Consumers are increasingly using their mobile devices for a wide variety of tasks, shopping among them.  To best serve this growing customer base, your SMS strategy should be designed to benefit from the advantages text marketing services can provide.

Announce Special Events

Everybody loves a bargain, and mobile device users are no exception. Your SMS strategy should include sales events and other special occasions that are likely to draw a crowd.  To increase your response, use short codes your customers can send texts to referencing specific keywords and use the resulting feedback to gauge their interest in various promotions.

Use Outreach programs to increase your SMS marketing audience

Offer special bonuses to customers on receipt stubs if they sign up for your SMS marketing outreach efforts.  Have your sales staff mention these programs at checkout as well to increase awareness.  Use an SMS welcome msg to greet subscribers once they opt-in to receive your texts.

Offer Directions to Your Store

Increasingly consumers are using their phones to find directions to retail shopping venues as well as other locations.  Add a “find store” link to your mobile site to enable them to find their way to you.  

Add Value to Your Messages

Take your SMS marketing campaign to the next level by offering information as well as sales info. Offer blogs or articles that give a fuller picture of your company and products.

Offer Mobile Gift Registries

Give your customers a chance to register gifts for special events or wedding or baby shower registries.  The immediacy of text messages can spur greater sales as customers can see the registry populate with real time updates if they choose.

Text in honor of special occasions

Send birthday or anniversary greetings to your customers on these or other special occasions to show them that you care.  Such messages fall within SMS marketing rules for those who have opted in to receive your texts and can pay dividends in the form of customer goodwill.

Using SMS for account collection

If your customers fall behind in payments SMS is a great way to alert them to the fact.  In today’s busy society, oftentimes making a payment may slip a customer’s mind, or the bill may get lost in the shuffle.  Given the high open rate of texts, and how quickly they can be sent and read, SMS is an excellent way to make sure that your customers are staying current on their payments.