Short message service (SMS) text alerts provide an opportunity for retail businesses to deliver messages directly to interested customers, build a more loyal customer base, and increase traffic and sales. Retail SMS text alerts can be an important part of a retail business’s marketing or advertising campaign.
SMS text messaging is rapidly becoming one of the most popular forms of communication, and retail SMS text alerts let businesses use text messaging to connect with their customers. When retail businesses start an SMS text alert campaign they are able to send short text messages directly to the phones of interested customers, which helps to keep the business fresh in the customers’ minds and encourage them to come in and shop.
There are several ways a business can use retail SMS text alerts to draw in potential customers:
- Send SMS text alerts to customers to remind them about sales and other special events.
- Use SMS text alerts to give customers exclusive updates, such as when a new product becomes available or a seasonal product line goes on sale.
- Start a VIP text alert group for customers who sign up for SMS text alerts and send them special limited-time coupon codes, such as for an extra 10% off during a sale or over a holiday weekend. This motivates the customer to shop because they are getting a special deal and they don’t want to miss out on the extra savings.
- Offer special contests for customers who receive SMS text alerts and come into the store, such as drawings for prizes or the chance to win special coupons during big sales events.
- Invite customers to participate in polls or to share their thoughts about certain issues by responding with a text or going to a website. This allows customers to feel more involved with the store, which can increase customer loyalty, and it can provide useful feedback for retail businesses. A retail business may want to find out what new products customers are most interested in, when customers prefer to shop, or even which local charity the business should make a donation to.
Though there are many ways businesses can use retail SMS text alerts to connect with customers, there are a few important tips for increasing the success of retail SMS text message marketing:
- Always get a customer’s permission to send text alerts to their mobile number. Never collect a customer’s phone number without their knowledge or send them messages without their consent. This is considered spam and will usually drive customers away.
- Text alerts must be short (under 160 characters), but they should also be easy for all potential customers to understand. This means using traditional spelling and grammar, and not using texting shorthand, when sending out messages.
- Retail text alerts should always provide information that customers will find useful and that will motivate them to do something, usually to come in to shop. An example might be, “Big sale this weekend at Store X. Come shop and save an extra 10% with code Save10.”
- Find the right text alert frequency. Sending text messages too often will annoy customers and reduce the efficiency of text alerts, while sending message too rarely usually fails to help keep the business fresh in customers’ minds. Retail businesses may want to try sending SMS text messages once a week or every other week and then adjust their timing from there.
- Track the success of an SMS text alert campaign. By giving text alert customers special codes, businesses can keep track of how much business the text alerts are bringing in, and they can use this information to make adjustments to their text alert campaign.