The holiday season presents a golden opportunity for businesses to engage with their audience through SMS marketing. With its high open rates and instant delivery, SMS is an incredibly effective channel to connect personally with customers during this bustling time.
Whether spreading festive cheer or offering irresistible deals, integrating SMS marketing into your holiday strategy can significantly boost engagement and drive sales.
Let’s explore 10 creative SMS marketing holiday ideas that will maximize your campaign's impact and foster customer loyalty.
One of the best uses for SMS marketing around the holidays is promoting seasonal discounts. A customized text can notify customers about flash sales with huge discounts available for a short time only. Or they can push out notifications about subscriber-only benefits to loyal buyers.
Here are some examples you can customize for your clientele:
Whatever seasonal deals you have going on, SMS is the best way to tell customers about them.
Beyond product notices, there’s value in extending heartfelt greetings to customers, particularly around the holidays. Based on their purchase history or background information they’ve provided, you can send salutations based on cultural or other holidays they observe —
These thoughtful messages go beyond baseline SMS marketing and selling products. By nurturing your customers and being genuinely kind, you’re selling them on your brand.
Back to the sales-forward messaging, SMS is an ideal way to communicate any last-minute or event-based promotions you have going on, urging them to act fast and exclusively via text.
Here are some use cases for this kind of message:
A big difference between SMS and email is how urgent the former can be. Use that to your advantage by encouraging customers to act right away to maximize their (and your) benefits.
Loyal customers are the lifeblood of any company, and you want to be extra sure you make them feel appreciated when the holiday season comes around. To that effect, consider adding or building on an existing loyalty program with holiday-themed bonuses communicated via SMS:
Make your most valued customers feel special with deals they’ll love—it’ll keep them buying at the rate they already are, encourage more and bigger purchases, and draw in more devotees.
People stress out about gift-giving around the holidays. The psychological toll of giving good gifts that people will enjoy is real—even if it ultimately comes down to being an empathetic spy.
Your company can help alleviate these feelings with customized suggestions via SMS, like:
Make holiday shopping easier for customers, and you’ll be a go-to for all their gifting needs.
Another innovative way to use SMS messages is to make them a true two-way street where you’re interacting with customers and engaging them. Rather than pushing out just one or two messages, lead into an extended conversation with open-ended questions. Or provide a link to a survey they can fill out with an incentive such as promo credit or free shipping on an order.
Here’s how these kinds of messages could look:
On another level, you might also consider using Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) messages instead of (or in tandem with) SMS for more interactivity with this kind of messaging strategy.
Providing value is a best practice for SMS marketing in any kind of campaign. Around the holidays, you can leverage texts to give your customers tips on preparing for the holidays or making (and keeping) New Year's Resolutions—all with the help of your goods or services.
Here are some ideas for seasonal advice you can provide to your clientele:
Give the gift of wisdom and support to your customers through easily accessible SMS.
The holidays signal that the year is coming to a close, and people from all different traditions often take this time to express their gratitude to friends and family. Companies that join in on that spirit with heartfelt end-of-year send-offs can ingratiate themselves to their clientele.
Here are some examples of how that can look in practice:
Given customers’ increasing frustration with automated chatbots and other impersonal communication, especially around the holidays, this touch of warmth can set you apart.
The holidays are about the end of the year, but they’re also about the start of a new one. Give your customers a sneak peek at what you have in store or incentivize early shopping via SMS —
These messages pair well with images like early concept designs, if they can be shared.
Christmas and other holidays in the winter months all put generosity and charity front and center. Companies can tap into their customers’ gift-giving spirit with opportunities to donate through their purchases.
These kinds of messages can be as simple as:
As with #2 above, you should be mindful of your customers’ traditions and cater messages to them—or cast a wide net with neutral language like “giving season” or “happy holidays.”
As the holiday season approaches, SMS marketing can give your business a competitive edge. Personalized and engaging content can not only increase sales but also build stronger customer relationships.
Take the next step in optimizing your holiday campaigns with Text-Em-All's SMS marketing platform. Get started now and transform how you communicate, ensuring your message resonates and captures the holiday spirit.
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