With Christmas fast emerging, and many of us already well into our festive shopping, you might think that you have every effective marketing form covered this Yuletide – but have you considered the massive impact that some carefully considered and well-timed SMS marketing could make?
Customers spend billions of pounds online and offline every Christmas, and with 44 per cent of shoppers admitting to making impulse buys at this time of year, and almost a third of them overspending due to being tempted by deals, you can still hook in even those who consider themselves to have done their Christmas shopping.
Why text message marketing makes so much sense
First of all, like email marketing, SMS marketing is an opt-in platform, so you can be sure that those who receive texts from you organisation really do want to hear from you. However, according to research, there’s also a more than four times greater likelihood of a given SMS being opened than a marketing email.
Not only are 98 per cent of marketing text messages opened by consumers, but most of them are read mere minutes after they are received. It certainly seems that if you want to cut through the mass of commercialised messages that customers are exposed to at this time of year, then text message marketing, such as that offered by Sendmode, could prove to be an ideal marketing strategy.
Remember, though, that improvements to the mobile web have made online purchases via mobile handsets far easier, so customers could be buying from you within seconds if you adopt a subtle and inviting approach
Proven techniques across the industries
There are certain SMS marketing methods that work well almost irrespective of your given industry. You could instil a sense of urgency in the reader by stating that a certain offer or promotion will only last for a short period of time or applies to a limited amount of stock.
Beyond that, there are ways of maximising the impact of every marketing text message that you send, by considering the way your given sector works. If your business is a restaurant, for example, offering discounts on certain food or drink can be a great way to upsell your products, particularly if the customer books a Christmas party with you.
If you run a gym, meanwhile, you could take pre-emptive advantage of the traditional post-Christmas guilt felt by customers who have somewhat overindulged themselves over the festive period, perhaps offering discounted gym membership if they sign up with a friend.
Text message marketing isn’t always about sales
Effective SMS marketing isn’t always about encouraging a purchase. Local councils, for instance, could issue SMS messages warning residents of certain dangerous weather situations, while health centres may inform users of the restricted Christmas opening times that may apply.
Nonetheless, there’s no denying the sheer power of SMS marketing for many of those firms wishing to reach into the burning pockets of their most receptive festive customers.
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