TL;DR
- SMS works best as follow-up channel, not primary outreach — 2nd or 3rd touch
- Channel ranking: Direct Mail > Cold Calling > Skip Trace > SMS (8020REI recommendation)
- Standard sequence: Mail Day 1 → SMS Day 7 → Call Day 14 → Mail Day 21
- Track attribution across channels — many deals touch multiple channels
- Know when to drop SMS entirely
SMS Position in Sequence
Why SMS Works Better as Follow-Up:
- Consent is cleaner — following up to your own mail creates defensible relationship
- Response rates higher — mail recipients respond 3-5x more than cold SMS
- Carrier filtering lower — messages referencing prior contact look less like spam
- Cost per deal improves — smaller volume to warmer targets
Where SMS Fails as Primary: - Lowest response rates of any channel - Highest TCPA exposure - Highest carrier filtering - No brand building
Client Results
“We tried SMS-first and got 0.5% response. Switched to mail-first-then-SMS and response jumped to 4%. Same list, same messaging — just different sequence.”
— Atlanta investor, 45 deals/year
Sample Sequences
Basic (Mail + SMS): Day 1: Mail → Day 7: SMS → Day 21: Mail → Day 28: SMS
Full (Mail + SMS + Call): Day 1: Mail → Day 7: SMS → Day 14: Call → Day 21: Mail → Day 28: SMS → Day 35: Call → Day 45: Mail
Trigger-Based SMS
Send based on actions, not calendar: - Mail delivery confirmed → SMS 2-3 days later - Voicemail left → SMS follow-up - Website visit from mail → SMS with question - Appointment missed → SMS reschedule
Attribution Tracking
Track the full journey: - First Touch: Which channel made initial contact? - Last Touch: Which channel got the response? - Multi-Touch: What sequence led to the deal?
Use the [Unified Campaign Calculator](/resources/campaign-calculator) to model blended channel economics.
When to Drop SMS Entirely
Exit if: - Filter rates exceed 40% - Response rates below 0.5% - TCPA threat received - High opt-out rates (3%+) - Market saturation
Alternatives: Increase mail frequency, add cold calling, improve list quality (AI-targeted).