The holidays are important to all types of businesses due to the rise in gift shopping. Many companies use this time to introduce seasonal deals to encourage more sales. While your marketing strategy in-store and online are valuable, introducing SMS techniques can increase your sales even further. Check out some of our holiday SMS ideas for Black Friday and beyond.
Grow Your Loyalty Program and Contact List
As you gear up for the holidays, you need to build up your contact list by advertising opt-in for your texts. You can advertise your text list in-store with checkout ads and reminders from staff. You can also use your marketing emails, website and social media platforms to spread the word. The greater visibility your SMS number has, the more effective your Black Friday SMS ideas will be.
Promote Holiday Sales
With a complete list of contacts, you’re ready to start promoting holiday sales.
Keep customers excited about your products with text-exclusive promotions and coupons. You might offer “buy one, get one” deals or a generous discount. You can even choose to promote a holiday freebie like a tree ornament with every purchase. These exciting deals reel your contacts in and encourage them to pay attention to every text they receive.
As you share text-exclusive sales, you can also promote in-store sales for Black Friday. Customers might not choose to go Black Friday shopping until they see a deal that catches their eye. Big-ticket items with massive discounts can be especially appealing.
Segment SMS Messages
Your text marketing is most effective when you segment your messaging based on user preferences. Targeting parents with discounts on children’s toys is more likely to encourage them to buy. You might also send texts based on previous interactions with your store. Is a user purchasing from the kitchen and bakeware section of your site? Send them your Black Friday discount on air fryers.
In addition to segmenting your SMS marketing, make a point to be personal. Use their name in text messages or reference recent activity on your site to prove that you know who they are. People love seeing their names. Pair a personalized message with a clear call-to-action or link, and you have yourself a compelling marketing text.
Optimize Seasonal Staffing
SMS is more than a marketing tool—it’s a way to connect with your staff. As your store gets busier during the holidays, you usually have to increase staffing and get in touch with seasonal hires. Use your SMS system to deliver updates to your team and keep your store prepared for the influx of customers.
You might use SMS to alert your team about low staffing on a busy day. You can even use it in the middle of a shift if you have more customers than you’ve prepared for. Group your staff contacts based on people most likely to pick up extra hours to keep your location staffed and ready for the holiday crowds. When all of your registers are covered, more sales transactions can be processed.
Be Festive!
As everyone gets into the holiday spirit, your brand can too. Take the time to write marketing messages that are fun and festive. Whether you reference the Thanksgiving Day Parade or start a message with “Ho, Ho, Ho!”, taking time to be festive in your texts can make it easier for recipients to connect with your company. That connection makes your brand more memorable in the long run.
Ensure Your 10dlc are Registered
Current regulations require anyone using a 10dlc or toll-free number to send SMS to register with The Campaign Registry. No matter what type or quantity of messages you send, registration must be completed to avoid blocked messages, increased costs, and potential fines. Red Oxygen experts are available to help ensure you are compliant and your messages get to your customers, you don’t want anyone missing out on the deals!
Apply Black Friday Marketing Ideas With Red Oxygen
Knowing how to use SMS for Black Friday is one thing—using the right tool is another. Red Oxygen offers plenty of beneficial features for your SMS marketing, including bulk messaging, text templates, and personalization. Explore our solution, and get in touch with us today to learn more.