12 Ways to Boost Your Holiday Sales with the help of GirikSMS App
The holiday season is a busy time not just for people, but also for brands. This is the time when consumers love spending countless hours hunting for the best deals. Brands recognize the huge opportunity the holiday season presents to reach out to them with new products and offers. And at a time when shoppers are more than distracted with a million things in their minds, what better way to engage them than the simple old way of texting? With a 98% read rate within the first 10 minutes, texting is by far the most effective way to communicate with customers. Whether it’s a new product launch, a service upgrade, or a special promotion, with GirikSMS text messaging you can reach out to your customers, even when they are extremely busy with a million things during the holidays.
With the explosion in the usage of smartphones, businesses regardless of industry and geography, have witnessed a consistent year-on-year growth in sales during the holiday season. Smartphones are the choice of today amongst consumers for researching products across stores and completing a purchase with research indicating that over two-thirds of consumers say that their smartphone is their most preferred tool for shopping. And it’s a known fact now that text messaging across popular messaging apps such as WhatsApp is the most preferred way of communication.
One-on-one personalized conversations with consumers hold the key to marketing success during the holiday season. GirikSMS come integrated with Salesforce, which means brands can engage in personalized messaging conversations with their audience in real-time based on their needs, preferences, and interaction history.
Whether you’re looking to build your first text marketing program from the ground up or want to scale an existing one, we have compiled a list of 12 texting-based marketing strategies that you can leverage during the holiday season to improve engagement and drive sales.
Grow your SMS subscriber list
Expanding your consumer base is the first critical step toward improving the efficacy of your SMS marketing campaign. Brands must grow their SMS subscriber list well ahead of the holiday season. The more people you can reach, the more sales you will drive, whether in-store or online.
GirikSMS’s powerful suite of features can help brands build their list of SMS subscribers while staying compliant. Irrespective of where your customers engage with you – in-store, website, or social media, you get access to a wide range of tools and features to convert your online traffic into subscribers.
Drive offline opt-ins with keywords
Offline engagement with consumers is a vital aspect of building a subscriber base. Text messaging with keywords to opt-in is a very effective way to boost sign-ups through offline channels. These could be in the form of kiosks, in-store signages, packaging, TV and radio ads, event sponsorships, store counters, and more.
Leverage landing pages to expand your digital reach
Drive traffic to dedicated landing pages for your SMS campaigns to allow customers to learn more about your brand and the benefits of opting in. Drive traffic to these landing pages from your social media page, emails, and other modes to grow your subscriber list.
Welcome subscribers with automated texts
Your welcome message can create a lasting impression on a new subscriber. With GirikSMS, you can easily configure automated outbound welcome messages. These short, targeted messages could include sign-up incentives, tips and guidance about your brand, information on upcoming events, new product launches and offers, and more.
Capture lost revenue with cart abandonment reminders
During the holiday season, online shoppers bounce across apps and websites looking for the best deals. Many shoppers, while looking for the best deals available, leave items in their shopping carts or mark them as “keep for later”. Automated abandoned cart reminders from GirikSMS can help brands recover this abandoned revenue opportunity with reminders, offers, and deals to nudge them to complete the purchase.
Keep the conversation going after the purchase
Engage your customers during and after the holiday season with post-purchase texts. These could be in the form of shipping updates to keep them excited, offering incentives for related products or products you think they might be interested in based on their purchase and browsing history. Solicit reviews and feedback and nudge them to post reviews on social media with incentives.
Engage holiday shoppers with SMS campaigns
When you approach the holiday season, automate subscriber engagement with triggered flows reminding them of the upcoming holiday season. Campaign messages have shown to be very effective in driving revenue during the holiday season. Promote flash sales, limited-time offers, and first-look incentives to customers during the holiday season.
Align your campaigns with what customers value
Industry research says that over 70% of shoppers prefer to purchase from brands that reflect their values. With GirikSMS texting solutions, brands can cultivate deeper connections with their audience by letting them know what their brand stands for. Customers want to know they are making a difference, especially during the holiday season. Let them know that their purchase will contribute towards a cause they believe in.
Encourage in-store purchases
A hybrid shopping experience is becoming a norm for shoppers these days. They want to be thorough with their research and pick the best option available. A seamless and blended online-offline shopping experience is what they seek. With text messaging, you can bridge the gap between your online store and walk-in store by providing in-store pickup options to drive traffic to them. Use hyper-local offers and updates, and invitations to in-store events to drive footfalls to your stores.
Send two-way triggered messages that drive action
People are used to having back-and-forth interactions with friends and family via text messaging. Likewise, your audience may also want to be able to respond to your texts or ask further questions.
Engage in 2-way conversations
People are well versed in back-and-forth text messaging amongst family and friends. Businesses around the world today are leveraging the power of 2-way conversational messaging to drive engagement. With GirikSMS-powered automated interactions, brands can learn more about consumer preferences and offer personalized recommendations and offers.
Answer your subscribers’ customer service questions
Industry research indicates that 70% of consumers prefer to ask questions via text and expect answers in real time. Providing prompt customer support with GirikSMS text messaging offers a seamless customer experience to customers. They don't have to wait in a queue to get answers to their questions. GirikSMS can be easily integrated with your CRM so you can answer questions directly without any delays.
Conversational text messaging is a very effective way to keep your audience engaged. It makes customers feel you value them while staying personal, non-intrusive, accessible, and convenient.
Want to learn more about how GirikSMS can help you achieve a great holiday season? Contact us today for a demo or free trial.