Prepare for the 2024 sales with an SMS marketing campaign
Romain Didelot
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Introduction
SMS is a formidable advertising tool. And when it comes to developing a strategy for advertising sales, it simply can't be beaten. With its unbeatable open rate and return on investment, SMS has already won over a huge number of brands, stores and e-commerce sites. Find out how you too can boost your sales for the 2024 summer sales, thanks to the potential of SMS marketing.
The benefits of SMS for sales
- In France, 95% of the population has a cell phone. This means that SMS marketing can reach all groups of people.
- SMS can not only boost your traffic, but also your sales! The conversion rate of SMS is on average 3x higher than that of e-mail.
- Text messages are opened 5 times more than emails. It also has a 97% read rate. Not an insignificant figure, given the number of solicitations received by consumers in the run-up to the sales season.
- High speed, both in sending and in opening. 90% of SMS messages are read within 4 minutes of receipt.
- Maximum personalization (Sender ID and variables). Support the feeling of a real relationship (first name, last purchase, size preselection...).
- An effective promotional and conversion tool. The information is crystal-clear, and the possibilities endless: link insertion, CTAs, landing pages, maps...
- Easily integrate SMS into your marketing tools. With our services, plug-ins, API or cloud platform, you can benefit from a new channel at the best price in just a few seconds.
As you can see, SMS is the ideal medium for clear, powerful communication in the run-up to the sales period. But it can also be a way of attracting people into a store or online before the big day for a private sale. It's more comfortable for consumers and more likely to provoke an additional purchase. In fact, private sales account for 20% of total sales during promotional periods. The marketing campaign should therefore start before the sales.
To give yourself the best chance of success, here are a few ways to prepare for this moment.
Preparing for the 2024 summer sales
The 2024 summer sales run from Wednesday June 26 to Tuesday July 23, 2024 . The run-up to these sales gives you the opportunity to strengthen your bond with loyal customers and re-engage inactive ones. With SMS as a means of reaching them, you can take advantage of the few weeks before the sales to re-establish communication between consumers and your store:
Offer gifts
Take advantage of an SMS campaign to offer your customers something extra to make them feel appreciated: early access to available products, an invitation to a special event or a discount on their purchase.
Create an emulation
Encourage your customers to promote you by offering them a gift or discount for each referral/account creation. This will also help you increase your target base.
Do not hesitate to tease on your social networks
Why not reveal to your subscribers the benefits your members enjoy? This can create a healthy frustration that will drive new consumers to sign up or come to your shop/website once the offer is available to everyone.
Send your wishes
The winter sales follow on from the end-of-year festivities. Test the receptiveness of your campaigns by wishing your contact groups a Happy New Year and thanking them for their loyalty.
Examples of SMS for sales
Save time and make sure your messages are clear and punchy before D-Day. These examples can be used as a reference and adapted to your brand. Get a clear idea of the structure, tone and calls to action to include in your SMS messages to maximize their impact on recipients.
See more examples for sales and other commercial events
Examples:
[SenderID]
Only X days left to take advantage of Y% off the entire store!
Click here [URL] to see the best-selling items and make your choice.
STOP 36123
[SenderID]
Haven't taken advantage of our SUMMER SALES yet?
Last chance!
Take advantage of X% today. Visit [URL] to take advantage!
STOP 36123
"131 characters
"126 characters
[SenderID]
Shop at [Company] today and get a GIFT worth up to €X with your purchase.
Valid on all items on sale during the SALES!!!
Use [CODE] at checkout!
STOP 36123
"189 characters
3 key figures for your SMS marketing strategy
- In France, the threshold triggering a purchase is a 50% price reduction for more than 1 in 4 consumers (BONIAL study). #timing
- Personalised content converts 2x more than traditional messages (Marketing charts). #perso
- The volume of commercial SMS tripled (+210%) during the 2019-2020 winter sales (smsmode©️). #original
7 tips for a successful SMS campaign for the sales
With the start of the sales season fast approaching, it's time to add SMS to your communication strategy. Here are a few things you can do to make your SMS messages ultra-effective.
1. Launch separate campaigns, starting with loyal consumers
An SMS is 160 characters, so you need to be particularly catchy with few words. Start with a group of contacts, see what kind of messages work and repeat the winning communication.
The statistics from your first mobile campaign will enable you to assess engagement, which will enable you to refine your message for subsequent campaigns and maximize your chances of seeing customers flock to your store or e-commerce site. You don't need to have huge segments - this test works just as well for large retailers as it does for an independent store.
2. Simplify the buying act (Drive-to-web and Drive-to-store)
Impressed by the SMS conversion rate? That of RCS is 2x higher!
Use this new mobile messaging channel to send a multimedia message, highlighting your website's most popular products. Send a product carousel, attach buttons leading directly to a page on your site, and take advantage of express in app payment options to encourage maximum purchase action.
Do you have a physical store? Set up online reservations by using our landing page editor and announce it by text message! It's a great way to encourage purchases and drive customers to your store. Give your customers the opportunity to reserve available items, check size availability, or find out in advance about special offers.
Our documentation will show you the power of attraction of SMS coupled with a mobile web page, and how it can be integrated into a multimedia strategy.
3. Personalize your SMS
4. Offer your customers exclusive SMS offers
Offer exclusive discounts and promotions by SMS to your most loyal customers. For example :
"Get an extra 10% off by showing this SMS."
"SMS Exclusive: Save £10 when you buy this weekend via this link"
" Take advantage of an outlet price reserved for our loyal customers with : [CODE] "
They have to be offers that your customer can't find anywhere else, these SMS exclusives give people a reason to stay on your contact list, and they also allow you to calculate the return on investment of your campaigns.
5. Inform your customers about promotions not to be missed
If you're planning a flash operation, let your potential buyers know before the products are available. That way, they can be sure they'll be there to buy at the right time. Are some of your best-sellers about to go on sale? Stimulate desire and play on limited availability, your communication will surely stay in your target's mind once the sales are over, and you'll increase your sales.
You can also offer a reminder when the private sales are approaching. For example: "Next Monday is the opening of the private sales at My Company! Click here to be notified.
💡 Add any customer who clicks on the link to a new contact group and send a reminder on D-Day.
6. Use interactive content to generate interest and information
In 2022, 87% of French people will own a smartphone (statista data). Why not make the most of this opportunity? Take advantage of the excellent conversion offered by multimedia messages. Take advantage of images, buttons and carousels in your RCS campaigns, or use SMS response for quizzes and surveys.
For example:
How do you like this product: 👍, 👎, ❤️
"Which offer would you like to see sold soon: A, B or C?".
You are asking your customer to engage in a fun and playful way, so you are more likely to get valuable information and data while creating desire in your prospects.
You can also offer a reminder when the private sales are approaching. For example: "Next Monday is the opening of the private sales at My Company! Click here to be notified.
💡 Add any customer who clicks on the link to a new contact group and send a reminder on D-Day.
7. Send bulk SMS messages at the right time
It may depend on your sector, but generally speaking, early morning or mid-day are often good times for SMS marketing campaigns. Your customer is more likely to be available, and you'll be able to grab their attention. The offer is also a factor that can influence the time of sending. Does your store offer food products? A message before noon can totally hit the spot.
ℹ️ Don't forget to respect the legal dispatch times (8am to 8pm, Monday to Saturday, excluding public holidays).
You now have all the keys to make mobile messaging your number one asset for the upcoming sales. Are you ready? Now it's your turn!
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