Consumers today crave personalized experiences. For many brands, the go-to form of personal communication with their customers is email. However, it’s easy to get lost in busy inboxes, so how do you stand out?

Plenty of brands are turning to SMS marketing strategies to connect directly with their customers, increase engagement rates, and improve customer experience. Think about it: shoppers are spending an increasing amount of time on their phones, which has dramatically shifted the significance of the smartphone as a touchpoint in the shopping cycle.

If that’s not convincing enough, text messages have an open rate of 99%, with 97% read in the first 15 minutes; this is a significant improvement on email’s average open rate of 20%.

Want to get in on the game? Here’s how brands in different verticals are smashing their SMS strategies.

SMS Strategies for Clothing Brands

Clothing brands have a difficult task in personalizing their communications since every shopper is different and has varying tastes and styles.

Basic Piece sends personalized messages to customers on their birthdays and directs them to their email for an offer. Bridging the gap between SMS and email creates multiple touchpoints for customers.

Remember that personalization isn’t just about plugging in a consumer’s name; it also relies on the great copy that speaks to the target in a personable way. Customers want to feel connected to the brands they buy from, and standing out often means getting personal.

Stately uses its SMS strategy to showcase behind-the-scenes activities that highlight what the brand has been working on and promote other products at the same time.

SMS Strategies for Homeware Brands

Text messages are a great way to keep customers in the loop when they’ve made an order. This is exactly what Bed Bath and Beyond does: It sends well-timed texts that keep shoppers up-to-date with their order confirmation and delivery.

Keep your customers’ concerns at bay by keeping them informed about their order. A small amount of reassurance can keep customers from frantically quadruple-checking their order status and having negative associations with your brand. Even transparency about a delay can increase the chances of a customer returning.

SMS Strategies for Beauty Brands

Like clothing brands, beauty brands have to appeal to customers with completely different skin types, colorings, and styles, making personalized communication difficult.

Julep uses text messages to promote its upcoming offers while fostering customer engagement. It does so by directing shoppers to seasonal games and contests they can participate in.

Safely also uses its SMS strategy to stay connected with shoppers. Text messages include new product launches and discount codes for existing customers to bolster retention and keep customers engaged.

SMS Strategies for Health and Safety Brands

OneSkin leverages text messages to create an interactive experience with shoppers. The brand uses SMS to let customers modify their orders with simple, automated responses.

In a similar vein, Bushbalm asks customers to share their feedback via text. This technique opens up a dialogue and opportunity to discover any pain points while helping the brand get to know its customers better.

Brands frequently ask customers to hand over their email address when they land on an e-commerce site, but JUDY does things a bit differently. It asks shoppers to sign up with their mobile numbers to receive personalized content directly to their pockets.

SMS Strategies for Jewelry Brands

Jewelry is often a very personal purchase (or a gift), and it makes sense for brands in this vertical to foster deeper relationships with their customers. Moon Magic understands the importance of brand loyalty and shares promotions and deals with loyal customers by text.

The jewelry category relies heavily on personal selling and long-standing relationships; a text message embodies both approaches.

SMS Strategies for Food and Drink Brands

Everyone likes to feel a part of something, which is why many brands are building an online community around their products. Ayoba does a great job of this through its text club, where members can unlock discounts and special offers straight from their inboxes.

Snapple also keeps things casual with its texts. The brand sends facts or short snippets of information to stay at the top of its customers’ minds. You can bet customers enjoy having these fun facts at their fingertips. In this case, Snapple uses text messages for promotions and feedback, along with entertainment and content associated with the brand.

There’s nothing worse than running out of your favorite product. Hydrant stops its customers from experiencing this by sending replenishment reminders via text. Shoppers can sign up with their mobile number and receive a reminder when their supply might be running low.

Hydrant builds a personal relationship with its customers by offering a helpful and concise service through SMS.

Connect With Busy, On-The-Go Shoppers

Text messages are a great way to land in shoppers’ pockets and reach them while they’re on the go — the impressive open rate is proof enough. Take inspiration from the brands we’ve highlighted here to smash your SMS strategy and create deeper, more meaningful connections with your customers while building brand loyalty.

Want to learn more about growing your SMS marketing channel? Watch our webinar with electrIQ marketing on demand!

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by Electriq marketing

Lindsay Kolinsky, Partner Marketing Manager, Okendo

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