What is SMS marketing? You're already familiar with SMS if you've ever watched the three grey dots in the messaging app window while you anxiously awaited a response. The acronym for short message service is SMS. Although an SMS is technically a text-only communication with up to 160 characters (as opposed to lengthier or more multimedia-rich messages), most people nowadays refer to all text messages with this abbreviation. SMS marketing is a business approach that uses text messages to engage customers and drive revenue. SMS marketing is a useful tool that businesses can use to promote new products, solicit feedback, remind people of important dates, share specials, and much more.