4 Ways To Use A Bulk SMS Service To Build Your Retail Business
The greatest opportunity regarding bulk SMS is the fact that a lot of people own mobile phones which gives retailers an incredible amount of reach, in fact in Australia 82% of the population owns a mobile device.
Your customers are mobile.
Not only that but they’re using mobile while in your store while they’re thumbing through products and it’s only when they’ve done they’re mobile research will they then speak to a salesperson.
Since shoppers are already on their device you have the ability to reach them where they’re at BUT on a channel that they can’t ignore…SMS.
Is Bulk SMS Marketing Hard?
Bulk SMS may seem a little daunting for retailers who have not familiarised themselves with SMS platform but it’s incredibly simple to use.
In fact, if you’ve ever sent a group text message you’re 90% of the way there already the only other things you need to think about are:
- Setting up a list and then structuring a text message offer.
- List segmenting, which is creating different contact groups (takes 10 seconds).
- Scheduling, do you want to send the message now or later?
All 3 of these areas are taught in our SMS Marketing Guide.
In this article, you’ll learn 4 powerful ways you can use bulk SMS to drive more customers and grow your brand.
1. Generate A High ROI
One of the most powerful assets a retailer can own is a list of hungry customers.
If you are currently using email marketing then you already know how easy it is to send out an email and then have sales rolling in but imagine if you could double or triple those results?
A friend of mine who works for an online wine retailer is able to generate up to 300% more sales using SMS than their current email marketing campaigns!
This is an incredibly meaningful sales bump for them and is one of their secret weapons.
2. Send Irresistible Offers
Customers will always love a good sale and retailers can easily deliver on this while knowing that an incredibly high percentage of their customer list will open, read and then act on that offer in a way that most other marketing channels cannot achieve.
This customer responsiveness is exactly why retailers love SMS in fact, according to Smart Insights:
Over 97% of text messages are read within the first four minutes and of those people, 19% will click a link in an SMS campaign.
3. Send Stock Updates And Notifications
SMS Subscribers will definitely want to about new stock arriving or even when stocks are low.
This insider-information is another great way to set up pre-orders and move old stock from the shelves and if you want to drive even more traffic then attach a limited time offer to your SMS.
4. Mobile Loyalty Program
MLP’s (Mobile Loyalty Programs) are a fantastic way for a retailer to deepen the relationship with their customers and build their brand image.
They also reduce SMS unsubscribe rates.
And of course, they’re a smart way to lock in long-term, repeat business which is ultimately how a retail business grows.
Summary
When used in an integrated way with all of your other marketing channels SMS is an incredibly effective way to market of a personal level to each of your customers which strengthens your brand while creating more sales stability since you know they your messages are being seen by proven buyers or at the very least have shown a strong interest in what you have.
