It’s the most stressful time of year. 60% of participants in a Healthline holiday survey answered that they find the holiday season stressful. As the focus shifts away from holiday sales and promotions this week, think about how you can connect with your customers personally and relieve any seasonal stress they may be facing. We’ve created a list of ideas on how you can better serve your customers through holiday text messages this week.
Ship Free Solutions
The holiday shopping season crept into October this year, with many businesses offering Black Friday deals as early as November 1. While many consumers took advantage of these earlier than normal promotions, some holiday shoppers only began purchasing in the last two weeks. Last year 79% of shoppers waited until two weeks before Christmas to do their shopping, according to this study. It’s likely too late to receive online orders before Christmas now, but there’s still time for in-store and ship-free solutions, like gift cards. NRF predicted that gift card purchases this holiday season would reach $28.1 billion. Gift cards were also the most wished for item this year. Help your last-minute customers by sending an SMS with spur of the moment ideas for in-store and gift card purchases.
Offer Gratitude
Many studies show how the act of expressing gratitude deepens relationships and impacts your health. Gratitude is a powerful force of positivity extending beyond individual mindsets and into business transformations. Loyalty points and deals are great ways of showing gratitude, but when was the last time you expressly told your customers that you were grateful for their business and support? Send a text message this week sharing your stories of gratitude. Not only could this have a positive effect on your customers, but your entire team as you reflect on the moments throughout the year.
Season’s Greetings
Hallmark says that approximately 1.3 billion holiday cards are sent annually. This 19th-century tradition has adapted throughout the ages and continues to spark joy nearly 200 years later in its various forms. Using SMS to send your season’s greeting opens countless opportunities for creativity and customization. Send a yearly reflection newsletter, a video holiday message from the entire team, a classic Christmas card image, or an infographic showing this year’s top moments. Best of all, SMS holiday cards can be scheduled for optimal timing. Learn more about the benefits of scheduling messages.
Give Back
While it might be the happiest time of year for some, it isn’t for all. Giving back to the community and those in need is essential now and throughout the year. Forgo your usual sales or promotion text messages this week to show how you are helping the community. Share a video through SmartURL™ detailing the organization you are serving and how your customers are a part of this process.
Host A Giveaway
Make spirits bright by hosting a festive SMS giveaway! Giveaways are a fun way to boost engagement and drive site traffic. Encourage customers to opt-in for their chance to win and grow your SMS list. Advertise your giveaway to current SMS subscribers through text messages and non-subscribers on your social platforms, email, and website. Don’t leave anyone out by compliantly opting in your entire customer base with our All-in Opt-in tool.
While it might be the most stressful time of year, you have an opportunity to connect with your customers by solving their pain points. Continue to build loyalty and trust by finding ways to give back to your customers and community this week. The Solutions by Text team of experts can help you expand these ideas to fit your communication strategy. It’s not too late to reach your customers this holiday season!