Texts have always been an excellent marketing medium for e-commerce brands. It does not just keep the customers posted about all the new offers and new products launched by the brand but serves the primary function of continuously reminding the customers of the brand.
Brands send text messages to users who have been on their websites at least once, which means the user has already been introduced to the brand. Also, unlike emails, text messages get consumer attention immediately as 90% of the messages get opened within 90 seconds. So, it’s worthwhile for e-commerce companies to invest in SMS marketing.
Now, if you’re here, it means you are looking for ways to maximize the potential of your SMS marketing campaign. And, we can help you with that. Here are five easy SMS marketing ideas that will turn your customers into repeat buyers and drive your customer retention rate. So, let’s dive right in.
Let Your First SMS be an RCS
It must be noted that the first text message you send to a user is the first impression you’ll be making of them. You can send an SMS only to users who have registered on your website with their details. This hints that they are interested in buying your products. With your SMS, you need to make sure that you turn this motivation into a decision.
If you embed a picture with your text message and make it an RCS, it is sure to attract more users to your brand. You can even choose to send a slightly longer text to the user. You might have to pay extra to cross the word limit, but the results shall be worth every penny.
An RCS is more attractive than an SMS, and users take more interest in going through it. It pushes the user one step closer to your brand. It has been proven time and again that RCS campaigns have a 15-20% higher possibility of success than SMS. Therefore, let the first message you send to a user be an RCS.
Incentives and Discounts
Someone who has registered themselves with your brand is already in the state of mind to consider purchasing your products. To encourage them further, you can offer some incentives to the buyers. You can gift first-time buyers with a free sample product or free delivery. Or you could even propose offers like buy one get one free.
Offering attractive discounts on first orders is another way to encourage your browsers into becoming first-time buyers. In the first SMS/RCS you send to your browsers, mention the offers and discounts. Customers are always attracted to messages that have ‘discount’ printed in bold.
Several brands increase the price of a product by 10% and then offer a 10% discount on the product. The 10% discount provided brings in a lot of buyers for the product. Although discounts are a great way to rope in buyers, you must also note that not all your buyers keep waiting for discounts to buy a product.
BNPL
BNPL or “buy now pay later” works wonders when texted to the customers. Customers are often looking for flexible options to make payments that allow them to pay for a product in instalments without paying any interest.
BNPL allows the customers to buy a product and pay for it later. This makes them confident enough to buy a product without worrying about their budget. Studies have shown that with the addition of BNPL to their payment options, brands have received a 70- 75% hike in their orders.
Post-Purchase Guidance
After a customer has bought a product from your website, do not immediately send them emails and texts to promote your other products. After purchasing a product, they are unlikely to buy another one for some time.
In this duration, you can send emails or SMS to your customers, educating them better about the product they just bought. You could send them some FAQs about the product or the success stories of the product.
Now, the question arises, how do we know when the customer is ready to be roped in for a new sale. You can always turn to product data and behavioural insights to ensure that the customer is prepared to be approached for a new product. You can then upsell and accomplish repeat purchases.
Personalize each SMS with Customer Data
SMS is a very personal mode of communication. Hence, as a brand that wishes to set up a close relationship with its buyers, you can constantly personalize the texts you send over. For personalizing the texts, you can always use customer data to pick helpful information about the customer. For example, you can constantly personalize the texts by addressing the customers by their first name.
Customer data lets you know what product the customer has purchased. This information can also be put to great use. For instance, if your e-commerce platform deals in cosmetic and skincare brand products and you come across a customer who has previously ordered salicylic acid-based products, you have an idea that your customer is focusing on acne-related issues. You can now pitch them products related to the same problem.
Similarly, if a customer has shown interest in curtains, you could send them an SMS promoting fairy lights, curtain ropes, etc.
Bottom Line
Getting started with SMS marketing is more accessible than many e-commerce brands think. All you need to do is figure out what message you want to convey, seek permission from people to send them messages, and then find an SMS messaging service. You can then start sending impactful messages to your customers.
Remember to keep your messages short and relevant, and don’t overstay your welcome by showing up on your customers’ cell phones every other day. The more SMS messaging you use- and review the results to know what changes you need to make in your strategy- the more powerful a tool this marketing medium will become for your brand.
If you’re still unsure how to develop an effective SMS marketing strategy, sign up for Wigzo’s free trial today to come up with an SMS marketing plan that can increase your repeat purchase rate manifolds and boost customer retention exponentially.
