Starting a retail business entrepreneur faces unique challenges that should be solved step-by-step, including the development of SMS marketing strategy for retail. You might have seen the examples of promising family shops that appeared in one month, and faded out in new few weeks. Do you want to learn how to avoid this? Just keep reading.

We will talk about bulk SMS marketing that will help you attract more buyers and systematically communicate with them, making them come back again and again. You can achieve this having a minimal budget.  Advertising via bulk SMS is a pretty popular way not only to increase sales for the Retail Shopping Company but also gain popularity and brand awareness in a few days for a newly opened retail business.

SMS marketing for retail must be one of the most wide-spread advertising activities for a long time. Retail stores were probably the very first industries to jump into the SMS marketing chain. One of the most common text messaging solution for retail is SMS containing coupons and discount offers for their clients. Besides, cheap SMS marketing is a good way to save up on advertisement tool.

USING SMS MARKETING IN RETAIL

Retailers have an excellent opportunity to take advantage of bulk SMS messaging. For example, one can quickly launch and manage the loyalty program between the customers.

Here are a few ways to use bulk text to reward loyal customers:

• Bring customers to your store with the help of SMS coupons. For example, send bulk SMS with the text “Show this SMS coupon at the cash-desk and get 15% discount on your next purchase”.
• Motivate buyers, by notifying them using bulk text messages about new arrivals and promotional offers, sales, discounts.
• Promote event at your shop by well-timed bulk SMS to the database of your customers. Example. “Summer rock and roll sale! Just this week!
• By sending individual discounts and alerts, you will soon see the turnover of permanent and new customers at your shop like never before.

However, before you start sending SMS in bulk, you have to make sure that the clients agree to receive SMS from your company. Here you should do some preliminary actions to collect a loyal database of clients that is an essential factor in the SMS campaign success.  The secret of getting subscribers is simple. We broke it into two clear steps:

1. Give customers a motivation to subscribe!
2. Make your customers discuss your work!
3. Give customers an incentive to subscribe!

There is no need to persuade loyal customers to subscribe to your newsletter. However, you need not only satisfy already loyal customers; you want to create a database, loyal customers. SMS marketing does just that.

Here are three key factors, which will help you build a loyal subscribers’ database quickly:

• Instant satisfaction. Buyers want a discount right now. Offer them a discount in return for subscribing to your SMS.
• Add the client to the VIP-list. Let your representatives at the point of sales or cashier personally ask the buyer whether he wants to receive bulk text messages about the big sales.
• Lottery and sweepstakes. One of the most efficient and popular ways to motivate subscribers is to hold a lottery. As a prize, you can use your products or other unusual gifts.
• Advertise services valuable to the customer.Often, this is enough for people to subscribe to your SMS campaign, so, tell your customers corporate news and announce new arrivals by SMS,

Make your customers discuss your work

Even the most attractive offers in the world will not work if anyone knows about them. That is why you need to tell about the possibility and advantages of bulk SMS from you to as many people as you can.

Here are a few places where you can promote the subscription for your bulk SMS campaign:

• Membership cards. Ask your client to leave contact and consent to receive SMS while issuing him a membership card.
• Shop window. Create a good visible sign for the passers-by to know about SMS subscription.
• Cash machine. A small pointer at the cash-desk where one can scan QR code and subscribe SMS campaign.
• A brief note on the bill is a good way to advertise your SMS campaign and motivate to subscribe.
• Signs inside the store and table pointers. Let the loyal customers stay in touch with you.

Considering the fact, that usually clients are often attacked with retail SMS messages, the first piece of advice for a retail store is to find a way to stand out in their retail SMS marketing strategy.

How to do this? Well, you may personalize your SMS, by addressing the customer by name, or make it targeted, e.g. by sending promotions and discounts for goods that you know the consumer likes based on their purchasing records.

Follow these simple steps and you will get subscribers for bulk SMS campaigns and consequently the customers and sales at your store! Learn how to subscribe for bulk SMS at our blog.