Retail Success Stories: Driving Conversions with GirikSMS Campaigns

Retailers need to come up with innovative strategies to attract and retain customers in the rapidly expanding e-commerce era. For this reason, in recent years, more retailers have resorted to SMS marketing.

The advantages of using retail SMS, how to begin retail SMS marketing and real-world SMS marketing campaign examples will all be covered in this article.

Benefits of SMS marketing for retail

When using SMS in retail marketing, businesses will experience a number of benefits. Here are some of them:

Higher open rates. SMS messages have a staggering 98% open rate. The open rate of emails is 20%. Users feel compelled to read SMS messages because they are sent directly to their mobile phones.

Higher conversion rates. Well-crafted SMS campaigns have shown to be about 6 times more effective than email marketing when it comes to conversions.

Instant delivery. It takes little time to send, receive, and read text messages. Most texts are read within a few minutes of being sent, according to research. Because of this, text marketing works well for communications that need to be sent quickly.

Seamless integrations. Integrating modern business texting platforms with your existing marketing systems is easy. This enables merchants to develop an omnichannel strategy and synchronize data across platforms.

Improved customer engagement. Research indicates that 45 % of people respond to SMS texts. Because of this, it's a great way to get feedback from customers and have two-way interactions.

How to utilize SMS marketing in Retail

SMS marketing can assist retail establishments in overcoming some of their most significant obstacles by increasing sales and interacting with their target audience. Let's examine a few typical ways that SMS can benefit merchants.

Reduce excess inventory. To instill a sense of urgency and motivate customers to buy things and clear out old inventory, run a text campaign promoting a flash sale.

Discounts. Distribute time-limited sales or discount coupons on old inventory or slow-moving products.

Personalized offers. Use text messaging campaigns to interact with loyal customers, offering them tailored deals and incentives to buy seasonal or near-expiration products.

Events. To get the product off the shelf, advertise an in-store event.

Low inventory warning. Inform customers when a certain product is almost gone so they can buy it before it sells out.

Back-in-stock alert. Notify customers who have joined a waitlist or indicated an interest in particular products when they become available again.

Product alternatives. When a certain item is out of stock, let customers know about other similar products so they can still buy it and not get frustrated.

Pre-order opportunities. Notify customers of impending product releases or pre-order possibilities so they can reserve the things they want ahead of time.

Product launch. Create anticipation by informing customers when a new product will be available in stores. Send your contacts a catalog or sneak peek to pique their attention.

In-store sales. Throughout the year, run special sales, particularly around the holidays. One of the best ways to boost traffic and encourage purchases is through Black Friday text marketing.

Improve customer satisfaction. To learn more about your customer satisfaction levels and pinpoint areas for development, send a text survey.

Brand surveys. To find out what your consumers like, what intrigues them, and what products they would want to see more of in your retail business, you can also send them a survey.

Order updates. Keep customers updated about their order status. Notify them of any delays or changes they should be aware of, as well as when an order is prepared for collection.

Customer support. Utilize SMS to proactively respond to consumer questions or concerns, offering timely, personalized assistance to improve the overall customer experience.

Retain more customers. Establish an SMS loyalty program that encourages repeat business and builds customer loyalty by giving customers access to exclusive offers, prizes, or points for their purchases.

Personalized content. On their birthdays or anniversaries, send customers personalized texts expressing your gratitude and providing exclusive deals or prizes.‍

Re-engagement campaigns. Sending tailored offers or reminders to dormant or inactive contacts via SMS can rekindle their interest in your brand.

Retail SMS Marketing Best Practices

By using these best practices, your SMS marketing campaigns can generate insane levels of engagement:

Obtain explicit consent

Before sending SMS messages, we get users' express and unambiguous consent. The following are some excellent practices for SMS opt-in:

Express written consent. Use online forms to get explicit consent before sending marketing SMS texts.

Give recipients a clear way to opt-out. In order to improve your brand’s reputation, include the option to unsubscribe in every SMS.

Log all opt-ins and opt-outs. This facilitates the creation of a customer list for SMS messaging.

Indicate the goal and frequency in clear terms.  Terms and conditions (T&C), privacy policy, and other information might be included to clearly indicate the frequency of communications and their intended use. If you don't currently have a terms and conditions paper, think about using a template.

Create a strong subscriber list. 

In order to reach contacts and boost opening rates, the subscriber list is carefully vetted. The following text marketing advice will help you build the perfect list of subscribers for your SMS campaigns:

• Spread the word about your SMS campaign to the different subscribers via social media and email.
• Incentivize sign-ups on your social media page.
• Add an invitation to pop-up ads.
• At checkout, invite customers to join.

Segment audiences to improve targeting

In SMS marketing, audience list segmentation efficiently targets and boosts engagement. Here are some ways to effectively segment your contact list.

Demographic segmentation: By location, gender, and age.

Behavioral segmentation: Segment them based on browsing habits, engagement levels, and past transactions.

Transactional segmentation: Segmentation based on purchasing patterns, frequency of purchases, and recent buys.

Engagement segmentation: Segmentation based on click-throughs and sign-ups.

Event-based segmentation: Sending offers via SMS makes a stronger impression if you know any information about your contacts or their milestones, birthdays, or other significant occasions.

Make your content Relevant, Valuable, and Unique.

