Boost Sales with These Simple, Easy-to-Implement Digital Strategies
Objective: Understanding and executing best practices for SMS and email campaigns.
Want to create more touchpoints with customers with a digital marketing campaign, but just don’t know where to start? Perhaps you’re worried that you’ll overwhelm customers with emails and texts and end up creating the opposite effect, pushing people to unsubscribe from your list.
It’s a valid concern, one we address head-on with this “best practices” tip sheet. Keep reading for simple ways to create effective email campaigns and SMS messaging designed to drive more customers to your doors.
Tip #1: Always deliver value. The number one way to keep people from unsubscribing from your contact list is to deliver something that enriches their lives with each and every message that you send. Offer a pro tip highlighting your product, service, or expertise; give specific examples of how customers are benefiting from your services; or even help customers save some money with a discount code. While each message may not always lead to a sale, it will keep your brand top-of-mind for the next time your customers want to engage with your business.
Tip #2: Make it personal. Research shows people respond to emails or texts that offer personal relevance. A special email or SMS message for birthdays or anniversaries is wonderful, but loyalty and rewards reminders, welcome messages, and “come back” emails are great ways to target specific groups as well.
Tip #3: Slice and dice your contact list. Industry experts call this technique “audience segmentation,” and it’s a great way to re-engage with past customers with specific messages geared just to them. Consider sending a “come back” or “we miss you” email to customers you haven’t seen in the past few months. If you’re offering a new service or product line, shout it out to customers who purchased a similar service or product in the past.
Tip #4: Establish appropriate frequency. Research shows that 2 – 3 touchpoints per customer per month from you, the business owner, is all it takes to keep people engaged without driving them away. Remember that because you have the ability to segment your audience (see above), you might not be reaching each customer with every email or text you send, so plan accordingly to make sure each customer hears from you regularly. And while evidence suggests that a small unsubscribe rate is likely, keep in mind that you aren’t sending spam. Your customers signed up for your messages because they want this information.
Tip #5: Make a plan and stick to it. To stay truly top-of-mind for your customers, it’s important to develop a consistent communication schedule. Want to send a calendar of events email? Announce your next month’s schedule on the last Tuesday of each month. Planning a flash sale? Shout it out to customers three days in advance. Over time, you’ll figure out what works best for your particular audience. Paying attention to your campaign results will give you insights about your customers’ purchasing habits and help you plan a communication schedule that matches their buying trends.
Tip #6: Add some mystery to your messaging. Industry experts call this strategy the “curiosity gap,” and you can use it as a “teaser” in your subject lines or SMS messages to encourage click-throughs to your website. For example, with a Flash Sale email, instead of this subject line: “Save $10 on Your Next Purchase” try: “Spring Savings You Won’t Believe!” Then, in the email, continue the teaser in the promo code description section with this message: “Mystery Spring savings! Test out this code on your next purchase to see how much you’ll save!” For SMS, try: “Use promo code SPRINGJOY for MYSTERY savings off your next purchase!”
Tip #7: Make it timely. Marketers call this technique FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), and it’s a proven method for persuading potential customers to respond in a timely fashion. Introducing a sense of urgency in your subject line or text message can be all it takes to make the next sale. Phrases such as “hours left,” “almost sold out” and “expires Thursday” reinforce a time-sensitive message and prompt quick action.
Tip #8: Know which type of message to send when. Most of the tips above apply generally to both email and SMS. But is one type of communication better than another? Yes! Typically, emails work best for general announcements, such as a “Check Out Our Calendar,” “Shop Local,” or “Loyalty Rewards” message. Texting, on the other hand, works best when you want to create a sense of urgency. Think flash sales or targeted announcements about specific sales or services your customers might enjoy.
Tip #9: Less is more. With all these great tools and tips at your fingertips, the temptation is to use them all at once. Don’t. Think of your messages as ping-pong balls. If someone has a bucket of ping pong balls and throws them at you all at once, the chances of you catching any are pretty slim. But if that person aims carefully and tosses one ball directly to you, your chances of catching it rise significantly. It’s the same with communication. Send one message per email or text, and you’ll get much better…and targeted…results.
Tip #10: E-Marketing is all about strengthening relationships with your customers. As you consistently deliver messages of value to your audience, you’ll develop a loyal following, one that genuinely appreciates all that you offer. Remember, this is your chance to make your business top-of-mind for your customers’ purchasing trends.
All that’s left is to watch your conversions grow. Want to learn more about digital marketing? Need some help developing a creative campaign? Our team of experts stands ready and waiting to help you put these best-practice strategies use. We’d be more than happy to help drive more traffic to your website…and through your doors!