SMS Marketing Tools in Odoo 18
By Braincuber Team
Published on December 29, 2025
Retail store launching flash sale creates customer reach disaster: 5000 email subscribers but 60 percent never open emails requiring alternative communication channel, manual SMS sending through personal phone texting 200 VIP customers individually consuming 6 hours typing same flash sale message creating consistency errors and typos, no delivery tracking causing uncertainty whether 200 messages sent successfully or bounced to invalid numbers, missed scheduling sending flash sale SMS 2 PM instead of planned 9 AM when customers commuting to work reducing response 70 percent from poor timing, no click tracking preventing measurement which offer link 30OFF versus FLASH40 generates more conversions leaving optimization guesswork, and no mailing list segmentation sending same generic message to all 5000 contacts ignoring VIP customers want exclusive offers while bargain hunters want discounts—generating low engagement wasted messaging budget poor conversion and missed revenue from disorganized SMS marketing without automated campaign management audience segmentation and performance analytics.
Odoo 18 SMS Marketing enables targeted mobile campaigns through mailing list management organizing contacts by customer segments, bulk SMS sending reaching thousands simultaneously, campaign scheduling optimizing send times for maximum engagement, link tracking measuring click-through rates for campaign effectiveness, A/B testing comparing message variations to optimize content, delivery status monitoring tracking sent delivered bounced messages, character counter preventing unexpected multi-part SMS costs, blacklist management respecting opt-out requests for compliance, CRM integration sending SMS from customer records, and pivot reporting analyzing campaign performance by sent date mailing list and status—increasing SMS engagement 45 percent through targeted segmentation reducing campaign execution time 90 percent via bulk sending improving conversion 35 percent through A/B optimization and ensuring GDPR compliance through automated blacklist management achieving cost-effective high-impact mobile marketing through systematic SMS campaign orchestration.
SMS Marketing Features: Mailing lists, Bulk sending, Scheduling, Link tracking, A/B testing, Delivery monitoring, Character counter, Blacklist management, CRM integration, Campaign reporting, Opt-out compliance
Accessing SMS Marketing Module
- Go to Apps
- Search for SMS Marketing
- Click Install (if not installed)
- Module appears in main menu
SMS Marketing Dashboard
Campaign overview with key metrics:
Dashboard Columns:
- Title: Campaign name (e.g., Black Friday Flash Sale)
- Recipients: Target audience (Individual contacts or Mailing list)
- Responsible: Campaign manager
- Sent: Number of messages delivered
- Clicked (%): Link click-through rate showing engagement
- Bounced (%): Failed delivery percentage
- Status: Draft, In Queue, Sending, Sent
View Types:
Kanban View
Card-based layout grouped by status for visual workflow management
List View
Structured table format for quick campaign overview and sorting
Graph View
Graphical representation analyzing campaign effectiveness trends
Calendar View
Timeline showing scheduled campaigns for planning coordination
Creating SMS Campaign
Campaign Setup:
- Go to SMS Marketing → SMS Marketing
- Click New
- Enter Title: Black Friday Coupon
- Select Recipients:
- Individual Contact: Single recipient
- Mailing List: Group of contacts
- If Mailing List selected choose list (e.g., VIP Customers)
SMS Content Tab:
Message Composition:
- Enter SMS message text
- Character counter shows:
- Total characters used
- SMS units consumed (160 chars = 1 SMS)
- Cost estimation based on units
- Add trackable links for click measurement
- Use dynamic fields (recipient name, company) for personalization
Example: Hi recipient_name, Flash Sale! 40% OFF everything today only. Shop now: short_link Use code FLASH40. Expires midnight!
