When used correctly, SMS marketing can elevate your online or offline retail store. That’s because it allows you to improve brand awareness, generate more leads, and build brand loyalty.
So, are you maximizing your SMS marketing’s potential?
If you’re searching for ways to leverage a solid SMS marketing campaign for your business, then read on. This post will walk you through several tips and tricks that will allow you to maximize your retail business’ marketing campaigns.
What is Retail SMS Marketing?
Retail SMS marketing is an excellent channel that marketers can utilize when marketing their brand. SMS can quickly boost brand awareness, improve customer experience, and enhance customer retention.
It is also an important customer engagement strategy as it has 6-8x higher engagement than email with a 32% response rate.
It also allows you to engage with your customers every step of their purchasing journey. Doing so can help drive traffic to your e-commerce business and improve sales. SMS marketing is also an excellent way to enhance customer experience and foster brand loyalty.
Benefits of SMS Marketing in Retail
SMS marketing helps facilitate a great retail experience, growing your brand in many convenient ways. Here’s how SMS marketing can boost your e-commerce conversions:
- Easy to drive customers to take action.
- The call-to-action in SMS helps you improve customer experience.
- High coupon redemption rate with a 98% open rate.
- Extremely cost-effective.
- It supports other marketing channels such as social media and email.
- Allowing you to have two-way communication with customers.
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12 Ways Online Retailers can SMS Marketing to Boost Revenue
SMS marketing goes beyond improving your sales. You can use this tactic to connect with your customers and encourage conversions.
That said, here are 12 actionable ways that retail business owners can use SMS marketing:
1. Use for customer acquisition
It may not look like it, but SMS marketing can help you with customer acquisition. That’s because it allows you to establish personal connections with prospective customers.
The thing is, new customers will more likely notice every time they get a text message from you. More so, if you messaged them about an abandoned cart or an unused store credit card.
2. Build your mobile list
Now, before you can send out text messages, you first need to have a contacts database. With email, all you need to do is ask our audience if they want to opt in to get SMS updates.
Ask your customer to text a keyword to your shortcode, usually containing a five or six-digit number. Then, you can start building your contact list. You can use other forms of media as well. A great strategy boosts your opt-in rate by offering a gift like a report or product discounts.
You can also ask your audience about the specific hours that they prefer to receive the text messages. Make sure that you know about their time zone as well. That way, you’ll see how you can schedule your SMS campaigns accordingly.
3. Text customers with your special offers
Do you regularly hold sales and other offers? Make sure that your customers know by sending them a text! Your message will be guaranteed to be read. So let them know that you’re holding a sale, so they know when to take advantage of it, as well as how much money you’ll be saving.
Remember that your customers want to feel that they’re special. So make them feel as if they’re part of an exclusive club. Send them exclusive offers via text that you’re not advertising on any other marketing platform or website.
According to Marketing Profs, this is called “positive disruption.” It’s when you’re sending exclusive yet essential offers through text.
4. Send shipping notifications and alerts
Another way to enhance customer experience is to send shipping notifications and alerts. This is a simple way of adding value to the customer experience with no additional cost.
A great thing about this is that it’s a non-intrusive way to connect with customers. It also decreases inbound customer contact for order inquiries.
5. Upsell via SMS
Upselling can also be particularly effective. Once the customer receives the product, you can send a follow-up text asking how they enjoy it.
Afterward, you can direct them with special offers on accessories and other related items to your store.
6. Develop customer loyalty programs
With SMS, you can easily set up a customer loyalty program. Data shows that repeat customers are spending approximately 67% more than first-time customers.
You can also provide exclusive offers like flash sales, first access to newly launched products, or members events only.
By using custom fields, you can ensure that your messages are customers so that the subscriber feels valued. This is vital since most customers will more likely purchase from a store that they recognize by name.
Offers should also be made based on past purchases, or you at least know their purchase history.
7. Promote any social events and offers
Another way to get more people to look at your products is to get them in your space. This marketing strategy comes with a couple of hidden benefits.
As a retailer, you have one of the best event planning necessities, and that is the space in your retail shop. So, make sure you partner with local restaurants in your area or event that draws more people and take in the bonus ads.
The good part is that it is a lot easier to send out invites and reminders with SMS marketing. You can even monitor who is checking your event through link tracking and giving them that extra nudge.
8. Collect customer feedback
As a marketer, you always have to know what your customers are talking about. You need to be aware of customer reviews (whether positive or negative) and their feedback.
Unless you know what your customers think about your products and services, you’ll never be able to proceed with the production.
SMS marketing can also be an excellent way to collect feedback from your customers. There are even some text messaging services that let you develop multi-question feedback loops.
So, make sure that you gather feedback so that you’ll know what your customers think about your brand and business.
9. Convert abandoned cart
Abandoned carts have been a growing issue in a lot of retailers these days. While online shoppers have given you their mobile numbers, you can still send them a reminder via SMS every time they abandon their online carts.
This helps support any banner retargeting, as well as email campaigns that you have in place. This helps plug the gap when your customers go offline.
Your text should also include a free delivery code. Another idea is to send personalized SMS vouchers that customers can use to enjoy a discount. These features are not only easy to use but also relatively simple to create.
10. Notify customers about new season stocks
Everyone has their favorite brands, but not everyone has the time to figure out what they’re up to and the products they’re planning to launch.
SMS marketing is a great way to keep your customers in the loop. You can showcase your new product launches, sales, and new season stocks to your prospective and existing customers.
Customers who opted into your SMS campaign might be expecting it. Remember that we don’t always get what we want until we see it.
11. Highlight returns policy
When you make the sales cycle transparent for your customers, they’re more likely to experience the level of service you want to deliver
While many of us make online purchases, there will be times that certain products might not simply be suitable for some people.
That’s why having a straightforward returns policy is crucial for e-commerce businesses. When you encounter a customer who wants to return a product now, then they’ll have a much better chance of returning for purchase in the future if your returns policy is quick and easy.
12. Follow up on e-commerce sales
Building relationships with your customers is not just what goes on before a sale. In fact, if you want to create a loyal following. Doing so can help our e-commerce business to generate repeat purchases and new referrals.
Usually, few and far between will be those companies who follow up with you after a sale. SMS is a great platform that will communicate your after-sales messages.
There are several ways in which you can do an after-sales follow-up. One great strategy is to let them know that you are shipping out their order and sending the shipping tracker number.
You can also add an SMS opt-in to your shopping cart during checkout. That way, customers would know that you’ll be sending them an alert when you ship out and deliver their package.
Over to You
SMS marketing helps you grow your e-commerce business in a way that some strategies could not. This includes connecting with your customers, enhancing their experience, and fostering brand loyalty.
We hope this has sparked a couple of ideas to make your SMS marketing a vital part of your online store’s overall promotion strategy. If you’re interested in more information on how to use SMS Marketing in Retail, read our Complete Guide to SMS Marketing for Retailers
