It’s an important quarter for retailers, restauranteurs, aestheticians, and any customer-facing business with Valentine’s planning in full swing and Mother’s Day just around the corner. And with competition in the sector being fierce, it’s more important than ever to make an impression with your SMS campaign.
In short, it’s about creating something iconic, and timeless that everyone can root for and get behind – sort of like the Mamma Mia of SMS marketing.
Let’s take a deep dive into some ways that we can be creative and original with our SMS marketing plans this season.
I have a dream and it’s to reinvent SMS marketing
Let’s explore some innovative strategies to separate our campaigns from the rest.
Redefine your customer relationship
If you’ve been stuck in a transactional lull with your customer comms, it’s time to bring a new level of meaning to your relationship. By using the recipient’s name, referencing past purchases, or sending personalised recommendations based on their preferences, you make the message feel more like it’s meant especially for them.
No one wants to feel like a number in the crowd, so why not plan out a campaign that starts with an opt-in or a survey/ poll to find out where their interests lie and what they want to hear from your brand?
Mother’s Day is the perfect time to redefine the relationship with your customers because an opt-in will show that you’re aware of the mixed emotions surrounding this holiday, and you care about the impact that receiving these comms could have.
Time your SMS and nail the messaging
Timing is crucial in SMS marketing. Send messages at times when your audience is most likely to be receptive, for example, at peak shopping hours where internet traffic is at its highest, or in the days leading up to the big occasion.
If we’re looking for a way to be original, why not create a Mother’s Day SMS campaign that revolves around last-minute planning and organisation? A few days before, you could put together an exclusive sale event with a web page link that only drops via text, to create a bit of urgency. Or you could run a parallel SMS campaign that celebrates other family members and friends in a bold attempt to convert more sales not-related to Mother’s Day.
Either way, it’s not just about finding a time that suits your niche audience, it’s also about ensuring your messaging hits different and succeeds in winning over new business from a wider customer base.
Draw them in with offers and incentives
It’s a famous saying that everything has a price and so if your conversion rates aren’t what they used to be, your deals must be coming in below par. It’s not always about giving discount codes to new customers, it’s about looking after your loyal ones too.
You could explore secret sales for SMS subscribers only. Set up an SMS alert that gives customers an hour to shop your Mother’s Day product range at lower price point. Make an offer that they can’t refuse and combine this with a sense of exclusivity – there’s not much that’s worse than the fear of missing out.
Get creative with interactive content
What does your customer base say about you as a brand? Are they a fans of bold and edgy marketing or always looking to stay on top of the latest trend? It might be time to bring a bit of personality to your customer comms and see how they respond.
The best way to experiment with this is using two-way SMS. Why not give your customers the freedom to tell you what they’re thinking directly with incoming SMS? You could build your seasonal campaign around user-generated content with a challenge to share a photo and a one-word caption that captures their feelings about Mother’s Day. Or even incorporate simple interactive elements such as a weekly quiz or mood check – either way, empowering customers to respond to your messages could be the key to unlocking a deeper level of brand loyalty. Build a sense of interactivity and involvement with your brand that they can be proud of.
Play to your strengths
It’s all good and well coming up with a fresh concept and offering compelling incentives. But without a strong foundation of knowing your audience, and knowing what it is that they need and want from your brand, your SMS marketing strategy could be all or nothing.
Test out new ideas and push boundaries with customers but remember to track the performance of your campaigns so you can keep shaping your approach into the perfect fit. Segment your subscriber list and plan ahead with your seasonal campaigns to deliver a well-thought-out and well-timed SMS campaign.
Make the most of SMS alerts. These gentle nudges, such as reminders of upcoming deadlines or low-stock alerts, can help drive urgency and prompt conversions. And most importantly, keep texts short, sweet and easy to read, with clear links and buttons for customers to take action directly from their mobile phone.