The text marketing copy should be interesting, even if the SMS is a sales message. SMS marketing copy should be based on 3 key criteria.

Relevance

Sending pertinent information improves targeting and reach, just like it does on any other marketing platform. As we mentioned earlier, there are various ways to develop audience segments. Give prospective customers options for choices for products and services according to their preferences.

Value

Think of your SMS recipients as VIPs. You can contact your subscribers directly at any moment by using the phone numbers they provide you. You can successfully increase the value of your SMS by providing early access, exclusive offers, or notifications about the debut of new products or services.

Uniqueness 

SMS messages have a 160-character limitation, so they should always be succinct. You can mention a unique purchase, like a pair of snow boots, that they ought to think about purchasing.

Personalize your messaging

SMS campaigns are special because they mix the best aspects of one-on-one contact with the convenience of mass marketing. Here, personalization calls for a different strategy than email. SMS requires dynamic content that changes according to the user's activity, providing updates and special offers, etc. 80% of customers buy from brands that deliver a personalized experience.

Show off your brand

When recipients are unsure of the source of the text, they are less likely to click on the link. Making reference to your business or organization is another aspect of SMS compliance. To spread brand awareness, you can mention your brand or business name at the beginning of the SMS or send a virtual contact card to make it easy for recipients to correctly identify the sender and the brand.

Provide exclusive offers

Exclusive offers distributed via SMS are a proven method of growing the list of subscribers. Creating a sense of urgency, tailoring the offers, offering unique access and incentives, etc. are some strategies to make special offers that appeal to your audience.

As a CTA, always provide a link.

Direct communication via SMS increases opening and conversion rates. To make it simpler for interested receivers to visit your website, include a link in your texts. Without the link, prospects may not understand the message. Nonetheless, there are some efficient methods for including links in your SMS texts that you ought to adhere to. This includes avoiding sending links at the beginning of an SMS and providing only one link which is typically the Call To Action at the end of the text.

Include multimedia in your SMS

Your campaigns can become more dynamic and effective with the help of the multimedia messaging service or MMS, which can also greatly increase interaction. Incorporating clickable links to videos, audio samples, and other material into SMS marketing is a very effective approach to employing multimedia to increase audience engagement.

Send SMS during regular hours.

SMS texts should ideally be sent during regular business hours. Being polite and non-intrusive to subscribers is important while using SMS marketing. For instance, they won't appreciate it if they get an SMS notification at 2 AM. Additionally, from the standpoint of engagement, consumers are less likely to use such a marketing strategy to deliver messages between the hours of 9 am and 8 pm. Instant action from your subscribers is just one of the many advantages. It is unlikely that anyone will act inappropriately around them during regular business hours.

Maintain consistency in messaging frequency.

Maintaining a regular messaging frequency is one of the greatest SMS marketing strategies. You are prepared to refrain from overwhelming subscribers with SMS texts. Sending too few or too many texts, however, will come out as unexpected and possibly hostile. A strong social media strategy may provide subscribers with consistent information, and successful SMS ads also stick to a regular and predictable timetable. Depending on the kind of business you are in, the schedule must change. For example, when a sale is imminent, you need to send out more than six SMS every day if you are an e-commerce marketer. 

Invest in smart SMS marketing software.

Numerous advantages of SMS marketing software include improved targeting through sophisticated segmentation and personalization, increased engagement through greater open rates, and more. By facilitating smooth, personalized data classification, these interfaces can offer a cohesive marketing approach. The performance of SMS marketing can also be monitored with the help of data analytics tools. With only a few clicks, you can send tailored texts to every contact using GirikSMS, a robust SMS marketing platform, purpose-built as a native SMS for Salesforce app that offers all these functionalities.

Stay compliant

The dos and don'ts of SMS marketing are outlined in laws specific to the business's location. Be aware that over 40% of customers would rather get four to six communications every month. Depending on the location, spamming may result in legal violations.

Monitor and analyze performance.

Keep a handle on campaign performance. To find out what works with the audience, always look at analytics like click-through rates and open rates. GirikSMS, a native Salesforce SMS platform, provides comprehensive analytics and insights on your SMS campaign performance directly within the Salesforce environment.

Respond promptly to replies.

In SMS marketing, prompt responses to consumer questions and comments are essential for creating deep relationships between the brand and potential customers. Through their responses, subscribers can demonstrate your value-driven engagement and the effectiveness of your campaign. Here are several strategies to react quickly:

• Configure automated responses.
• Give priority to customer questions.
• For frequently asked inquiries, use chatbots.
• Establish targets for response times.
• Personalize your responses.

Grow your retail business with GirikSMS.

Retailers can overcome typical marketing challenges, increase sales, and cultivate enduring consumer loyalty by leveraging the powerful business messaging features of GirikSMS.

Are you prepared to increase sales and enhance both in-store and external customer communication? Retail SMS marketing is easy to get started with thanks to GirikSMS's messaging platform. GirikSMS provides retailers with the tools they need, whether they want to have meaningful two-way interactions or reach a large number of customers at once. Sign up for free 30-day trial to test drive GirikSMS today.

About Author

Indranil Chakraborty

Indranil is a technology enthusiast with over 25 years of experience in project management, operations, technology and business development. Indranil has led project teams in egovernance, business process re-engineering, product development and worked with Government and Corporate customers. Indranil truly believes in the power of technology to drive productivity and growth for teams and businesses.