A/B Testing Configuration:
Testing Message Variations:
- Enable A/B Tests checkbox
- Create variation A: 30% OFF code SAVE30
- Create variation B: 40% OFF code FLASH40
- Set test audience: 20% of total list
- Winning variation sent to remaining 80%
- Measure which generates higher clicks
Settings Tab:
- Responsible: Campaign manager user
- Send Time: Schedule date and time
- Link Tracking: Enable click measurement
- Opt-Out Management: Include unsubscribe option
Sending SMS Campaigns
Send Options:
Send Immediately
- Click Send button
- Confirmation popup appears
- Click Confirm
- Status changes Draft → Sent
- Messages dispatched instantly
Schedule
- Click Schedule button
- Calendar popup opens
- Select date and time
- Click Save
- Status changes Draft → In Queue
- Auto-sends at scheduled time
Test
- Click Test button
- Enter test phone number
- Click Send to Dispatch
- Verify SMS appearance
- Check formatting and links
Optimal Send Times:
- 9-11 AM: Morning commute high mobile usage
- 12-1 PM: Lunch break peak engagement
- 6-8 PM: Evening relaxation strong response
- Avoid: Early morning (before 8 AM) late night (after 9 PM)
- Weekend: Saturday 10 AM - 2 PM optimal
Mailing List Management
Creating Mailing List:
- Go to SMS Marketing → Mailing Lists → Mailing Lists
- Click New
- Enter Name: VIP Customers
- Optional settings:
- Public List: Enable if subscription form needed
- Blacklist: Auto-exclude opt-out contacts
- Click Save
Adding Contacts to List:
- Go to Mailing Lists → Mailing List Contacts
- Click New
- Enter contact details:
- Name
- Email address
- Phone number (required for SMS)
- Tags (e.g., VIP, Bargain Hunter, New Customer)
- Click Mailing List tab
- Add to VIP Customers list
- Click Save
Segmentation Examples:
| List Name | Criteria | Message Type |
|---|---|---|
| VIP Customers | Lifetime value over 5K | Exclusive early access offers |
| New Customers | First purchase within 30 days | Welcome series product tips |
| Inactive Members | No purchase 6 months | Win-back special discount |
| Local Customers | Within 25 miles | In-store events flash sales |
Campaign Reporting
Accessing Reports:
- Go to SMS Marketing → Reporting
- Switch to Pivot View for detailed analysis
- Configure rows and columns
Key Metrics Measured:
Sent
Messages dispatched
Delivered
Successfully received
Bounced
Failed delivery
Clicked
Link engagement
Opened
Message viewed
Pending
Awaiting processing
Performance Analysis Example:
Campaign: Black Friday Flash Sale
- Sent: 5000 messages
- Delivered: 4850 (97% delivery rate)
- Bounced: 150 (3% bounce rate - invalid numbers)
- Clicked: 1455 (30% click-through rate)
- Conversions: 291 sales (20% conversion of clicks)
- Revenue: 14,550 dollars at 50 dollar average order
- Cost: 250 dollars SMS fees
- ROI: 5720% (14,300 profit on 250 investment)
Filtering and Grouping
Analyze campaigns by various dimensions:
Filter Options:
- Sent Date: Last 7 days, This month, Custom range
- A/B Tests: Only A/B test campaigns
- A/B Tests to Review: Tests awaiting winner selection
- Archived: View completed campaigns
- Custom Filters: Create complex criteria
Group By Options:
- Status: Draft, In Queue, Sending, Sent
- Sent By: Responsible user
- Mailing List: Target audience segment
- Sent Period: Day, Week, Month, Quarter
Blacklist Management
Compliance with opt-out requests:
Accessing Blacklist:
- Go to SMS Marketing → Configuration → Blacklisted Phone Numbers
- View all opt-out phone numbers
- Manually add numbers if requested
Automatic Blacklisting:
When customer replies with STOP or UNSUBSCRIBE system automatically adds number to blacklist. Future campaigns skip blacklisted numbers preventing unwanted messages and ensuring compliance.
Legal Compliance: GDPR and TCPA require honoring opt-out requests. Blacklist management ensures legal compliance preventing fines up to 20M euros for GDPR violations or 1500 dollars per message for TCPA violations. Always respect customer preferences.
Link Tracking
Measure campaign effectiveness through click tracking:
Configuration:
- Go to SMS Marketing → Configuration → Link Tracker
- View all tracked links from campaigns
- See click statistics per link
Link Shortening:
Long URLs consume SMS characters increasing costs. Odoo automatically shortens links saving characters. Example: www.yourstore.com/products/black-friday-sale-2024 becomes short.link/bf24 saving 45 characters.
Best Practices
Keep Messages Under 160 Characters to Minimize Cost: 161-character SMS equals 2 SMS units doubling cost. One extra character costs 2X. Craft concise messages using abbreviations: percent not percent, dollars not dollars, today not this evening. 160-character discipline reduces SMS costs 40 percent through single-unit messages.
Segment by Customer Behavior Not Just Demographics: Generic Dear Customer message to all 5000 equals low relevance. VIP customers receiving same bargain message as price-sensitive shoppers dilutes both. Segment by purchase history: VIPs get exclusive early access, bargain hunters get deep discounts, inactive get win-back offers. Behavior-based segmentation increases conversion 3X through relevance.
A/B Test Send Times Not Just Message Content: Testing only message wording ignores timing impact. Same message 9 AM versus 9 PM generates 50 percent engagement difference. Test send time variations: Morning commute, Lunch break, Evening relaxation. Optimal timing increases response 45 percent beyond message optimization alone.
Conclusion
Odoo 18 SMS Marketing enables targeted mobile campaigns through mailing list segmentation bulk sending campaign scheduling link tracking A/B testing delivery monitoring and blacklist management. Increase engagement 45 percent through targeted segmentation reduce execution time 90 percent via bulk automation improve conversion 35 percent through A/B optimization ensure GDPR compliance through opt-out respect achieving cost-effective high-impact mobile marketing through systematic SMS campaign orchestration integrated with CRM for personalized customer communication driving immediate action through direct mobile reach.
