As a retail shop, it takes much more than just having the best price to beat your competition. More and more customers factor in the entire customer experience when determining where to buy items. With a text message marketing campaign, you can stand out from your competition while also providing better service to your customers. There are many reasons why partnering with an SMS texting service can help your business, all of which positively affect your bottom line.
Drive Traffic to Your Store
SMS marketing can help to bring more people to your store.
When you launch any new marketing campaign, you expect to see an increase in the number of people who come into your store. You can enhance the effect by adding information about your mobile program to your print and digital advertisements. Simply including a keyword and short code for interested customers to text for more information about your store can help attract more subscribers to your texting campaign. For extra motivation, you can offer a discount or special coupon to those who text the keyword. Text messages can also be used for promoting special events, organising contests, or offering special access to sales to drive more people into your store, according to Business 2 Community.
Increase the Number of Repeat Customers
Getting people to come into your store and buy an item is only part of the equation. To really succeed, you want to increase your number of repeat customers. Many of the people who sign up for your SMS marketing campaign have visited your store at least once, which makes them a great pool of potential repeat customers. When you send them offers or discounts, it’s motivation to come back to your store and make another purchase. Most SMS texting services also allow you to segment your subscribers into groups, such as first time customers or customers who have not visited your store in a certain period of time.
Create More Loyal Customers
Loyalty programs motivate people to spend more money at your shop.
A text messaging service provides a great forum for a loyalty or VIP program. You can promote your program as a way that customers can get special deals, such as early access to sales. Exclusive coupons can also entice your current customers to become loyal to your store. Rewarding customers for shopping in your store is a time-tested way to improve customer retention, according to Marketing Donut. When people receive tangible incentives for shopping with you, they will be more likely to continue to patronise your business. Furthermore, they will be motivated every time they receive a new offer or special to come in and see what they may want to buy. Even if they do not make a purchase each time they visit, they will start thinking of your store first whenever they are in need of your goods.
Better Customer Experience and Service
Text messaging can be a valuable customer service tool that enhances the customer experience in your store. You can send transactional messages through text message, such as a notification when an order is ready to be shipped or a paperless receipt. You can also add keywords to your in-store advertising that customers can text for more information. This works very well in stores that sell specialty accessories associated with a particular item, such as automobiles or electronics. Text messaging is also a useful customer service tool. When you make it easier for customers to contact you, you may have a better chance to find a satisfying solution.
Amplify Brand Awareness
Stand out from the competition with increased brand awareness.
Text message marketing also helps boost brand awareness. It provides you another way to create buzz about your business. You can advertise your new mobile campaign with a variety of attention-grabbing keywords that you can easily add to your current marketing collateral. This in turn will generate more interest in your business, which gives you an opportunity to further develop your pool of repeat and loyal customers.
Learn More About Your Customers
Text message marketing also provides an avenue for learning more about your customers. You not only will have more insight into your typical customers’ shopping habits, likes, and dislikes; you also will have a method for direct communication. Your text message subscribers are the perfect test group. Before you develop new goods, services, or events, send out a poll to learn more about your customers’ preference. This not only ensures that you develop things in line with what your customers want and will actually buy, but it also helps you to connect with your customer base, increasing the chance they will choose your company.
Partnering with an SMS texting provides you with an opportunity to engage with your customers through a means of communication they already use. This helps you enhance the customer experience, as well as learn more about your customers so you can continue to provide excellent service. If you are ready to see how text message marketing can benefit your retail shop, try FireText for free.