Black Friday and Cyber Monday: SMS marketing insights
Are you setting up a campaign for Black Friday and Cyber Monday? As the four-day shopping extravaganza approaches, numerous brands are strategising their promotional tactics. Text message marketing offers an avenue to reach consumers directly, avoiding the noise of crowded digital ads and overflowing email inboxes.
In this article, we discuss the perks of using SMS for e-commerce promotions and offer handy SMS templates to jumpstart your campaigns.
SMS Marketing Explained
SMS stands for Short Messaging Service, commonly known as a text message. Unlike trendy messaging platforms like Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp, SMS doesn't necessitate app downloads, Wi-Fi, or mobile data.
Given its cellular nature, SMS bypasses app notifications and isn't lost in spam or promotional folders.
As per data from Statista, 6.62 billion individuals globally possess mobile phones. That translates to approximately 83.32% of the global population having smartphones.
Advantages for e-commerce brands using SMS marketing during Black Friday and Cyber Monday
Brands across various sectors announce sizeable discounts during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Consumers eagerly await these dates, ready to click "add to cart" for their coveted items.
Adobe’s Shopping Report indicated that during the 2021 festive period, over half of sales for US retailers on six specific days originated from smartphones.
Given the proximity of mobiles to users, it's unsurprising that on average, it takes a mere 3 minutes for a text to be viewed. Notably, for brands targeting Millennials, 83% of this demographic prefers businesses texting them. Moreover, a whopping 75% are amenable to receiving offers via SMS.
Here's more: As the price of digital advertising surges and brands clash over keywords during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, SMS marketing's ROI shines. With an average click-through rate of 10%, SMS outshines both email marketing (with a 2.62% CTR) and digital advertising (at 1.7% CTR).
When your competitors are pouring their resources into emails and online ads, let SMS marketing be your ace. A hefty budget isn't a necessity, and within five minutes, you can configure and dispatch your inaugural message. SMS marketing is a pivotal tool in your arsenal.
Strategies to consider:
Pre-announce upcoming sales.
Provide previews of future discounted products.
Announce flash sales in real-time.
Organise engaging contests.
Send reminders for abandoned shopping carts.
Here's how touchSMS can assist with your Black Friday and Cyber Monday objectives:
Keywords: Purchase a Virtual Number and create keyword responses for VIP customers. Designate a keyword like 'SALE' and prompt customers to text in or reply to your message with it. This can unlock exclusive deals and enhance your contact list.
Elevate the customer journey: 83% of Millennials prefer SMS for customer service interactions. Utilise two-way messaging to effortlessly manage inquiries during peak shopping periods.
Personalised number: Establish a unique identity by aligning your business name with your SMS sender ID, fostering deeper customer relationships.
Use Short URLs to Track Clicks: Monitor recipient interactions with your SMS links, assess click frequencies, and utilise this intel for segmentation and retargeting. Integrate UTM parameters to trace SMS-originated traffic to your website's checkout process.
MMS: Spice things up with visuals - think animated GIFs or product snapshots.
SPAM Compliance: touchSMS facilitates responsible messaging with Opt-out tools to automatically remove recipients from future broadcasts.
Five examples of SMS marketing texts
Kickstart your promotional communications for this paramount sales period. Here are Black Friday and Cyber Monday SMS templates:
[Company Name] - Black Friday Blowout! Enjoy up to 40% off select TVs online at [Link]. Use BlackFriday40. To opt-out, reply STOP.
Cyber Monday Special at [Company Name]! Avail 50% discounts on Sweatshirts, Jeans, and more. Limited stock. Shop: [Link]. Opt-out? Reply STOP.
Greetings from [Company Name]! Black Friday offers go live on [Date]. Reply with '[Keyword]' and be among the initial 20 to gain early access. Opt-out? Reply STOP.
Save $250 on all iPhones with [Company Name]. 24-hour Black Friday deal. Use iPhoneBF: TapTh.is/link. To opt-out, reply STOP.
Cyber Monday Alert from [Company Name]! [Name], seize 70% off all accessories. Offer expires 8 PM today. Shop now: [Link]. Opt-out? Reply STOP.