. You also need to make sure your campaigns are optimized for success. You can’t just send out random texts and expect to see success. Here’s how to make sure your messages actually land.

Time it Right

Timing is more important than you might realize. It’s not just about reaching your audience when they’re most receptive, either. It’s also about avoiding times when you’re not allowed to text as a business (usually in the evenings, at night, and the very early mornings).

• Late mornings and early afternoons (11 am–2 pm) often perform best in summer. Remember that people are on vacation and likely sleeping in and taking it easy.
• Avoid super early or late-night messages—people are on summer schedules. Plus, many states have specific rules when it comes to after-hours texting from businesses.

Keep it Short and Sweet

You’ve got a limited number of characters and even less attention span. Make every word count. Resist the urge to write long texts or multi-component texts. Spend some time strategizing to create short, punchy texts that get your message across in as few characters as possible. And don’t forget emojis can communicate more than words in many cases!

Use Strong CTAs

Don’t leave your audience hanging and don’t assume that they’re going to know off the bat what they’re supposed to do after the text. Tell them outright what you want them to do with a strong call to action.

• “Show this text”
• “Click to RSVP”
• “Reply YES to join”

Know what you want your audience to do and then make the action obvious, urgent, and easy.

Stay Compliant

While SMS can be a great way to connect with your audience, you need to follow the rules. There are strict laws about businesses messaging consumers: always get permission before texting, include opt-out instructions like “Reply STOP to unsubscribe.”, and review TCPA and CTIA guidelines to stay on the right side of regulations.

DialMyCalls helps you stay compliant →

Wrap It Up: Make This Summer Count

Summer’s short, but your engagement doesn’t have to be. SMS can help you build relationships that will last longer than summer’s heat and humidity.

With smart, seasonal SMS marketing, you can reach your customers in the moment and stay top of mind all season long. Whether you’re offering flash deals, inviting VIPs, or just adding a little sunshine to their day, text messaging makes it easy, fast, and personal.

Ready to take your summer marketing to the next level? Sign up for DialMyCalls and start crafting SMS campaigns that engage, convert, and delight.

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