RCS Marketing Campaigns: Best Practices and Examples

RCS gives marketers something SMS never could: a branded, visual, interactive message in the customer's default messaging app. That power comes with responsibility — the inbox is personal, and a poorly designed campaign feels intrusive fast.

Design principles

• One message, one goal: buy, book, confirm or learn more — not all four.
• Lead with the image: it's what people see first, so make it clear on a small screen.
• Keep text short; let the card title and buttons do the work.
• Use two or three buttons at most, with specific labels ('Book a table', not 'Click here').
• Always write the SMS fallback version too.

Formats that work

• Single rich card: a launch, an offer or a reminder with one clear action.
• Carousel: three to five products, destinations or plans customers can swipe through.
• Suggested replies: quick answers that start a conversation ('Show me sizes', 'Talk to an advisor').
• Calendar and map actions: for events, appointments and store visits.

Campaign examples

1. Fashion retailer: a carousel of new-season items with 'Shop now' buttons, sent to customers who bought last season.
2. Travel agency: last-minute offers for the customer's favourite destination, with 'See dates' and 'Ask an expert'.
3. Fitness studio: class reminders with 'Confirm', 'Reschedule' and 'Add to calendar'.
4. Restaurant: weekend menu card with 'Book a table' and a map action.

Consent and frequency

Treat RCS marketing like SMS marketing under European rules: send only to people who opted in, identify yourself clearly and make opting out easy. Cap frequency, and use behaviour — not the calendar — to decide when to send.

A great RCS campaign looks less like an ad and more like a helpful message from a brand you trust.

Measure and iterate

Track delivery, read rate, button clicks, replies and conversions per variant. Test one variable at a time — image, headline or button label — and roll the winner out to the full audience.