5 Retail Pros Reveal Their Holiday SMS Marketing Strategies for 2022

During Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM, for short), retailers can’t afford to ignore the opportunity in front of them: customers who are practically begging for deals.

But the closer we get to the holidays, the busier those customers become. At that point, it doesn’t matter how incredible your promotions are if no one hears about them.

This means that retailers need to find creative ways beyond traditional channels like email and social media advertising to get eyes on their campaigns.  

To avoid being overshadowed by big box stores, SMB retailers are using text message marketing more than ever to boost their BFCM sales. 

In time for the holiday season, we spoke to five e-commerce professionals about why they’re passionate about SMS and how it’s informing their strategy in 2022.

How Retail Pros Are Using SMS for BFCM 2022

So, what are retailers doing to incorporate SMS into their BFCM strategies? We asked five e-commerce professionals for their take on holiday text message marketing strategies.

Kate Backdrop

No photo op is complete without a fun background, which is exactly what Kate Backdrop provides. 

David Zheng, CEO of Kate Backdrop, shared how the company uses SMS for its BFCM campaign by focusing on sales announcements.

“We usually send out messages like ‘Black Friday sales are now open! Get 15% off for new arrivals!’ to remind customers that they should take advantage of our great sales during this time,” said Zheng. “We also plan to send texts to our new customers and include a call to action like ‘Stay tuned for our BFCM sales!'”

The company saw a sizable increase in customers by using SMS in 2021, so they are doubling down on their efforts for this year’s sales.

Ecommerce Intelligence

Ecommerce Intelligence is a full-service growth agency that focuses on email and SMS. They understand how important these channels are for each of their clients and plan to implement SMS in this year’s e-commerce holiday campaigns.

“In the weeks leading up to Black Friday,” explained founder Ryan Turner, “we heavily promote SMS sign-ups via email campaigns and website popups to grow list sizes. We’ll be running early access promotions for VIP customers this year via SMS. This will give the most valuable shoppers a chance to get everything they want with Black Friday price reductions before everyone else.”

The company has found that SMS is an effective strategy for their clients because it cuts through the noise of overwhelming promotions and comes with a 98% open rate. 

They tried SMS in the 2021 holiday season with a few client brands and learned that each SMS contact was worth about seven times as much as an email subscriber in terms of revenue generated per message. We can’t wait to see their results for 2022!

Faruzo

E-commerce jewelry and accessories store Faruzo is using text messaging to harness the power of personalization. Focusing on the consumer experience, the company is investing its efforts for the first time into SMS to drive sales and build customer relationships.

The goal is to curate personalized messages with limited-time offers. And when customers are in the area, they will receive an incentive via SMS to visit the store.

Supplement Warehouse

Supplement Warehouse, a national brand with over 20 retail locations and an online store, is also using SMS to drive sales this BFCM season.

The company is taking an omnichannel approach to BFCM promotions by sending SMS campaigns with complementary email promotions to ensure customers don’t miss out on the promotions.

Supplement Warehouse tried SMS marketing during the 2021 holiday season but only used it for its e-commerce store. Its cost of sales from SMS was 30% lower than those from email, so the company is rolling out its SMS strategy across all store locations this year.

Moriarty’s Gem Art

Online jewelry store Moriarty’s Gem Art has learned the effectiveness of SMS marketing in the past and is going full force for the 2022 holiday season.

The store plans on using SMS for its entire BFCM campaign, which runs the Monday before and ends the Tuesday after Cyber Monday. They will be sending out sale reminders throughout the week to pique interest and help drive sales.

Last year, the company spent $150 on one SMS campaign during BFCM, and it resulted in over $8,000 worth of sales.

Why Retailers Should Use SMS In BFCM Campaigns

For starters, SMS marketing is extremely easy to set up, and you can quickly create and launch campaigns with just a few clicks.

Secondly, text messaging is one of the most convenient marketing channels for holiday shoppers.

Think about it this way: 43% of holiday shoppers make purchases from their phones, so texts are a natural extension of their shopping experience.

Even when people aren’t checking out sales on mobile, their phones aren’t far away. Earlier this year, we surveyed 1,300 people and found that 1 in 3 consumers checks their text notifications within one minute of receiving a text. On top of that, 70% of consumers opted in to receive texts from businesses. 

The takeaway? Your customers probably want you to text them, and they’re going to see your message soon after receiving it.

Put Holiday SMS Tips Into Practice

As you plan your holiday text messaging campaigns, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Personalize your messages. People love knowing that the message they’re receiving is just for them. You can use data gathered from past purchases or demographics to tailor your offers and increase engagement.
• Keep it short and sweet. People are busy and don’t want to read a novel when they receive a text. Keep it concise (160 characters or fewer), and make sure the message is clear.
• Leverage existing relationships. If you already have an SMS contact list, use them as your main source of BFCM promotion. But don’t forget to promote your SMS list to new customers — you never know who will join!
• Test different offers and strategies. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to SMS marketing. Try out different offers, message styles, and timing to see what works best for your audience.

📚Check out our Ultimate Guide to Black Friday/Cyber Monday Texting for more helpful tips!

Make the Most Out of Black Friday and Cyber Monday

As you’re planning your BFCM strategy, remember to put SMS at the top of your list. It’s an affordable and effective way to reach customers and drive sales. With the tips from above in mind, you can ensure that your SMS campaign will be a success.