SMS Marketing ROI for a Moroccan e-commerce: Crypto Case Study

The number one leverage of a store (PrestaShop, Shopify or WooCommerce) is the loyalty of its existing database. Sending SMS campaigns is often perceived as “too expensive” compared to email. To overcome this bias, here is a financial model illustrating the true Return on Investment (ROI) of a typical campaign.

(Note: This case study is an illustrative model based on the standard conversion parameters of the e-commerce retail (Prêt-à-porter/Cosmétique) sector in Morocco.)

• Activity: Online clothing shop delivering to Morocco (Amana / Aramex).
• Contact Base (Opt-in): 15 000 Moroccan customers who have already purchased at least once (Numeros válides).
• Average basket: 450 MAD (Typical of the fashion industry).
• The Campaign: Flash Sale "Mid-Season Sale: -20% for 48 hours", containing a promo code and a short tracking link (bit.ly).
• The Channel: A single reset via the B2B SMS API with an Official Sender ID.

The SMS budget is the only direct expense of this operation. Using the Starter rate with a validated Sender ID (0.65 MAD per SMS) : - Cost per SMS (1 segment of 160 characters) = 0.65 MAD - Base of sending = 15 000 contacts. - Total Investment (Campagne Cost) = 9 750 MAD.

For a store accustomed to the free of charge of Mailchimp, getting out 9 750 MAD at once seems to be a risk.

Let’s apply prudent conversion benchmarks, specific to SMS:

1. Send and Open: The SMS Open Rate flies 98%. Approximately 14,700 people see the offer on their screen in an hour.2. CTR: The SMS being read immediately, the action is strong. Let’s take a click rate of 12% (which is realistic with a strong offer of -20%). -> Traffic generated on the site: 1,744 unique visitors.3. E-commerce Conversion Rate: On these 1,744 visitors (which are existing and hot customers), let’s apply a moderate conversion rate of 2,5% (the standard being more often close to 3 or 4% on a qualified basis

• Number of orders: 44
• Average basket (after the 20% discount applied, say 360 MAD net): 360 MAD
• Gross generated turnover: 15 840 MAD.

Return on Investment (ROI Marketing): - Gross Profit = 15 840 (CA) - 9 750 (SMS Cost) = 6 090 MAD. - ROI (%) = (15 840 - 9 750) / 9 750 x 100 = 62% of ROI.

For every dirham invested in the SMS platform, the store generated about 1.6 dirhams of turnover, in just 48 hours. and this calculation doesn’t even take into account the “Brand Awareness” generated from the 13,000 customers who didn’t buy that day, but who revisited the brand name.

This model demonstrates why email (even if it generates a good relative ROI because it’s free) isn’t enough to make absolute boost sales volume.

To replicate these results, you need: 1. Clear your base: Do not pay for sending to numbers that have not been purchasing for more than 3 years. 2. Track clicks: Always add settings ?utm_source=sms_October at the end of your links so your Google Analytics can prove you exactly how many Dirhams have been generated by the operation.3. Shorten and beat: Avoid the 300-character SMS that will charge you 2 segments per customer, immediately doubling the campaign cost (19 500 MAD here, more than the turnover generated).