SMS Marketing Best Practices: Promotion Text Messages

SMS Marketing Best Practices: Ongoing Promotion Text Messages Keep Customers Engaged
Written by: Dan Slavin

Once a retailer has started to sign-up consumers to their SMS marketing list, it’s important to
keep those consumers engaged with promotion text messages that include meaningful content, such as
announcements, invitations to events, or promotion text messages . Following are some best
practices for promotion text messages employed by CodeBroker’s retail customers.

SMS MARKETING BEST PRACTICES: CREATE A SENSE OF URGENCY
Text message promotions are a great way to create a sense of urgency among a retailer’s most
engaged customers. For example, CodeBroker retailer customers see 20-50% of their customers click
on a link in an SMS message to view a mobile coupon. In fact, many retailers experience click-thru
rates as high as 72% with text message promotions. Two activities that are proven to create a
sense of urgency include:

Mobile Coupon reminder messages. For longer promotions (10 days to 3 weeks)
send reminder messages to consumers who have not yet redeemed their mobile coupon. The ongoing
promotional text message message informs the consumer that they only have a few days left to
take advantage of the offer. CodeBroker has observed that the best time to deliver the reminder
message is two to three days before the promotion ends.
Brief promotions. Create ongoing text message promotions with a short
redemption period (2 or 3 days only). Creating a small window of opportunity to redeem an offer
inspires consumers to use their mobile coupons quickly driving high redemption rates.

SMS MARKETING BEST PRACTICES: BE UNIQUE
It’s important to deliver fresh content using promotion text messages. In other words, do not use
text message promotions to rehash information that is delivered in other marketing channels (e.g.
email). Our retailer customers have found that with a well thought out text promotion, a promotion
text message on its own will drive consumer engagement.

Content plan. CodeBroker has observed that retailers who create a
communications plan experience improved engagement which translates into increased revenue.
Successful retailers know what they’re going to say, when they’re going to say it, and to whom
they will deliver the message. On the contrary, retailers that engage in ad hoc communication
typically find that consumer engagement will wane over time.
Fresh content. Deliver text messge promotions and mobile coupon offers
to SMS marketing list subscribers that are not available in other channels. For example, a
retailer may want to communicate with their customers about timely issues such as new
store/restaurant openings or upcoming events/concerts in the area. Using ongoing text message
promotions to deliver timely messages is one way to keep customers checking back
frequently.
Exclusive content. Text message promotions are the perfect vehicle to
create a sense of exclusivity. Two examples CodeBroker retailer customers employ include early
notification of sales or events and delivering content that is only available to the SMS
marketing list subscribers. One retailer customer routinely delivers mobile coupons to their SMS
subscribers two days before the offer is generally available to email subscribers. This practice
has resulted in increased redemptions from SMS subscribers as well as driving list sign-ups as
more consumers want early access to promotions.
Good copywriting. A good copywriter is worth their weight in gold. The
following two examples speak for themselves. Written by a copywriter: “We’re thankful for Mobile
Coupons! Happy turkey day! Click (URL to click to view the coupon)” versus “$30 off a purchase
of $100 or more. Save mobile coupon here: (URL to click to view the coupon)”. Both text message
promotions where delivered the same day. Guess which one was read?

SMS MARKETING BEST PRACTICES: IMPROVE REVENUE
Use text message promotions to deliver mobile coupons. CodeBroker retailer customers routinely
realize millions of dollars in monthly incremental revenue from consumers who subscribe to the
retailer’s SMS marketing list.

Ongoing text message promotions. Retailers will experience recurring lift
when text message promotions are scheduled to run on a regular basis. Whether promotions
occur monthly for 2 days or 2 two weeks, a retailer should deliver content consistently. For
example, a CodeBroker retailer customer with a modest mobile list size of approximately 200,000
delivers mobile coupons to consumers weekly and routinely realizes between $2 and $3 million in
monthly incremental revenue.
Optimal customer experience. Delivering an exceptional customer
experience keeps existing customers engaged with the brand. The ability to personalize a text
message promotion with a name or letting a consumer know when a previously purchased item is on
sale (e.g. milk or a brand of shoes) will build loyalty and inspire conversions. According to a
recent Deloitte study “Customers respond to personal experiences, suggestions, and testimonials.
Even unsolicited suggestions based on value and personal experience can drive significant
improvements in conversion” (Retail Growth Challenge Framework).

SMS MARKETING BEST PRACTICES: MEASURE REVENUE GOALS
Single-use mobile coupons lets retailers capture data pertaining to the entire purchase funnel.
An accurate account of when a mobile offer was delivered, when it was viewed as well as when it
was redeemed enables retailers to improve future campaign performance.

Attribution. The ability to attribute redemption data to the appropriate
mobile channel provides a comprehensive view of campaign performance. By understanding when
consumers view and redeem mobile offers, a retailer is able to fine-tune future ongoing text
message promotions minimizing costs and maximizing ROI. In addition, single-use mobile
coupons significantly reduce fraud.

These are just some of the SMS best practices retailers can use to successfully keep consumers
engaged with their brand. Employing these techniques, CodeBroker retail customers have realized
significant consumer engagement and redemption rates. Please contact us for more ideas or to help
you reinvigorate your text message marketing program.