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Published on Jun 26, 2025

The Future of E-commerce Marketing Is SMS + Email – Together

Written by Katie Samuelson

SMS

Email isn’t dead. SMS isn’t a fad. But the days of managing them separately are over. The future of ecommerce marketing is smarter, faster, and more integrated — and it starts by bringing email and SMS together into one unified strategy. Here's why top DTC brands are shifting now, and how you can stay ahead.

The Old Way: Siloed Marketing Channels

For years, e-commerce marketing looked like this:

  • Use email for promos, newsletters, and automations
  • Use SMS for urgency or last-minute blasts
  • Manage them in different platforms
  • Cross fingers they don’t overlap or annoy your customer

That setup led to:

  • Confusing, disjointed messaging
  • List fatigue and unsubscribes
  • Wasted time managing separate flows and segments
  • Frustrated shoppers who feel spammed

It’s not just inefficient — it’s costing you sales.

Consumer Behavior Has Changed — Your Marketing Stack Should Too

Today’s shoppers:

  • Expect personalization
  • Bounce between devices and channels
  • Want fast, relevant communication — not duplicate blasts
  • Are more protective of their inboxes and phone numbers

To meet that standard, brands need coordinated conversations, not channel-based campaigns.


Why SMS + Email Work Better Together

When used in sync, SMS and email don’t compete — they amplify each other:

Real Results from Blended Campaigns

Fact: Brands that combine email and SMS in coordinated flows see up to 2x higher conversion ratesand 30–40% more revenue from lifecycle campaigns.

Why?

  • SMS gets instant attention
  • Email gives room to educate and upsell

Together, they create timely, trusted touchpoints that drive action.

Why the Right Platform Matters

Here's the problem:Most ecommerce brands are still using separate platforms for email and SMS.

That means:

  • Duplicated work
  • Disconnected data
  • Double the cost
  • Risk of sending mixed messages

The Privy Approach: One Platform, Unified Messaging

We rebuilt Privy to help lean ecommerce teams do more with less — without sacrificing performance.

What You Can Do With Privy:

  • Launch prebuilt flows with both SMS + email
  • Use a single contact list with shared segments
  • Schedule coordinated campaigns
  • Track results in one dashboard
  • Ensure legal compliance across both channels

No switching tools. No duplicated effort. No missed opportunities.


What’s Next: Smarter, Simpler, Automated

The future of e-commerce marketing isn’t more tools — it’s better orchestration.

  • One brand message across every channel
  • Automated journeys, not one-off blasts
  • Segments that adapt to behavior, not static lists
  • Fewer tools, less stress, better ROI

Ready to unify your email and SMS strategy?

Get started with Privy — one platform to run your e-commerce marketing smarter.

Writen by Katie Samuelson

Katie is the VP of Marketing at Privy.

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