Why Companies Are Switching From SMS Texts to Calendar Reminders tips and tricks

When businesses think about getting people to show up for an event or appointment, SMS reminders are usually the go-to. It makes sense — text messages seem to feel instant and personal. But for many businesses, SMS has become an expensive habit that isn’t always delivering the return they’ve come to expect.

That’s where calendar reminders come in.

The Problem: SMS Costs Adding Up

Here’s a little example: a marketing manager at a fitness studio started running weekly online classes. To keep members engaged, her team began to send reminder texts the day before each class to remind people to show up.

And it worked, meaning people showed up, but the bill for this service just kept climbing. On average, it costs $0.01 to $0.05 per SMS text message sent. 

Which means:

• 500 members × $0.03 per text = $15 per class
• Weekly reminders = $60 per month
• Yearly spend = $720

And that was just for one series of classes. As the studio added more sessions, SMS quickly became one of the biggest line items in their budget.

The Cost of Calendar Reminders

Calendar reminders flip the script. Instead of paying every time you send a message, you deliver a one-time calendar event that sits directly in your attendee’s digital calendar (Google, Outlook, Apple, etc.). From there, the calendar system automatically triggers notifications before the event — at no extra cost out of your own pocket.

That means:

• 1,000 attendees = $0 per reminder
• Weekly reminders = $0 per month
• Annual total = $0

No per-message charges. No scaling costs as your audience grows.

This is where a digital subscription calendar becomes powerful — attendees follow your calendar once and get every event update automatically on their own calendar, without the repeated cost of SMS.

The Switch: Calendar Reminders

Instead of paying for every message, the studio tried using AddEvent’s Add to Calendar links and buttons. Now, when members sign up for a class, they can add it straight to their own digital calendar — Google, Apple, Outlook, or whatever they use most.

From there, the calendars did all the heavy lifting:

• Automatic notifications before class started
• No ongoing cost per reminder
• Class links and details right where members needed them

And because the studio also used a subscription calendar, it was easy for their class attendees to follow the studio’s dynamic calendar and see new and updated events automatically reflected on their own. For even more reach, they shared this calendar link directly in emails and embedded it on their website, so members could quickly add upcoming classes in one click!

The Results: Same Impact, Lower Cost

Thanks to these integrated reminders, class attendance stayed strong — but costs dropped to almost nothing. Now, with calendar reminders, the studio no longer has to pay for each nudge. And members actually preferred this too, since the reminders popped up right when they were supposed to get ready, not buried in a text thread from the day before.

One member even said, “I used to forget to check my texts, but I always remember to check my calendar. Now I never miss a class.”

Why More Teams Are Making the Change

The fitness studio isn’t alone. We’ve seen the same story play out with:

• Nonprofits hosting recurring donor events
• SaaS companies running monthly webinars
• Universities coordinating orientation schedules

In each case, SMS was eating into set budgets. Calendar reminders gave them the same results — without the constant cost.

For organizations that run ongoing programs, AddEvent’s subscription calendar takes things further. Instead of sending multiple links or reminders, audiences can subscribe once and always stay up to date. Some businesses even embed a calendar for their website, making it easy for visitors to see what’s coming up and subscribe instantly.

If you’re collecting responses for events, you can pair this with a free RSVP website or an event RSVP tool. That way, people can RSVP online, then automatically add the confirmed event to their calendar.

SMS Still Has a Role

That doesn’t mean SMS is useless. For last-minute changes or urgent alerts, a text can cut through the noise. But for regular event reminders, calendar notifications are more scalable, cost-effective, and reliable.

But if you’re relying on SMS alone, you might be paying more than you need to. Calendar reminders don’t just save money — they meet people where they’re already looking: their calendars.

Want to see how your team can cut SMS costs while keeping attendance high? Start with AddEvent today.

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